Way into the WA wilderness

[JohnM]

Day 20, Saturday 22 July.

Day 17 on the CSR.

Bush camp to Well 46 (110 km) via Well 43 & 44 (ruins), Gravity Lake, Well 45 (ruins). Overnight Well 46 (restored, good water, no toilet).

Again, the online and Hema maps don’t fully match. We had camped a little way E of Well 43, so it was a backtrack to check out that well. We then continued W to take an old or less commonly-used section of the CSR N to an unmarked track that went directly E to Well 44, as I’ve highlighted on the Hema map. Jeremy warned us that we could accumulate some spinifex under the vehicles and that first order of business at Well 44 would be to check for that and clear it out. While the fire risk from spinifex accumulation under a diesel vehicle is not considered to be as severe as under hotter-running petrol engines, it is nevertheless not a risk to take. A long, hanging pot plant hook makes a simple ready-made device for the clearing job.




Morning view of camp, amongst a stand of Melaleuca.



Some plant life on the nearby dune.



Well 43. Moving onto the alternate section of track. It has been used but the spinifex in the middle of the track is thicker than usual.



As usual, Jeremy had his reasons for choosing this alternative route but even he said it’s the most spectacular stands of Northern Tinsel he’s ever seen. It was just stunning.

 

[JohnM]

Day 20, Saturday 22 July (Cont.).

Day 17 on the CSR.


Still some challenging dunes.



Case moth caterpillar cases. More galls.





Acacia finishing flowering and slim elongated seed pods forming.

 

[JohnM]

Day 20, Saturday 22 July (Cont.).

Day 17 on the CSR.

We had an interesting experience at Well 44 that I was hoping would happen. We crossed paths with an Outback Spirit group heading S. I was aware of their fully-catered expeditions and I was keen to see their vehicles – Mercedes 4 and 6-wheel drive G-Wagons.

The lead 6WD is the supplies and kitchen vehicle (as well as some pax).



I think they regard this as their piece de resistance. It’s the ablutions wagon – showers and flushing toilet. The roof pops up. They have what I think is a very good video on their web site that shows off their gear and has some beautiful scenes along the CSR. Well worth scoping out IMO, especially anyone who may have dreams of doing the CSR but doesn’t want to drive themselves (could be looking at you drron…): Canning Stock Route Tour & Expedition - Outback Spirit Tours

4WD G-Wagon. They did tow a trailer with one of the 6WDs, loaded with 750 L of fuel. I believe that it took them a while to get the trailer right. Having a trailer means that they don’t do the southernmost section of the CSR. They have to peel off at Well 9 and exit to Wiluna through Glen Ayle station.



Vehicle setup for pax. Busy at Well 44 on a Saturday morning. All we need is a Bunnings sausage-sizzle to make it feel like a real Saturday morning…



Eucalypts from bud to bloom and seed-pod.

 

[JohnM]

Day 20, Saturday 22 July (Cont.).

Day 17 on the CSR.

Gravity Lake. It was the first time that Jeremy had seen water in it.



A lot of what looked like a wet surface was a thin layer of very fine mud progressively drying. A little moisture kept it glossy although a lot of it was dry to touch. Once it dried, the surface layer cracked and curled. It looked like very fine milk chocolate.



The bird footprints were set and dry to touch, and pebbles covered with the thin layer of very fine mud.



Well 45.



Another corpse. And on to a very nice camping area and good water at Well 46. Another, recent death, abandoned on the edge of the camping area. The story was that this Nissan Patrol with a camper on the tray broke its chassis. A lot of gear has been stripped from it, whether by the owner or by others, I do not know.

 

[drron]

Yes doing it by Merc sounds reasonable!

 

[JohnM]

I just found a quite good map of the whole CSR that may be of interest.

 

[JohnM]

Yes doing it by Merc sounds reasonable!

But..., but... what about the shortfall in the fun and challenge quotient :mrgreen:.

 

[JohnM]

Day 21, Sunday 23 July.

Day 18 on the CSR.

Well 46 to Well 49 (120 km) via Well 47 (ruins), unnamed hill to drive up for views and practise simple hill descent down, Breaden Hills and walk to Godfrey’s Tank, Well 48 (ruins). Overnight at Well 49 (restored, toilet).



The expansive, level camping area at Well 46. Jeremy was asked by two people planning to cycle the CSR to drop off a box of supplies, so they were hung in the tree very close to the well. Well 47.





View point hill coming up.



On top and practising some hill descent.

 

[JohnM]

Day 21, Sunday 23 July (Cont.).

Day 18 on the CSR.

Breaden Hills.



Detouring into the Breaden Hills to visit Breaden Pool and Godfrey’s Tank.



Approaching Breaden Pool. The vegetation is beginning to look a little more sub-tropical.





Native hibiscus – a Gossypium species – same genus as cotton and an underlying reason why cotton-growing failed in the early days of the Ord River Irrigation Area. A moth that occurred ‘in the background’ on native hibiscus was easily able to jump over to cotton and went ballistic. It also had a propensity to quickly develop insecticide resistance.

Breaden Pool. A lot of butterfly activity on the moist soil.

 

[JohnM]

Day 21, Sunday 23 July (Cont.).

Day 18 on the CSR.

Walk to Godfrey’s Tank. Parking was tight at Breaden Pool.





Godfrey’s Tank is a large natural rockhole.





Back out to re-join the CSR.

 

[JohnM]

Day 21, Sunday 23 July (Cont.).

Day 18 on the CSR.

Well 48.



Moving on.





UFO Hill. Bit of rough stuff.



Ford Explorer – aka the ‘Ford Exploder’ – along with the remains of the Engel car fridge. Further on, an extensive burnt area – including the Well 49 area - from several weeks earlier (the remains of the culprit will be revealed tomorrow…). Regeneration happens quickly.

 

[drron]

But..., but... what about the shortfall in the fun and challenge quotient :mrgreen:.

The fun will come by taking a few pairs of my recognisable shorts and watching the reaction.
the challenge getting mrsdrron to allow me the time and money to do it.:shock:

 

[kpc]

11+K they want to charge....I'll give it a miss

 

[cove]

You will never, never know if you never, never go kpc.

 

[kpc]

11+K they want to charge....I'll give it a miss

You will never, never know if you never, never go kpc.

...and that's per person so 22 K for both of us! A bit more than this poor public servant can afford

 

[cove]

My limit was going down ungraded gravel tracks in the goldfields and down to surfing spots. I had a battery jump out of its retainer on a very remote stretch. Never went back to that surf track.
These days it has been sealed roads and I don't miss trying to figure out whether to speed up or slow down to get over the corrugations.
The Australian bush is amazing and JohnM is bringing it to us in his TR. Well done JohnM.

 

[JohnM]

Day 22, Monday 24 July.

Day 19 on the CSR.

Well 40 to Stretch Lagoon (135 km) via Well 50 (ruins), Gulvida soak, Well 51 (ruins – and last official well). Overnight Stretch Lagoon (toilet).



Striking sunrise over a bleak burnt-out – but swiftly regenerating - Well 49. Normally Jeremy prefers to camp a little further on as Well 49 is a bit cramped and uninspiring for camping and he has a spot amongst Casuarinas. But the whole area is toasted so we settled for Well 49.



Repairs to Glen’s front left CV joint. This was to leave him and Di running in 2WD for the last part of the CSR (fortunately all sand dunes were now behind us) and stuck in Halls Creek for a few days awaiting parts. The cause of the fire – a toasted Prado from several weeks previously, a few clicks along the track. Cause of fire unknown – assumed to be spinifex accumulation although, as a diesel, that’s rare. But you constantly check things and don’t make any assumptions out here… Why it’s on its side, I do not know. Suspicion was that it’s been tipped over since the fire to see if anything’s worth salvaging. It must have been hot – aluminium parts underneath were melted.





A bit of bulldust on the detour into Well 50. Then further along the detour to Gulvida Soak.

 

[JohnM]

Day 22, Monday 24 July (Cont.).

Day 19 on the CSR.



Hmmm… what’s going on here?



Awww… isn’t that soooo cute – dingo puppies! Another first, even for Jeremy.





Eucalypt with very large nuts.

 

[JohnM]

Day 22, Monday 24 July (Cont.).

Day 19 on the CSR.

This is getting monotonous… Grey soil on the plain W of Lake Gregory. And so to Well 51 (ruins) – the last well.



This is where we crossed paths with some people heading S – with two of the four towing trailers that really didn’t look up to it in our view. The Gibb River Roaders who seemed to think that qualified them for the CSR. Top that with SWMBOs already complaining about the corrugations and we quietly walked away shaking our heads about the prospects for the quinella: mechanical and marriage failure...

Onwards and passing another Outback Spirit group.



And so to Stretch Lagoon for the night – the last one on the CSR. And what an amazing oasis!

 

[Simo]

Awesome trip... Seeing some of Australia's great routes. How did you go for Fuel? It would be bit of a guess to how much you would need because of all the 4WD action