left behind on the Frontline Safari .
Fringing the western edge of the Simpson Desert many riders took advantage of a warm bath before entering the sand . Dalhousie Springs the perfect start , or finish , to any Simpson Desert crossing , an oasis amongst the aridness of Australia ’ s interior .
The start of the Simpson Desert dunes , an easterly direction , the easiest way forward , prevailing winds ‘ flatten ’ the dunes of the west and then increase in height and angle of attack the further east you head . Purni Bore a chance to regroup , air down tyres and enter the desert true .
Seventy-six kilometres , a few hundred dunes , almost a day of riding . A camp somewhere along the Colson Track , one of the few north-south tracks traversing the Simpson . Riders spoke of the French Line with awe , some asked for an easier passage , some spoke of injured bodies .
Frontline organiser , Clay Marks had been one rider injured , thrown from his Yamaha Ténéré , pestilent luck , nothing more . A veteran of numerous Simpson crossings , Clay ’ s pride hurt more than his body although coming days would reveal cracked ribs and a broken hand . Confined to a support vehicle Clay would now laugh as his mode of transport ploughed through the
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