Constance Headland to the Calverts

Sunday 6th July
Calvert Ranges
23 57 6.38 S 122 43 19.39 E

I awoke before the dawn to a cacophony of camel roaring. Obviously just letting the world know he is still the biggest and best. Cereal by the fire and finding the front passengers side tyre flat on the bottom, out came the compressor again. Found two small leaks from punctures which were soon plugged. Tyre held all day. After pack-up we negotiated out way out of the gorge by some quick rearrangement of the rockery and then back along the track for 800 metres or so where we stopped and then walked the 600 metres across country to the mouth of the second gorge. It was a wider entrance and although appearing more significant from a distance, it turned out to be a rocky, barren disappointment. It was easier to negotiate but no rock pools or water to be found. We walked in a good 700 metres or so before reaching a fork of two valleys and climbing to the top, I took a GPS way point and a few photo’s before descending to the gorge floor and walking out. I built a small cairn on the way back. We were on the track an hour and a half after leaving. Had a couple of severe creek crossings not long after leaving and before Dabbalya Gorge but got across with just creaking and groaning.

The track is in good condition although fast becoming overgrown, particularly with the high spinifex. At times it felt like you were a slot car racer with just two grooves to follow. Dabbalya gorge we opted out of. It was a big wide and dry gorge with petro glyphs. Something for next time. We made good time on the country west crossing a variety of terrains with some magnificent vistas in the combination of red rocky ranges and steep, deep red sand dunes. We found a salty creek area where some tight turning was required to negotiate the tee tree like vegetation. Found a magnificent little glade of eucalypts just to the east of Moogooloo claypan and marked it on the track ranger as a possible camp site (24 01 46.18 S, 123 05 46.63 E). The track skirts the edge of Moogooloo Claypan and as we crossed, we saw camels moving hastily away from us against a ridge line and then we split the ridge. I’d wondered how the track on the Hema and Google earth disappeared into this pound like terrain but it certainly did and all was explained in today’s travels. We rose up the pound walls and then into a narrow, short chasm, more a cleft really, and out into the sand country that separates Constance Headland from the Calverts. We located Dr Peasleys Blaze Tree on the western side of this pass. “C – 76” is the inscription. The ‘C’ is for Carnegie. I don’t know why he opted for the Carnegie reference and must do some research.



The sand country was different again and we eventually got stuck behind a group of lean camels. They refused to leave the track for about 7 km before finally loosing them on a sharp turn as the track entered the last of the salt and samphire areas, the most southerly portions of Lake Disappointment. From there it was another 20 km before the initial ramparts of the Calverts began appearing from the sands. We got stuck on one hill that required a quick left on approach. I missed it and had to back down and reduce pressure around before making it over. Scott wasn’t so lucky and had three attempts and was down to 15 psi all round before finally cresting the dune (much to our relief let me assure you!). We were fast running out of time and Durba no longer looked like an option so I tried to locate the camp area explained to me by Willem. I got another puncture in the right hand trailer tyre which was plugged on the track. This campsite as explained to me is actually accessed through the main Calverts campsite. On arriving at this location we met two CALM workers just leaving. They asked if we were aware that you needed permits to visit the Calverts to which we replied in the affirmative and with a great flourish, produced said permits for inspection. The officers were quite nice and explained that they had no power to demand to see the permits but we were only to happy to produce them. This was the first time in near 30 years of obtaining and travelling with them that I’d ever been asked for one. I was chuffed!.

We had a bit of a chat with them. They’d been here 10 days capturing and tagging wallabies with a view to reintroducing them to Durba where they had died out. The campsite further in the gorge is now out of bounds so we set up camp in the main camp area and then went for a walk into the gorge retrieving water for washing. It was a great fire and sausages and potato salad ala Gaby for dinner. An early night. 7.30 p.m. I’m buggered.

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