Canning Stock Route via Sandy Blight Junction Road and GCR and home via the Simpson

Blog 6

Am sitting in a very pleasant and almost brand new “villa” in Leonora. No cabins available at the caravan park and only one room at the motel and we needed two. We could camp of course, but there is a very dark cloud overhead and the desire for a bed – when one is available, is strong. The villas are new two bedroom cottages, located next to the Police Station on the Goldfields Highway and are available via the caravan park. Cost $200 per night – good price because we’re sharing. We probably will be here again tomorrow night as we are on to a what promises to be a good chance to have the airbag and the UHF fixed.



We left Warburton yesterday morning, Wednesday 8 July. It was a late getaway – although on this trip there is really no such thing as “late”. Ross had another go at getting the tyre on the rim. Eventually it worked with a spray of EVO and a few good clouts with the rubber mallet. We were entertained watching tyres being dropped over a very badly positioned light pole in the caravan park at the back of the roadhouse. We happened to see a driver reverse quickly and hit the luckless pole the day before. The woman didn’t even look at what she’d done. There was no damage to her spare tyre but the pole had a decided lean. Anyway some guys got on a cherry picker pulled the cross arm off the pole (with the wires and light attached), got a crane and dropped the old tractor tyres over the pole to make a protection barrier around the bottom of the pole..

The Tjulyuru Art Gallery is as wonderful as ever and even people with a scant interest in art would surely enjoy it. The permanent exhibition consists of large works some of which have been reproduced into limited edition prints.

From Warburton, we had another day of 80-90kpm (others travel much faster!). We camped about 350kms east of Leonora well off the road amongst mulga and flowering Eremophila. The Cobb, with some assistance from me, produced a fairly OK green chicken curry enhanced by powered coconut milk, basil from a tube, chick peas from a tin and a rather doubtful lemon.

We got to Laverton – a highlight of our journey as it was a “down memory lane” experience, at lunch time. Jennifer and Mick’s Shirly Ave house still stands though some in the street no longer do. We had a wonderful and wild Christmas there in 1976 when our darlings were only about 6 and 3. Gill sent a text this morning asking if there was still a pile of beer cans in the yard! What we exposed our children to! Kevin and I had our tenth wedding anniversary there and we danced and drank all night. We phoned Jen and Mick from out the front, talking to them hands-free via the Garmin – and they were as excited as us at our being there.

Now two nights in Leonora – and at a good, reduced price. It seems the hose to the airbag is split and probably has been for a couple of years. The mechanic here has organised for the Alice Springs mechanic to pay the bill for the repairs. We had a great dinner at the pub restaurant in town last night waited on by a wonderful Irish working holiday maker. All in all, we love Leonora.

Oh yes, we will visit an entirely different Gwalia this arvo – different to 33 years ago. Anyone who has used our main toilet in home will have seen the painting of the Gwalia Pub I did back then. Then the place was barren, a ghost town. No longer like that I believe. I’ll let you know.

Click Image to Enlarge

Megan and Kevin Member: My Profile  My Blog  Send Message