The Gunbarrel Hwy, Connie Sue Hwy and more @ ExplorOz

The Gunbarrel Hwy, Connie Sue Hwy and more

Submitted: Friday, Sep 14, 2007 at 00:00

Trip Report 2007

4000 km
Avg 7.3 Km/L
No damage to the Troopy
No flat tyres
No problems at all
The Gunbarrel Hwy, Connie Sue Hwy and more.

Mon. 03/09/07 we left Bruce Rock at 7.30am and headed up to Merredin for breakfast, then on up to Beacon via Trayning turning west and travelling up the Maranalgo Road (the start of the dirt) to Paynes Find, nice road (only the second road I’ve seen gates to close the road in the wet) and Lake Moore is worth a look.
Fuelled up, and a famous home made pasties and on our way to Sandstone CP for the first nights camp, first time for me at Sandstone, very nice had a look at the Old Brewery in the breakaway’s, London Bridge and around town.
The caravan park was the first time we have set up camp without the CT or Van, it worked well, (only problem was it was about 18 deg at 9.00pm only dropping to 15 deg in the morning.

Caravan park

The camp set up

Tue. 04/09/07 we left Sandstone at 7.30am travelling up the Sandstone Wiluna Road, again a nice drive. Fuel up at Wiluna, then a quick look around (school sports day, so a fare bit going on) then out the Wongawol road, we had planed to stay at Yelman (stock yards) the second night, but the road was so good we made it to Carnegie Station and paid the massive fee of $10.00 each / night...LOL. A very nice place to stay and where greeted by a very nice woman that showed us around, heaps to read in the main kitchen (a word of warning don’t show up after dark, 3 vehicles did and she tore strips of them).

Carnegie Station

Kitchen

Wed. 05/09/07 left at 7.00am (the start or end of the Gunbarrel) good road for the first 130 km’s then the road turns into a track and what you would expect of a well travelled dirt track pushed through in 1958 (plenty of corrugations) but OK first and second gear stuff. Had a look at all the main attractions (saw David Carnegie’s plaque, did you put up the streamers Alan?), talked to 2 other travellers heading west, and got to Mt Beadell at 5.00pm and set up camp, tea couple of reds and off to bed and had a good nights sleep.

Mt Beadell

Camp

Thr. 06/0907 up at 6.00am packed up camp and drove to the top of Mt Beadell nice views, left at 7.00am off down the track when we got to Notabilis Hill we hear banter on the Uhf {look out for a pothole at 5.2 k’s, side track on left .. we may take it} boy that was going to be a long day. LOL. Anyway there where 5 vehicles and they where flying, the lead and the mouth piece came up that fast that when they pulled off the track they past us before they could stop. I don’t know I must be getting old.. ?.
We made good time and got to Warburton at 1.30pm fuelled up with diesel and a Sheppard’s Pie and off we went down the Connie Sue, road has been graded for the first 10 k then it turns into a track nice, a lot like the Kidson Track.
Found a camp spot at 4.30pm and set up camp, another nice night.

Camp

Fri. 07/09/07 up at 5.30am off at 06.45am when out too many of the gorge’s and hills, table tops etc. all very nice and could have spent more time looking around. Waterfall Gorge is wonderful place it’s amazing how this sort of thing happens in the middle of nowhere, (you just add water). By 3.30 - 4.00pm we where in the dune country and not to many camp spots, we tried to make Neale Junction but stoped on a shot road about 10 k’s north off the boarder to Neale Junction Nature Reserve, again a nice little stop and a good night sleep, the nights where starting to cool down. (Listen to the footy on the HF)