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Anne Beadell Hwy

Submitted: Sunday, Oct 02, 2005 at 20:50

Member - Luxoluk

The Anne Beadell Highway has been described by many in varied terms but having just completed it here are a few observations from my trip:

Going solo was probably a high risk strategy but me and my 9 yo are definitely in tune now.....he has grown in confidence and resourcefullness and learnt to appreciate things from a different perspective! The VKS 737 network is a marvel and a very handy resource I would not be without. To listen to them in action assisting stranded members demonstrated to me just how professional and valuable they are. The sat phone was taken but hardly used. There are a few corrugations but hey...the bloody thing has not been graded for 5 decades. There are however some very very corrugated sections and these can be quite hard on the vehicle. Pressures at 22 rear and 20 fronts took some of the harshness out. The desert itself is probably without comparison to any others I have seen with lots of variety across the journey. Overall a terrific “Hwy” with few travellers and lots of solitude. No worries with wood either!! Notes on this site are a very good resource and Len’s books give good background.

Having previously travelled Neale Junction to Leonora we went down the Connie Sue and called into Neale's Breakaway which was just spectacular. A highly recommended detour whilst going down the CS. Then down to Rawlinna and onto Cocklebiddy via a couple of station tracks. ( I will log this part of the trek as a resource for others to use as its a hard route to follow with so many local station tracks to get confused.) The guys at Rawlinna had flown over the rail line from Kal the previous day and talked me out of going this way due to flooding….I took their advice reluctantly.

Having read Willem’s posts about Cape Arid and LeGrand National parks and a few others also recommending them we spent a few of days in that area. Needless to say things were a bit wet and the Merivale track into Cape Arid was severely flooded in parts. After a bit of diff lock here and there we turned back as things were too boggy to get too adventurous on our own. These nature parks must be part of Gods original creation and I’ll be back there again. Loved Lucky Bay and a good spot for fishing in my view. Short cut from Cape Arid to Balladonia was too wet to continue along so a long trip back via Esperance/Norseman to the Eyre Hwy. Went into Fowlers Bay on the way back home with a view to a feed of Salmon. Lost a real good one which I had nearly landed due to a poor knot to the triple hooks but the drive over the dunes to get to the beech was fantastic and more than made up for what could have been. Followed vehicle tracks onto the beach but due to the wind coming up they were gone when it came time to returnyeah more diff locks, 10psi and some low range 2nd churn to correct my mistake and find the right and only apparent way out. A valuable lesson for me about assuming a track would still be there for the drive out. A highly recommended place for fishing and some beech driving and this is also on the must do again list.

The amount of rain we experienced would suggest the drought had broken and whilst we got drenched a few times it did not matter. We met a number of good folk under these conditions and contacts have been established……now to planning how to get out there again. Now back to the old routine…
Half way across the Anne Beadell
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Illkurlka Roadhouse
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AnswerID: 132729   Submitted: Sunday, Oct 02, 2005 at 21:08

Lone Wolf replied:

"Then down to Rawlinna and onto Cocklebiddy via a couple of station tracks. ( I will log this part of the trek as a resource for others to use as it’s a hard route to follow with so many local station tracks to get confused.)"

Hey, I did that section a few months ago, with Connie, and SHE got lost... no shlt!!!

Cheers

Wolfie
Reply 1 of 4
FollowupID: 387034   Submitted: Sunday, Oct 02, 2005 at 21:18

Member - Luxoluk posted:

Hi ya Wolfie. Read your name in a couple of the books on the way across. I spoke with Dave?? from Balgair Station , who is 82 years young and runs the 1 million acre property, and got some rough directions about going out around the back of his shed and the rest was done with help from the 9 yo and Oxiexplorer. Met the guy from Arubiddy out on the track and he confirmed I was on the right path...nice bloke also. You notice the fireplaces and tables at Neale Junction....new additions since last visit. Cheers
Half way across the Anne Beadell
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Illkurlka Roadhouse
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AnswerID: 132732   Submitted: Sunday, Oct 02, 2005 at 21:27

Member - John (Vic) replied:

Hey Leigh sounds like you had a great trip.
How did the Troopy go, any problems?
Canning Stock Route - June 2009
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Photo 1 - Canning Stock Route - June 2009
Photo 2 - Flinders Ranges - July 2009

VKS737 - Mobile 6352 (Selcall 6352)

Reply 2 of 4
FollowupID: 387079   Submitted: Monday, Oct 03, 2005 at 07:38

Member - Luxoluk posted:

Hi John. As you'd expect it ran (gratefully) without fault. Only had to tighten a loose scew on the cargo barrier. Despite the corrugations I have no rattles or other like problems which I would have thought probable but hey...its a Troopie and it doesn't have much that can rattle cos its so spartan. It's an excellent vehicle for desert travel and those drawers I bought like yours were terrific for storage. Now the clean up begins!!! Catch you soon, cheers
Half way across the Anne Beadell
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Illkurlka Roadhouse
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AnswerID: 132734   Submitted: Sunday, Oct 02, 2005 at 21:30

Member - Davoe (Widgiemooltha) replied:

Sounds like an excellent trip. i am planning a trip to plumridge lakes hopefully in a couple of weeeks time. Havnt heard about all the water though. Theres been some winter rain but maybe the worst of it misses us. The track between cape arid and Ballidonia is pretty good with places such as pine hill, Ballbinia Hs Mt ragged and a rockhole to visit. Some of the Connie sue was graded a few years back (I think the WA side). There was a post from a guy who did it last year (or so) who described it as a torture track to be avoided.
Drought broke over here about 3 years ago and there have been some reasnable seasons since. Our drought was before that but it didnt get reported coz it didnt effect Sydney
you dont need to leave perth to go bush
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You dont need to leave Perth to go bush
Reply 3 of 4
FollowupID: 387043   Submitted: Sunday, Oct 02, 2005 at 21:39

Member - Davoe (Widgiemooltha) posted:

Sorry make that he Anne Beadell was graded a few years back. And drought depends on if you are talking Wheat belt or Pastoral areas. Wheat belt has been recieving good rains for a few years and this year the Pastoral areas have got some winter rain but we really rely on good Cyclonic summer downpours to fill the dams and waterholes which we havnt had for 5 years
you dont need to leave perth to go bush
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You dont need to leave Perth to go bush
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FollowupID: 387102   Submitted: Monday, Oct 03, 2005 at 11:12

Member - Luxoluk posted:

Hi Davoe I reckon if the grader went over the Anne Beadell it forgot to drop the blade. Many parts of it are comparable with the bad stretches of the Gunbarrell and longer stretches of it. I think however it has been graded from around Neale Junction back to Leonora. Last time I did that section it was in good cond. Mate I gotta tell ya that if they did grade it it would be lost to the hordes who would use it. It doesn't even rate a mention in 4wd Monthly as one of the top 12 trips...go figure?? Best desert I have seen so far and as I said previously there's lots of wood and really good bush camping.
Half way across the Anne Beadell
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Illkurlka Roadhouse
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AnswerID: 132947   Submitted: Tuesday, Oct 04, 2005 at 09:32

signman replied:

Gotta be in the top 12- Maybe in the top 5 trips???
We did Anne Beadell/Connie Sue end July.
From about Emu to Neale Jnctn we were a day behind a DEH vehicle that was dragging a mesh of chains behind it, supposedly to knock the heads off the corrugations. Had a yarn with the ranger (first question- Got ya permits) at Emu- he was based at Ceduna and had escorted a group of Friends of the Desert up thru Maralinga.
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