A tentative start
Last night I was really worried about this part of the trip.
I know I'm capable. My car is more than capable. I just have to keep reminding
myself to take it slowly as the consequences for doing something stupid when
you’re this remote and by yourself could be severe…
Having said that, the drive to Kunawaritji is quite pretty
and an easy intro to the desert. The road is tarmac until you nearly get to
Telfer mine, then it turns into (when I travelled it) very well graded track
that runs between large, re-vegetated dunes that seem to run for many
kilometres. Along the way I stopped to get a photo of the Oakover River where
the track crosses it, and started talking to an old guy, Bill, that was doing
the same. He was camped for a couple of days just down stream and said it was
still running as it was fed by the water from Carawine Gorge. It also turns out
he’s the guy that put the brass palques on tracks where they cross the Tropic
of Capricorn. When he put the one on the Gary Track, he said he got a call from
Len Beadell saying thanks for putting a decent plaque there, but you spelled
Gary wrong. It should be Garry! Looks like a lot of maps are wrong as well
then…
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| Oakover River |
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| After Telfer, the track is wide and well graded. Mostly. |
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| It think that's clear enough..? |
Then you get to the last 20km before Kunawaritji. Slow Down!
It suddenly becomes a lot rougher with corrugations and small wash outs. Also,
the Hema Desert Map info for the community is wrong. The shop and servo close
at 4pm, not 5pm. I was lucky as the Administrator was tending his veggie patch
and opened it up again for me as long as I was paying cash. Half a tank later at
$3.40/litre, I drove away with a wallet $280 lighter. Before I left I asked
about the camp site listed near the Community. Turns out that isn’t there
either. So as dusk was fast approaching, I got directed to the closest one
which is only 4km away. I’m spending the night at Well 33 on the Canning Stock
Route, and amazingly, I have the place to myself.
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| Sunset at Well 33 on the Canning Stock Route |
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