There is not much pristine, untouched wilderness in Australia, despite the reputation of some of the great desert and mountain treks.

But take a look at the North Simpson Desert 1: 250,000 map. It does not have one mark that represents human habitation. Not a road, not a track, not a fence, not a bore.

It's here, says Alice Springs based Direct 4WD supremo Jol Fleming as he makes an expressive gesture with his arm. 'It's right here, almost in our own backyard'.

The area he is referring to is about 350km due east of Alice Springs towards the Queensland border. It is seldom visited by anybody these days, except for its traditional owners, and even then they come relatively infrequently.

It is now freehold Aboriginal land, made so by a decision of Native Title tribunal established under the Land Rights Act.

Today it is an environmental paradise. It has only ever been lightly grazed, and feral animals, except for a few camels, are absent. As well, two bountiful seasons have produced abundant conditions for trees, shrubs and plants, and the stands of river gums in the Hay River are simply breathtaking.

With the help of the traditional owner Lindsay Bookie access to the Hay River is available to any one who applies for a permit to travel this land. Since our first trip down the Hay, as the 'Bush Tucker Trip' to Lake Caroline in August '99, of course the rains came in 2000 & 2001 what was a relatively dry desert area became a lush green area with every type of wild flower and grass known to the desert. Almost 100% ground cover in what's classified Desert Area.

With the aide and the persistence of the Central Land Council, the Indigenous Land Corporation came to the party with a grant to equip the bore and set up a Bush Camp at Batton Hill, at the northern end of the Hay River just below the 23rd parallel

The Camp is situated on a tributary to the Hay among a beautiful stand of Ghost Gums, with a Gents and Ladies Toilet, hot showers by Donkey Boiler (chip heater) 2 Bow sheds and a bush kitchen. Water is supplies by Solar powered bore and pumped into a header tank, so there is running water. Bit flash for the bush. Each vehicle gets their own ghost Gum to camp under, a common fire place is adjacent to the the kitchen and bow sheds.

This sure is a welcome site if you have come up the Hay from Poeppel Corner.

Since the first trip down to Lake Caroline in '00 with a group, the track is now well defined and allows access to the lake.

Its a bit unfortunate that there has been a number of fires in that area since the '00 rains. Some of the country has recovered to a certain extent but there is a lot that hasn't. This doesn't detract from the beauty of the desert though, there are still areas that haven't been damaged by fire.

A group of enthusiasts, with Lindsay went down the Hay last October, to see if it was possible, firstly to get to the track at Madigans Camp 15, and to see it the track from there was still useable. It was a very warm  trip, the sand very difficult, one because it was hot (outside temps up to 50C) the other because it was devoid of vegetation due to the fires. Even with this difficulty the crew mad it from Batton Hill to Poeppel Corner and back, some 900km in the searing desert heat.

This made it possible for Direct 4WD to advertise a trip for May and August '03, using the known route to Madigan's Camp 15, then a set of GPS points to cover the rest of the trip.

WHAT IS THERE TO DO IN THIS WILDERNESS AREA?

Just Visit the camp

Batton Hill Camp can be accessed by reasonable road from Jervois Station. You can just sit around and relax there is a abundance of quiet to be had. Alternatively take a tour with Lindsay to visit some of the surrounding features, Mt Teitkins, Mt Winnecke and Goyders Pillar. Most of this will be cross country so you need to be prepared.

Bush tucker, what's in season can be collected on the way. Lindsay will show how and what to look for.

Sunset on Goyders Pillar is a must.

Take a drive down to Lake Caroline.

This is a 2or 3 day jaunt from Batton Hill if you want to take it all in. What is there? A big dry lake bed, a clay pan not a salt lake.

Here is what Kevin Boyle, had to say about the area.

''It was a privilege to be in country that has felt the harsh impact of humanity so lightly. There is something personally fulfilling about visiting an untouched, pristine area, sleeping out under the stars with the cares of that 'other' world a million miles away.

And then there is that special feeling derived from coming to a beautiful, yet potentially dangerous part of the world, and cogitating on the knowledge that you just might be one of the first people to have been there for decades. 

Lindsay Bookie, for one, wants to keep it that way. He won't be alone in that.''

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