Monday
We've decided to go out to Big Red today and give it a go. Big Red is at the start of the Simpson Desert and is the tallest of the 1000 odd sand dunes. As we arrive at Little Red there are a few cars waiting, a few people who are climbing up and a few people just watching. Martin lets the tyres down and with the sand flag attached we take off up and over. It's quite steep on the way down and once down we turn right to head over to Big Red. When we arrive there is another Patrol there having a go on the steep track. He almost makes it but just not quite.
Even though it's now law to have a sand flag when driving in the desert we haven't seen another truck with one on yet so Martin uses the radio to check whether there are any other trucks up there. He starts driving up but I haven't got the camera running so he reverses and we start again. Straight up to the top. What a great view. We see the track down the other side and Martin heads for it. I ask if he's going to do the steeper track but as we are on our own he doesn't want to risk any damage to the car. When we get to the bottom we have a quick look at the footage - not bad.
We head back to the track and finding that we are on private property realise we should have gone back down the same way we came up. We find a shady spot and inflate the tyres and head back to town.
Once in town we have another look around. So many more trucks today - pizza, burgers, fish, hats, t-shirts, pancakes - and more arriving all the time. We grab a burger and find some shade to eat.
Back to camp and we do some washing and then relax for the afternoon. I have a look at my phone to watch the video properly but it's not there. The one I took going down Little Red is there but Big Red is gone. We decide we'll go out again tomorrow and do it again. We talk to the girls and Martin cooks dinner. As we finish dinner the wind starts to pick up. It's been 33° today so it is initially welcome but it starts to become a bit gusty. We open up the end walls to allow the wind to blow through and Martin parks to patrol close to act as a wind break. The wind is so strong that the van shakes as it blows. Don't think I'll sleep much tonight!