Description
The
Gawler Ranges are a range of mountains in
South Australia to the north of
Eyre Peninsula. The ranges were named by Edward John
Eyre after the Governor of
South Australia, George
Gawler in 1839. This was on one of
Eyre's earlier expeditions before his famous crossing of the
Nullarbor Plain further west.
This trek note starts at Port Augusta and heads towards the town of Iron Knob, through the
Gawler Ranges to
Mount Ive Station. The trek continues west through the heart of the ranges until it heads back down to meet the
Eyre Highway at Wirrulla and then finally ending at Ceduna.
This trek is generally fairly reasonable and should take about 2 days with maybe a stop over at Mt Ive Station. This station is one of the few
places open to travellers in this region. They have a
camping area and access to land bordering
Lake Gairdner.
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Gawler Ranges
From: Port Augusta
To: Ceduna
Distance: 462.09 km
Direction: 275 °
Average Speed: 74.32 km/hr
Travel Time: 6 hours 13 mins
Using the Map
Our treks have a moving map facility, to take a virtual tour click on the Play button in the Moving map control (see Moving Map help)
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Permits
No
permits are needed for this trek note.
Things to See & Do
Preparation
Your vehicle will need to be extensively prepared for remote area travel, with all fuel, water, food and vehicle repair equipment and spare parts. All travellers should read the
4WDriving Topic for related articles and checklists for
vehicle setup and driver awareness.
We advise that you refer to the latest information and advice about outback
communications in the
Communications Topic. All drivers should set their UHF radios to scan all stations, but take note that Channel 10 is the offical channel for the Simspon Desert. Anywhere in the Diamantina Shire (comprising the towns of
Birdsville,
Betoota and Bedourie) you must not used UHF Ch 8 and 38 as these are to be reserved for emergency calls only - these channels are monitored by the Clinics, Police and station operators and must remain clear.
There are areas in the
Gawler Ranges which are prone to flash flooding and can be impassable after rain. Please check local conditions with the Department for Environment and Heritage Ceduna on: (08) 8625 3144 or
Gawler Ranges Wilderness Safari Office on: (08) 8680 2045
Fuel Supplies & Usage
Usage is averaged from
TrekFuel (* specific to trek) submissions and calculated based on trek distance.
Best Time To Visit
Closest Climatic Station
Nonning
Distance from Trek Mid Point 75.58km E
| | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Mean Max. °C |
33.2 | 33.0 | 29.4 | 24.9 |
20.3 | 16.8 | 16.4 | 18.1 |
21.4 | 24.9 | 28.7 | 31.3 |
| Mean Min. °C |
16.5 | 16.8 | 14.3 | 10.7 |
7.2 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 4.6 |
6.9 | 9.4 | 12.6 | 14.9 |
| Mean Rain mm |
16.0 | 16.8 | 14.7 | 14.9 |
23.9 | 26.9 | 26.1 | 25.1 |
24.8 | 22.8 | 16.9 | 17.8 |
Best time to travel Ok time to travel Travel NOT recommended
Camp Sites & Accommodation
Environment
During spring, the
Gawler Ranges offers a pretty trip especially when the wildflowers are in bloom. The area is an interface between the
Eyre Peninsula mallee country and the drier arid zone to the north of the ranges. Plants and animals from both zones occur in the
Gawler Ranges. There are over 970 flora species and around 162 fauna species, including birds such as Major Mitchell (Pink Cockatoo), Rufous Treecreeper, Malleefowl, Scarlet-breasted Parrot, Gilbert’s Whistler, and mammal species such as Hairy-nosed Wombat, Greater Long-eared Bat and Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby, Red and Grey Kangaroos and Euros.
Distance is GPS recorded driving distance (not straight line), Direction is straight line from start to end, Time is calculated from actual GPS driving data.
