Canning Stock Route via the Sandy Blight Junction Road and Great Central Road and home via the Simps

Blog 5

The Sandy Blight Junction Road is wonderful. I am writing this on our third night along this narrow track and we’ve seen only one other vehicle. The change in scenery and the beauty of the environment is well documented but I have to add to it. Prolific vegetation extends for the length of the track. There are masses of Desert Oak with many quaint juveniles, numerous patches of blue mallee and a good variety of acacia. The thryptomene is flowering and lines the track in places. Besides for the vegetation, the landscape also changes with frequent sand hills, ranges and low hills. Much of the road can be travelled in 4th gear but more often 3rd is used, however you have to be very ready for deep cutaways, stones – both sharp and large and rounded and deep holes.

Our campsite is at the Bungabiddy Rockhole towards the end of the SBJ Road. We did not expect such a splendid place! The rockhole is positioned in a narrow passage between two tall rocky hills. Dingoes inhabit the area and called throughout our first night – an extraordinary noise. Yes, the place is so beautiful, and we needed a rest, so we stayed two nights. Late in the afternoon of the second day, the dingoes set up a chorus from way up high calling across the valley. It was amazing. With our binoculars, we finally saw one on the top – a dot on the horizon. It lifted its head as it howled and was answered by other dingoes. It all looked staged – straight out of a movie.

On our full day in camp, Frances and Ross went in to Docker River – about a 50 minute trip and came back very enthusiastic about the camp ground there and the wonderful scenery. They filled up with what was apparently very pleasant drinking water. While they were gone, a convoy of six cars came in to see the rockhole and left shortly after. The lead vehicle had a Toyota Landcruiser Club sign on its windscreen and all had NSW numberplates.

Kevin and I spent the rest day following some of our favourite pastimes. I set up a camp table amongst some wattles and on very rocky ground and spent a few hours working on an oil pastel painting. I was reasonably happy with it although I do find painting and drawing mountains that are very close quite challenging. At least I have the beginnings of a painting to finish back in Canberra.

Kevin spent the morning cooking a kangaroo stew on the Cobb. No, not road kill. In fact, we’ve only seen one roo and it was way back near home. It turned out well. He then went down to the rockhole and set up his camera and tripod waiting to capture pics of birds drinking. It was fairly fruitless. There are really few birds around. We are not experts, but it seems that most of the birds in the area are Fairy Martins, honeyeaters, willy wagtails and of course crows. On Namatjira Drive to Haasts Bluff, we saw a flock of red tailed black cockatoos – fantastic! Success or not, the day was wonderfully relaxing.


I am now writing from the campground at the Warburton Roadhouse. We have washed clothes, ourselves and especially our hair. Ah, it feels good. This campground has more cabins than when we spent three days here in 2006 so providing adequate accommodation for private contractors and government officials working at the community or nearby. Anyway, the amenities are fine but not flash – oodles of hot water and a big camp kitchen. A powered tent site costs $24 – pretty pricey!

The road from Bungabiddy Rockhole through Warakurna Roadhouse and past the Giles Meteorological Station to Warburton is a good dirt road. The Garmin Nuvi was perplexed for a while and thought we were on the Gunbarrel but finally got it right – grudgingly I suspect. We haven’t travelled the full length of the Great Central Road before so will stick to our plans to go to Leonora and then north to Wiluna however the lure of the Gunbarrel is strong.

Disasters or near disasters so far? Just a couple. Very annoyingly our HF which we had serviced at a cost of about $180 in Canberra just before we left isn’t receiving or sending in any worthwhile way. Neither is our UHF – luckily we have a hand held and it’s lucky we are not heading too far from where other people go every so often and it’s lucky Frances and Ross are with us! What else? Kevin, who is fabulously careful and skilful at tying knots and anchoring things didn’t do a good enough job on a spare tyre on the roof and we lost it. Leaves us with two spares and heaps of tubes. I’ve lost a bone handled bread and butter knife – tossed away with the washing up water I guess. Very annoyingly, one of the new PolyAir airbags fitted in Alice to replace our recently serviced but non-working Firestones, is flat. It could be faulty or maybe the airbag is fine and the connection is faulty. Why don’t repairers notice these things if that is the case? A bit early for such dramas, we think.

Post Script - a mechanic in Leonora has replaced the hose which was split. Fingers crossed from now on!

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