Lake Eyre

[roy567]

I'm looking to visit Lake Eyre in September and wondering what i need to equip my NW Pajero for the trip?
Any thoughts appreciated.

[Wicks747]

Not too much needed really. Good LT tyres. I worked on Anna Creek where the halagian bay Rd is and it's not a bad road just corrugated. Fuel is available at William creek, bit pricey there $2+ per ltr and you will do a return trip to the lake from there easy. Best option is to not even bother driving the Halagin bay road and take a flight from William in my opinion. Lake is much more impressive from the air. If you go down the road of a heap of camping gear then added weight then up graded suspension etc will probably be required. A second spare or at least plug kits would be worth while and a compresser and tyre gauge/ deflator to let down the tyres and pump them back up. All depends if you go up from Marree on the dirt or just across from Coober Pedy, this way you have a lot less dirt road kms

[geopaj]

Where exactly are you going?

If just to Marree for a scenic flight and then up the Oodnadatta Track to the Lake Eyre South lookout, I would have no hesitation in taking a stock NX (we all get caught up in 'needing' modifications, but in reality stock vehicles are highly capable.

For example, I have crossed the Simpson twice - 1st time in a stock but new (at the time) NH, and the second time a friend joined us in a new stock GU (both even had stock tires!) neither vehicle had any issues but were driven with mechanical sympathy.

[roy567]

Thanks for your collective wisdom
I was hoping to appease my sons wishes for a road trip without being put off by having a stock Pajero.

Scenic flights sounds like an option.

Thanks
Darren

[Katana Chatty]

We did the run in from William Creek last year - you could drive it easily in a stock Paj - just watch your tyre pressures

Yes, the flight is great, but nothing beats the feeling of actually standing on Lake Eyre.

[Pwoffey]

The scenic flight over Lake Eyre is spectacular. Worth every cent (well, I got it for half price, because Trevor was really keen to fill up the last flight of the day just as we arrived at William Creek, so we did him a favour and hopped aboard ). If you can go just before sunset or early after sunrise the light gives marvelous effects across the water. Halligans Bay would no doubt be fine, but you can see from the air how little of the Lake's scenery and features you would get to appreciate from the campground.

As far as driving to Lake Eyre along the Oodnadatta Track, as long as there has been no rains blocking the track, it could easily be done in an unmodified Paj, although I think it always pays to have LT construction tyres. Of course if you are towing, or carrying heavy loads, then then you would start to think about your suspension. Drop your tyre pressures a bit, don't drive too fast and you'll be right. Your mobile won't work so having a UHF radio (at least) would be prudent, although there is quite a bit of traffic to keep you company. The only problem we had along the OT was a broken windscreen courtesy of some dips**t who thought that slowing down as he passes another vehicle on a rocky road was beneath him.

Have fun, it's a great trip

[erad]

A few years back, my wife and I went into Lake Eyre just out of Marree. The road turns off the Oodnadatta track a few km out of town and goes to Mukoorina (nice camping spot there) and then on to the lake. All up it is about 90 km off the Oodnadatta track, but the road in was in good condition then (who knows now, after all the rain we have had lately?). You pass next to a channel connecting the lake to South Lake Eyre. Eventually you come to a sand dune and just over the dune is the lake. This is also the point from where Donald Campbell set the world land speed record many years before. Nothing much else there or around, but it was interesting to be there anyway.