Way into the WA wilderness

[cove]

Thanks JohnM for bringing the CSR to life for us.

 

[JohnM]

Thanks JohnM for bringing the CSR to life for us.

Thanks, cove. Dang - my own story is making me wish I was back out there again! Re-living it is bringing home to me again how much I enjoyed it! And three weeks totally cut off from the world was also an amazing part of the experience.

I think I'll have to do it again, but N-S, one day.

 

[JohnM]

Day 13, Saturday 15 July.

Day 10 on the CSR.

Georgia Bore to Well 26 (80 km). Via fuel dump, Wells 23-25 (ruins). Start of bigger dunes we are told – yay! Overnight Well 26 (restored, toilet, Canning Memorial).

Notice on the map that Well 26 is half way along the CSR.



Georgia Bore. More burned spinifex. On a detour from a severely corrugated section – Hema shows 37 kph.



The fuel dump is still used by some – including a strange club. Well 23.



Fire to the SW. I can’t recall what Jeremy called this land formation; I saw in it a reposing Easter Island moai.



Well 24 is in a low-lying naturally moist area.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Great Pics and TR. Thank you!

It brings back the memories as I used to do a lot of outback 4WD trips. I intend to revisit such trips in a couple of years when I am more fully retired.

 

[JohnM]

Day 13, Saturday 15 July (Cont.).

Day 10 on the CSR.

More Well 24 and the dense stands of Melaleucas in the area.



Zebra finches also in high abundance.



The CSR deviates N at the E end of the section shared with the Talawana Track that continues E to Windy Corner. At least in the vicinity of Georgia Bore, the Talawana Track looked not a lot different from the CSR – but there was some sort of grader active in the area. And we press on.





Fire getting bigger. Hakea wickhamii (aka ‘Holly Hakea’) seed pods. Another ant nest. I see a lot of those types of ant nest with the slot opening in the WA Goldfields around Kalgoorlie. Obviously an adaptation for something and intuitively one might think they would all be orientated the same way – but not so. The mysteries of biology…

 

[JohnM]

Day 13, Saturday 15 July (Cont.).

Day 10 on the CSR.

Looks like a goody coming up as we travel along the swale (‘valley’ between dunes)! ‘Rocketman’ rolling; John lining up and I’m ready to enter the runway. I loved the aviation analogy!



Over and down they come. This is fun!



Gall on Acacia caused by a minute wasp.



This is normally a claypan that the CSR runs across to Well 25 (ruins) but, because of the water, there’s a deviation around it. Good lunch stop.

 

[JohnM]

Day 13, Saturday 15 July (Cont.).

Day 10 on the CSR.

‘Rocketman’ rolling - again. John just given clearance to roll. The lineup behind me as I await T/O clearance. "Cabin crew: be seated for takeoff… (err, and hold on!)."



Rinse, repeat… Now you can see why we do only 80 clicks a day! Some dunes have a long natural run-up, so you can slow down, await call of ‘clear’ and then spool up.



Well 26. Toilet and very good water. Canning memorial – made with a replica camel-carried water pannier.

 

[VPS]

Excellent TR and very interesting - something that I can't ever see myself doing so living vicariously through this TR - loving the plants and bird photos too

Thanks

 

[JohnM]

Excellent TR and very interesting - something that I can't ever see myself doing so living vicariously through this TR - loving the plants and bird photos too

Thanks

Thanks, VPS, that's part of the reason why I'm doing it this way. I figure that it's a rare thing to do, but that a lot of people have heard about it. It was such a great season that it was hard to go past the living things.

It's also helping me consolidate my memories!

 

[drron]

Another who is vicariously living the dream by tagging along.
I don't have a practical bone in my body so this trip would be out of the question even if I were fit.

 

[JohnM]

Another who is vicariously living the dream by tagging along.
I don't have a practical bone in my body so this trip would be out of the question even if I were fit.

A very good reason to go on a tag-along. You can rely on the leader to check your gear before you go and while on the track, and the skills of others in the group, while at the same time learning an awful lot - yet having considerable independence.

There is at least one company that operates regularly where you go along as a passenger. We cross paths with them further up the track, so I'll say no more now but I took some pics of their vehicles and set-up.

 

[RooFlyer]

Day 13, Saturday 15 July (Cont.).

Day 10 on the CSR.

Looks like a goody coming up as we travel along the swale (‘valley’ between dunes)! ‘Rocketman’ rolling; John lining up and I’m ready to enter the runway. I loved the aviation analogy!

Day 13, Saturday 15 July (Cont.).

Day 10 on the CSR.

‘Rocketman’ rolling - again. John just given clearance to roll. The lineup behind me as I await T/O clearance. "Cabin crew: be seated for takeoff… (err, and hold on!)."

So let me "Ask the Pilot"

How many of the convoy had winches, and did anyone get bogged on the dunes?

Presumably when the first vehicle 'flies' up the dune, there is little danger of that vehicle suddenly meeting another going the opposite way at the crest?

 

[love_the_life]

Another who is vicariously living the dream by tagging along.
I don't have a practical bone in my body so this trip would be out of the question even if I were fit.

And me too. The theory of 4-wheel driving is great and I did have to gain competency in handling a 4WD when at work, but well past that now. I can't see MrLtL or me ever doing this sort of trip so it's great to come along as a passenger. (A bit like when you did the longest short cut trip a while back JM)

 

[JohnM]

So let me "Ask the Pilot"

How many of the convoy had winches, and did anyone get bogged on the dunes?

Presumably when the first vehicle 'flies' up the dune, there is little danger of that vehicle suddenly meeting another going the opposite way at the crest?

I can't recall how many had winches (Jeremy obviously did, as did I). It would have been most. We did have a couple of vehicles get bogged (further up the track, so pics to come and I'll elaborate on that then). In fact, I was tail-end charlie that day, so I was determined not to get stuck - I have some movie of me going over (and the onlookers scattering...!).

Suffice to say getting bogged in sand was not a serious issue. It's really a case of getting the right momentum to carry you over the dune. Th people that got bogged just missed enough 'carry' and got stuck just before the crest only just badly enough that they couldn't crawl over.

That said, there were quite a few times when people got part-way up a dune and ran out of steam. They would call 'backing up', go back down and hit it a bit harder (even Jeremy had to do it one occasion IIRC!). Part of the education was 'reading' the dune and working out what gear and speed to use. Despite what I say about the fun, you didn't want to get totally airborne over a crest!

Getting bogged in mud would be a far more serious matter, requiring a lot of winching. In 2016, which I think I may have mentioned, they had heavy rain just before leaving Wiluna and the shire roads were closed. Jeremy used his experience and judgement to 'escape' Wiluna on a side track but said he did have a lot of winching out of mud on low parts of the CSR until they got N of the wet areas.

It is requested that all vehicles on the track stay open on Ch40, which we all did to start with. After encountering some other traffic, it became evident that the chatter can become a bit confusing so Jeremy switched us over to Ch18 while he monitored Ch40 as well. He would make periodic calls asking if other traffic was in the vicinity and he could alert us of oncoming traffic (which is rare). Mostly, once he made an encounter, either they or we would pull over and let respective vehicles past and we would keep each other updated as we passed the other, known number, of vehicles. Our tail-end charlie would call the all-clear once past the others and let them know our convoy was through.

Courtesy is the byword. Sometimes we might hold a little longer at a well or morning tea stop when Jeremy knew vehicles were coming, or to give any that may have just left time to open up some distance.

As for the possibility of confronting someone head-on at the peak of a dune, that never happened or had much prospect of happening, I guess mainly because of low probability. But that said, Jeremy was always active on Ch40 (he also had a much more powerful CB radio than the rest of us) calling to ask if other travellers were around. He seemed to be able to judge how far away others may be - an advantage of his experience for both us and them. He kept us fully informed from the time of first hearing scratchy chatter - which could have been oncoming or following vehicles. Once he had that worked out, he just kept more specific updates coming.

We negated the possibility of running up the backside of our own vehicles by calling [Callsign] 'clear' after cresting a dune - hence the periodic wait on the 'runway'. Quite a few of the dunes were 'double-headers' and some were even 'triple-headers' where you would drop over into a smaller sub-swale before having to hit the next crest (which may or may not be straight ahead - ie. there may be a turn and then quickly into it again). Jeremy would always give the heads-up for anything like that so we were prepared for it.

It could become quite amusing when we were in a close-packed area of dunes with the radio traffic calling 'clear' constantly but referring to a different dune, given the spread that could develop with our ten vehicles. It was important to listen for the callsign of the vehicle in front of you that day. With the exception of the days on the vehicle rotation I was behind Jeremy, I was always behind John & Maxine so I got to recognise their voices which was helpful as of course the call sign number changed daily.

Jeremy had a sand flag and several of us did as well, but those weren't really needed.

As I say, you learn a lot by going on a tag-along with such an experienced leader. I thought it was money very well spent. I rented the Troopy (not many companies do it for the CSR!). They were good in preparing the vehicle - almost new tyres, full workshop check, winch, radio, EPIRB, fridge, fuel and water drums, tools, camping gear - really quite self-contained. The Troopy may be basic but it's just about bullet-proof.

The Victorian couple that had the other Troopy also rented from the WA base of the company I rented from but they did it one-way to drop-off in Darwin. Because I was coming back to Perth, I added another Engel fridge of my own, and added other bits of my own camping gear and left behind some of what they supplied.

 

[JohnM]

Day 14, Sunday 16 July.

Day 11 on the CSR.

Well 26 to a bush camp (100 km), via Well 27, 28, 29 (ruins). Overnight bush camp about 10 km N of Well 29 (no well or toilet).

I had to stitch two sections of map together here.



Crested bronzewing pigeon early morning at Well 26. One plant that I expected to see more of was Sturt’s Desert Pea but it wasn’t until I was on my way home through the Pilbara that I saw some very spectacular displays.



Some residuals and breakaway country. Vegetation can close in tightly in many places.





These dense spider’s webs were very common in some places. Galls also present on this bush. Well 27 (ruins).

 

[JohnM]

Day 14, Sunday 16 July (Cont.).

Day 11 on the CSR.

Turtle Hill. ‘Puff ball’ fungi coming to maturity – another indication that it was peak time biologically.





Glen decides to deflate his tyres a little more before tackling this one. Anne in the Prado already on the runway. Glen’s over and no stopping Annie! – but IIRC that was the dune that shook loose Annie’s gas bottle (she had made the mistake of hooking the elastic strap to the aluminium mesh on the floor of her roof rack as it was too strong for her to stretch to the hook on to the frame. Ping! The strap’s hook broke through that bit of mesh).



There goes Mike with ‘Rocketman’ Steve raring to go (again!). John lining up and going over. I had to put my camera away while I concentrated on this one. This was the day I got to camp and realised that I needed to tie down more securely things in the back. No real damage done but a few food items scattered when the plastic crate disintegrated. Tip: take plenty of ratchet tie-down straps when going on the CSR!



That’s pretty. Gall from which the wasps have emerged.

 

[JohnM]

Day 14, Sunday 16 July (Cont.).

Day 11 on the CSR.

Well 28 (ruins).





John contemplating a path. IIRC, I had to back up for another go on this one. Then on to Well 29 (ruins) and from there a few more clicks to the bush camp for the night.

 

[JohnM]

Day 15, Monday 17 July.

Day 12 on the CSR.

Bush camp to Well 33 (120 km) via Well 30 (ruins), Mujingerra Cave, Wells 31 & 32 (ruins). Sections of limestone and many corrugations.

Camp at Well 33 for two nights. Only 8 km from Kunnawarritji Aboriginal Community. Bore with windmill and tank, good water, but (and this seems strange for such a ‘crossroads’ location near the only place where fuel can be purchased) no toilet. I suspect some sort of argy-bargy is holding that up. As well as fuel and basic supplies at the shop, showers and washing machines are also available at Kunnawarritji.



Bustard (bush turkey).

 

[JohnM]

Day 15, Monday 17 July (Cont.).

Day 12 on the CSR.

Mujingerra Cave. Apparently it was accessible as cave until a few years ago before collapsing as a sinkhole.



Well 30. ‘Cork tree’.



Limestone but not too rough.



Well 31 in a grove of ‘white gums’.



More comedians. Country opens up.

 

[JohnM]

Day 15, Monday 17 July (Cont.).

Day 12 on the CSR.

Here come the long stretches of corrugations - with deviations and evidence of people trying to dodge the worst.



Front shockies at 120 deg C by the time we get to Well 32. Time for a cool-off.





Hardly more than 20 kph. Detour starting to go the same way as the original. The section between the turnoff to Kunnawarritji and Well 33 is quite wide. It looks as though over the years people have moved to the sides, gradually expanding the width of the track. Still no escaping the corrugations – but driving on the right seemed a little better.