WA WAnderings

[JohnM]

You should run AFF tours for these road trips

Would I have to take you?

Would you be able to stop whinging for that long?

 

[JohnM]

Aired back up and hit the trails to meander out of D’Entrecasteaux NP into Warren NP through the karri trees.



I swung back onto the main road and headed to Lake Jasper, going in from the E side, which is the ‘main’ entry as indicated by the signs.

Typical of the low-lying sandy area, the Beaufortia is always spectacular in late summer-early autumn.



The last 20 or so clicks were on a pretty bouncy sand track. Obviously well-used over the summer. No technical difficulty; just very bouncy. My Fitbit watch went nuts on step-count. I had the fridge, water tank and all other gear well strapped down, so no issues there. If not, it would have been very messy.

What a spot! Lake Jasper is the largest freshwater lake in SW WA.

I’m not whether the table was deliberately placed in the water by the rangers or moved by some enterprising visitors. Whichever, it was pretty cool.



There’s a walk trail around to the large beach just visible on the right of the pic above.



After a spot of lunch, all alone in peaceful solitude again, it was time to begin the run back home. I completed essentially a circuit of the lake by exiting on the west side. A much firmer track, but also a lot more low-lying making it impossible to traverse in winter. There are fixed signs with slide-boards to indicate when that road is closed.

And that was it for a couple of fun days. All cobwebs gone…

 

[Daver6]

Would I have to take you?

Would you be able to stop whinging for that long?

At least you'd be drinking out of better wine glasses

 

[JohnM]

At least you'd be drinking out of better wine glasses

I'm working on doing the Holland Track (The Holland track and beyond.) probably about the first week of May, depending on whether the rains have started. I want to get the cooler weather, clear Easter and the school holidays, but I don't want to fight the big holes when they are full of water and mud.

If Mrs Daver6 will give you a leave pass, come along. Don't worry about work - you do stuff-all anyway.

 

[Daver6]

I'm working on doing the Holland Track (The Holland track and beyond.) probably about the first week of May, depending on whether the rains have started. I want to get the cooler weather, clear Easter and the school holidays, but I don't want to fight the big holes when they are full of water and mud.

If Mrs Daver6 will give you a leave pass, come along. Don't worry about work - you do stuff-all anyway.

She'll want to come along!

 

[JohnM]

She'll want to come along!

Two's company; three's a crowd.

 

[JohnM]

Time is slipping by. I needed to get on the road again, so this week it was a trip that I’ve had in the back of my mind for a while.

The Holland Track was cut through the bush in 1893 by John Holland and a small crew to the newly discovered gold fields at Fly Flat (now Coolgardie) from the Albany port region, to facilitate direct access during the gold rush.

It fell into disuse within a few years but was resurrected in recent times as a 4WD adventure track. It is considered something of a must-do 4WD trip in WA.

This was the plan: Perth-Hyden last Sunday, overnight at Hyden (of Wave Rock fame: Wave Rock - Wikipedia), hit the Track on Monday morning and carry on until dusk before camping wherever I ended up, complete the Track on Tuesday morning before the run back to Perth from Coolgardie on Great Eastern Highway. Total distance covered was c. 1250 clicks.

Google Maps is useless for allowing mapping to tracks, so here’s the route:



On the way to Hyden I made a slight detour at Kondinin to check out the 10th Light Horse war memorial on Yeerakine Rock (Yeerakine Rock - Wikipedia), poignantly only a few days after Anzac Day.



There are some walk trails around the base of the rock and up to the top.

Sandalwood tree in bloom. And I have often wondered why the widespread Casuarina trees are called Sheoak. Here was one explanation.



Further on, near Karlgarin, an information board and display about Malleefowl.

 

[JohnM]

Next morning, crossing the State Barrier fence, and the limit of the agricultural region, about 50km east of Hyden and a few km before the start of the Holland Track.



Toyota Landcruiser Club of WA volunteers attend to the Holland Track with advisory and directional signs. Air down tyres to 28psi and change the radio from CH40 to CH28, and I’m on my way.

 

[JohnM]

I knew that the Track is notorious for having deep bog-holes that fill with water and mud, so I chose to go in autumn before too much rain had fallen. I was not interested in ploughing through mud and slush, especially travelling solo. There had been some rain a couple of weeks ago. I discovered that the bog holes capture water very easily…

There are chicken tracks around all the bog-holes. It all looked quite benign to start; how things were to change…



It became evident that many drivers like to plough their vehicles through the mud-holes. Each to their own, I guess, but there did seem to be an element of destructiveness out of the thrill. I picked my way carefully around the mud, but plenty of the hardened cut-up soil made for a bit of suspension-testing.



Lovely mallees shedding bark, leaving glossy stems.

 

[JohnM]

Sheoak and a real Malleefowl nest.



Lovely countryside and the weather was superb. The track is very narrow in many parts. That’s particularly worrying at bends in parts where it’s winding. Even though travel speed is very low, there were plenty of blind spots.

I had the radio on constantly, but chatter is only likely with groups travelling, so there would be no warning of another solo traveller coming the other way. Even at 20kph each, it could be difficult to avoid a head-on.

As it turned out, I saw nobody else on the first day. On the second day I heard some chatter and as it became clearer I made a call of being northbound on the Track, that was answered as two vehicles southbound, which I encountered at a good spot for passing soon after.

It was perhaps a more nerve-wracking aspect of the trip than rockin’ and rollin’ over the chopped-up ground.

 

[JohnM]

A whimsical memorial at a campsite to a mate who had died too young.



Then it opened up about a third of the way in - but it was not long-lasting.

 

[JohnM]

As the light faded, time to set up camp and enjoy a well-earned drink.



PERfect evening. Mild, no wind or cloud. Glorious solitude and tranquility.



Next morning, back on the Track. Taller trees in parts. Early thin cloud soon burnt off. Not far north of where I camped were a couple of the longest and roughest areas to pick across. No real drama; just slow going.

It then became very narrow and winding with poor visibility ahead. I pretty much gave up taking more pics until I was nearly clear of the Track when the vegetation had opened up to larger, spaced trees.



The Track exits onto Victoria Rocks Rd, a well-maintained dirt road, about 50km from Coolgardie. I dropped into Victoria Rocks briefly before bee-lining to Coolgardie to refuel and air-up and then to bee-line home.



And that was it for a good trip. It satisfied my curiosity and I’m glad I did it. However, I don’t think that I would encourage anyone to do it, although nor would I dissuade anyone. It is terribly chopped up, wantonly in many instances it seemed, so that I found a bit depressing.

I now realise why the tag-along leader that I travelled the Canning Stock Route with in 2017 (Way into the WA wilderness) says he never takes groups on the Holland Track any more.

I certainly would dissuade anyone of the non-mud-bashing type from doing it any time much after the winter rains start. A solo run during winter would not be sensible. I could avoid the mud but that would become impossible after more rain, so recovery gear and travelling in a group would be crucial.

As mentioned, the most nerve-wracking aspect was the fear of head-on collision on the very narrow, winding sections, mostly in the mid-northern part.

Now to think about where next?

 

[VPS]

I'm not a four wheel driver so pardon the ignorant question but If you were by yourself and got into one of those deep ditches could you get yourself out again. Do you have a satellite phone or how to communicate if you get stuck?

 

[JohnM]

I'm not a four wheel driver so pardon the ignorant question but If you were by yourself and got into one of those deep ditches could you get yourself out again. Do you have a satellite phone or how to communicate if you get stuck?

I always carry a satphone.

If it had got to a situation where I had to go through a deep bog-hole, I would have turned around and retreated.

I like 4WDing, but not to bash the vehicle and the bush about.

You've reminded me that I meant to put in this link to show what some people do out there (and see the notes about the vehicle damage they sustained):The Holland track and beyond.

 

[JohnM]

Righto, that time of the year has rolled around again.

The summer holiday zoo has subsided, PJM is back at toil.

Time for me to once again shoot through to somewhere on the S coast for a bit of me time and to pit man and machine against the terrestrial elements.

So last week it was off for a lazy 2850-click spin out bush.

This year’s main target: the Eyre Bird Observatory out on the Nullarbor Plain at the old Eyre Telegraph Station (Eyre Bird Observatory - Wikipedia).



First stop the good campground at Peak Charles NP after taking the back road from Lake King to Norseman through long skinny Frank Hann NP. The last time I took that road was back in about 1964 with my family to visit relatives in Norseman where my dad grew up.



At the NE end of Frank Hann NP, just where the road kinks to begin running ESE, is the remnants of the Ninety Mile Tank. It’s now in disrepair and vegetation has grown up around it. Back in 1964, my recollection was that it was still functional although not being used for its original purpose.

I can’t find any specific information on the tank, but it was obviously of some importance as a large and robust corrugated metal roof had been constructed to collect water. Here’s some drone imagery:

. That person was also unable to find any information on the tank’s purpose.

 

[JohnM]

Moving along. The road was in the most part benign, with occasional rough wash-outs. It could quickly get messy with rain.

It mostly passed through heathland until getting into the Great Western Woodlands (Great Western Woodlands - Wikipedia) at the E end.

Peak Charles and Peak Eleanora in the distance.



Nicely timed sunset arrival at the Peak Charles campground. My newly acquired ‘3 Second Tent’ is brilliant. Built-in poles and it just pops up, but still very compact when folded. Great for one-night stops.

 

[JohnM]

Then through to the Norseman-Esperance road. Bromus Dam, constructed in the late 1920s, provided water for the steam trains.

 

[Daver6]

Didn't hike Peak Charles then?

I recall stopping off there around 20 years ago when driving across to Canberra. Was well worth the detour.

 

[JohnM]

Was that stop to change your nappy?

I wasn't sure where I was going to stop on the first night. I was just free-birding.

I considered stopping at 90 mile tank, but it was a bit too early, so I pressed on. So Peak Charles looked the go when I checked the maps and timings.

I considered climbing it, but it is obviously a bit of a mission and my main target was Eyre, so I opted to drive the circuit in the park during the morning then light out for Norseman and beyond.

It's certainly a lovely spot. Again, one of those many places that I've driven past previously but never detoured into.

 

[JohnM]

Norseman. Old post office behind the roundabout.



‘Norseman’ the horse that the town was named after. Reputedly, it pawed up a stone rich in gold in 1894 and the rush was on. I recall my grandmother saying that she came from South Australia to Esperance and then on to Norseman as a girl or young woman in about 1897.



After refuelling and the brief lunch stop in Norseman, it was back S about 20km on the Norseman-Esperance road to turn onto the old telegraph line road to head further E.



Mostly a straight and fairly benign track in dry conditions but some salt lakes and wash-outs would make it messy after rain. The telegraph maintenance camps had a shelter and a cubic metal water tank, while another of those tanks with the top fully open was used to store provisions.



The base of the telegraph poles appeared to be a tapered cast iron sleeve into which the iron poles were inserted. This was to later become clearer from displays at the old telegraph station at the Eyre Bird Observatory.



I pushed on through to Balladonia Roadhouse, again arriving nicely just on sunset.