Watch this space  M.D.

TRIP REPORT :  The Madigan trail was negotiated without any drama's and was found to be moderate. Some decent sand dunes and cold wind were the main obstacles encountered. Six vehicles took part and no punctures on the actual trail. One small break was able to be welded on the job. The actual trail consists of about 750 klm. and took 6 days. Plenty of water and fuel is essential.

Mal Duff  Trip leader.

There are not too many places left in Australia where less than a thousand vehicles have travelled. One such place is the Madigan Trail originating from The Mac Clarke Reserve in the Northern Territory to Birdsville in Queensland.

A group of six vehicles from the Upper Hunter 4WD Recreation Club including three members of the HF Radio club left the Mac Clarke Reserve on the 15 August 2008 to travel in the footsteps of Cecil Madigan.

Dr CT Madigan in June 1939 with a party of nine, including a biologist, a botanist, a photographer and a radio operator, with nineteen camels, made the exhausting crossing from Andado station in the Northern Territory to Birdsville in twenty-five days. It verified Madigan's previous conclusions that the area was a wasteland. This last classic Australian exploration adventure pioneered the use of mobile HF radio communication; national broadcasts were made through the Australian Broadcasting Commission from desert camps. Madigan was an explorer and scientist who had previously been to Antarctica with Mawson.

During Madigan’s expedition he established 25 camps. The location of the camps was documented in the book ‘Crossing the Dead Heart". A group of enthusiast the Outback Adventurers located and marked the camps in 1994 using his book as the guide.

The members of the Upper Hunter 4WD Recreation Club had over the last four years followed the tracks of another explorer Len Beadell. It was after traversing the many roads constructed by Len Beadell and his Gunbarrell Construction Crew that we gained the confidence and experience required to attempt the remote Madigan trail.

After leaving Mac Clarke reserve we travelled over red gibber plains and sand dunes. The first landmark of significance was the Twins a double hill on the gibber plain. A cairn and plaque had been erected to name the members of Madigan’s party and establish the start of his journey to Birdsville.

Camp for the night was at the Hale River amongst the Coolabah Trees. An early start had us heading for Madigan Camp 6. The track deteriorated to a rough trail with the vehicles rocking and rolling at an average speed of 10 kpH. High sand dunes were encountered some up to 20 metres high with very steep descents. Once over the dunes there was no turning

back.

The country side was dry with an abundance of wildflowers, some little white ones like a carpet in places, small yellow flowers and paper daisies intermingled here and there. Yellow honey Grevillea trees were in blossom and small Diosma like shrubs in full bloom. At the end of the day the convoy had travelled 78 klm in 8 hours at an average of 10 kph.

With another early start and not knowing how far we would travel we headed for Camp 11. The terrain was similar to the previous day with the sand dunes increasing in size and the flora much the same. Camels were sighted for the first time on this trip.

Camp was established amongst a grove of Gidgee trees. It was here that one member discovered that the rear upper spring tower on his Nissan Patrol had broken away from the chassis. Some smart welding using two batteries in series, jumper leads and welding rods had the vehicle serviceable in a couple of hours. Again the days travel was 70klm in 8 hours.

After another excellent camp site and some good stories heard at happy hour the convoy departed with camp 15 our possible destination. This seemed a little optimistic as the day continued. The country side was similar with more excellent examples of wildflowers and more camel sightings. The track continued to be very rough from the Spinifex holes with driving in low gear being the order of the day. Hard going for drivers and passengers.

We made camp under a large red sand dune near Camp 14. Total kilometres travelled were 60k. Happy hour was a reward for an extreme days travel.

Day five saw us heading for Camp 16 and Madigan’s Blaze tree. The Sand dunes had become lower and the track more defined. At camp 15 there is a turnoff to the left to the Hay River and Batton Hill. This section sees a lot more traffic flow. Camp 16 was the last camp that we could access as the Queensland NPWS had refused us permission to travel to Camps 17 to 25.

There were a number of plaques at the blaze tree erected by previous groups that had travelled the Madigan Trail. We had established that the previous group to travel the Madigan had done so on the 25 July 2008 some three weeks earlier.

This is a truly remote pristine desert where when you stand on a sand dune you get a feeling of being the first person who may have stood there.

The group continued on to Birdsville via Poeppell corner for a couple of days of rest and recovery

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