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Dunns Track

Difficulty: Trek rating 3 of 5 - Click for detailsTrek rating 3 of 5 - Click for detailsTrek rating 3 of 5 - Click for details   Suitable for: 4WD 
Dunn’s Track is a long forgotten route used by the early prospectors of the eastern goldfields of WA. The trek heads south to the abandoned town of Dundas, through Peak Charles NP and then onto Ravensthorpe.
StartClick to Reverse the Dynamic Map and Driving NotesRavensthorpe
Trek
FinishNorseman
Distance247.83 kmMinimum Days2
Average Speed45.08 km/hrDriving Time5 hr 29 min
Article By: Phil Bianchi   Updated: 4 Mar 2008
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 Description

In 1894 Walter Dunn pioneered the track to the Dundas Goldfield. He set up a store at Cocanarup (18 kms SW of Ravensthorpe) to provide supplies to travellers from Albany to the goldfields.

Dunn’s Track is a little travelled track that traverses some very remote and rough country. This track is a twin of The Holland Track which took prospectors from Broomehill to Coolgardie in the 1890’s.

 Interactive Route Map

Ravensthorpe South Coast Hwy & Carlingup RdGetenmellup Carlingup Rd & Nindilbillup Rd Nindilbillup Rd & Vermin Proof FenceDam and CairnCascades Rd & Dunn's TrackDunn's Track & Dog Rock AccessPeak Charles Rd & Fields RdAnnes PassMoir Rock Lake King Norseman Rd & Coolgardie Esperance Hwy Coolgardie Esperance Hwy & Dundas AccessLake KirkNorseman
Ravensthorpe
No description entered. Enter description or photos.
Features: Populated PlaceService Station,Roadhouse Caravan Park Fuel Water Supply Toilet Pub Food,Shopping Camp Fee Police Station Medical Services Resort,Motel
Position: 120.0469ºE   33.5830ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: South Coast Hwy & Carlingup Rd
Distance: 5.87km
Average Speed: 0km/h
Features: Junction,Intersection,Turn Off
Position: 120.1049ºE   33.5702ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Getenmellup
Distance: 9.42km
Average Speed: 0km/h
Getenmellup
No description entered. Enter description or photos.
Features: Place Name
Position: 120.1840ºE   33.5192ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Carlingup Rd & Nindilbillup Rd
Distance: 4.11km
Average Speed: 0km/h
Features: Junction,Intersection,Turn Off
Position: 120.2165ºE   33.4912ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Nindilbillup Rd & Vermin Proof Fence
Distance: 9.84km
Average Speed: 0km/h
Features: Junction,Intersection,Turn OffPoint of Interest
Position: 120.2079ºE   33.4031ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Dam and Cairn
Distance: 6.71km
Average Speed: 92.13km/h
Features: Point of Interest
Position: 120.2545ºE   33.3674ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Cascades Rd & Dunn's Track
Distance: 26.28km
Average Speed: 92.13km/h
Features: Junction,Intersection,Turn Off
Position: 120.4607ºE   33.2191ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Dunn's Track & Dog Rock Access
Distance: 65.1km
Average Speed: 24.57km/h
Features: Junction,Intersection,Turn Off
Position: 121.0578ºE   32.9561ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Peak Charles Rd & Fields Rd
Distance: 6.26km
Average Speed: 24.57km/h
Peak Charles Rd & Fields Rd
Peak Charles National Park
Features: Junction,Intersection,Turn Off
Position: 121.1193ºE   32.9326ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Annes Pass
Distance: 8.18km
Average Speed: 24.57km/h
Annes Pass
No description entered. Enter description or photos.
Features: Pass,Gap
Position: 121.1853ºE   32.8969ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Moir Rock
Distance: 37.64km
Average Speed: 24.57km/h
Moir Rock
About 25 kilometres down the Lake King Rd on the way to DUNDAS TRACK and Peak Charles. A good place to camp overnight if coming down from Kalgoorlie. Takes about 4-5 hours to get to if you stop at Norseman and Dundas Townsite for a look.
Features: Point of Interest
Position: 121.4203ºE   32.6570ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Lake King Norseman Rd & Coolgardie Esperance Hwy
Distance: 12.77km
Average Speed: 24.57km/h
Features: Junction,Intersection,Turn Off
Position: 121.5425ºE   32.6272ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Coolgardie Esperance Hwy & Dundas Access
Distance: 33.9km
Average Speed: 24.57km/h
Features: Junction,Intersection,Turn Off
Position: 121.7590ºE   32.3910ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Lake Kirk
Distance: 11.49km
Average Speed: 0km/h
Lake Kirk
No description entered. Enter description or photos.
Features: Place Name
Position: 121.7632ºE   32.2860ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Norseman
Distance: 10.27km
Average Speed: 74.09km/h
Norseman
This gold mining town lies about 190km south of Kalgoorlie and is often regarded as the western gateway to the Nullarbor Plain. Norseman is at the junction of the Eyre Highway (the highway that heads across the Nullarbor Plain) and the Coogardie-Esperance Highway.
Features: Populated PlaceService Station,Roadhouse Caravan Park Airstrip Fuel Water Supply Toilet Pub Mine Food,Shopping Police Station Medical Services Resort,Motel Point of Interest
Position: 121.7787ºE   32.1976ºS (GDA 94)

Route Control

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 Permits

Access permits are not required for this trek note.

 Things to See & Do

Norseman   RatingRatingRatingRating
Populated Place Service Station,Roadhouse Caravan Park Airstrip Fuel Water Supply Toilet Pub Mine Food,Shopping Police Station Medical Services Resort,Motel Point of Interest
This gold mining town lies about 190km south of Kalgoorlie and is often regarded as the western gateway to the Nullarbor Plain. Norseman is at the junction of the Eyre Highway (the highway that heads across the Nullarbor Plain) and the Coogardie-Esperance Highway. It has a population of around 1600 people and the town offers travellers a full range of services.
Dam and Cairn   
Point of Interest 
No description entered. Enter description or photos.
Moir Rock   
Point of Interest 
About 25 kilometres down the Lake King Rd on the way to DUNDAS TRACK and Peak Charles. A good place to camp overnight if coming down from Kalgoorlie. Takes about 4-5 hours to get to if you stop at Norseman and Dundas Townsite for a look. Clearings near the rock are good for camping. Collect wood on the way in!
The trek begins in earnest when crossing through a gate in the Vermin Fence. Please ensure you shut the gate again after you pass through.

On the eastern side of the gate through the fence and to the north are two water tanks and an old Rabbit Proof Fence boundary rider’s camp. The camp is a dilapidated corrugated iron three sided structure with an earth floor, its well worth a look.

The country quickly changes to rolling hills and gullies and the scrub is low and almost impenetrable.

At around the 35 kilometre mark, on the eastside of that creek, leave the vehicle and follow the creek bed south to the remains of a small dam and rock cairn. North of the track at the same point are some stone footings of a building.

At around the 58 kilometre mark on the north side of the track there is a low lying granite outcrop. Here you will find a number of gnamma holes; these may hold water depending on the season. These should not be relied on and the water quality would be dubious at best.

Peak Charles (651 metres) and the nearby Peak Eleanora stand out of the plain and can be seen up to 40 kilometres away.

There is a walk trail to the top of Peak Charles, however it is not for the faint hearted, those taking the walk will have the most fantastic 360° views of the surrounding countryside. There is a 2 metre high rock cairn at the top.

The vegetation changes to the typical goldfields woodland as you approach Peak Charles. The main access to Peak Charles is from the north east via the well formed but gravel Peak Charles-Norseman Road that leads to the park from the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway. Two wheel drive vehicles can access Peak Charles via this access way.

The upright stone walls around Moir Rock were constructed to funnel water into a tank on the southern side of the rock. W. Moir took out a lease on the area that included this rock in the late 1880’s; the rock was subsequently named after him.

Stennet Rock also has a rock wall to harvest rain water, however at this rock the water is fed into a well constructed turkey nest dam. The rock is named after Thomas Stennet who prospected this area with Moir in 1892.

Next stop is Dundas, an abandoned goldmining town 22 kilometres south of Norseman. Although all buildings have gone, the layout of the streets can be seen and occasional signs provide detail on the town.

A well prepared vehicle will take you to a pristine environment that has its own natural beauty; this area has seen little changes since the first explorers visited the area.

 Preparation

Thoroughly plan your trip, don’t take a trip to this area lightly. You may be lulled into a false sense of security because of the seemingly lack of remoteness; however the middle section of the track is little travelled.

A wise precaution is to get hold of some updated and detailed mud maps of the area or get hold of some digital maps of the region to use on a laptop. If you decide to get some digital maps of the region, you could load these into OziExplorer (which should be installed and running on your laptop) and load the plot file for this trek from ExplorOz. Another precaution against getting lost is to use a GPS with the track back feature so you can reverse the track and follow it back out again if you do get lost.

Mobile phones will not obtain a signal and CB/UHF radios don’t have the strength of signal. For your safety ensure you have a satellite phone or HF radio. We advise that you refer to the latest information and advice about outback communications in the Communications Topic.

Punctures from stakes are almost a certainty, ensure you have quality tyre repair gear, a second spare is preferable. It is strongly suggested you travel with another vehicle and not solo. Obviously a 4WD is required and high clearance is highly recommended. Travellers should read the 4WDriving Topic for related articles and checklists for vehicle setup and driver awareness.

Some sections of the track are overgrown and vehicle scratching is a certainty so be forewarned.

Suitable areas for campsites are scarce at the Ravensthorpe end of the track, because of the thickness and closeness of the scrub. Fire wood is a scarce commodity on the track south of Peak Charles.

Fuel Supplies & Usage

Fuel SymbolRavensthorpe, Norseman Diesel4cyl 35 litres ULP4cyl 40 litres LPG4cyl 50 litres
6cyl 38 litres6cyl 45 litres6cyl 44 litres
8cyl 42 litres8cyl 39 litres
Usage is averaged from TrekFuel (* specific to trek) submissions and calculated based on trek distance.

Best Time To Visit

The cooler months of April to October with Spring being the best months to enjoy the wildflowers.

Closest Climatic Station

Salmon Gums Res.Stn.
Distance from Trek Mid Point 67.96km E
 JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec
Mean Max. °C 30.429.627.323.6 19.616.816.117.3 20.423.226.129.0
Mean Min. °C 13.914.212.710.1 7.25.64.64.7 5.87.510.212.2
Mean Rain mm 25.624.424.828.3 34.639.336.733.9 31.526.025.219.1
    Best time to travel      Ok time to travel      Travel NOT recommended

Services & Supplies

The following locations have various services and supplies: Ravensthorpe, Norseman
Food, fuel and facilities such as caravan parks, shops and mechanical services are available at Ravensthorpe or Norseman.

 Camp Sites & Accomodation

Norseman   RatingRatingRatingRating
Populated Place Service Station,Roadhouse Caravan Park Airstrip Fuel Water Supply Toilet Pub Mine Food,Shopping Police Station Medical Services Resort,Motel Point of Interest
This gold mining town lies about 190km south of Kalgoorlie and is often regarded as the western gateway to the Nullarbor Plain. Norseman is at the junction of the Eyre Highway (the highway that heads across the Nullarbor Plain) and the Coogardie-Esperance Highway. It has a population of around 1600 people and the town offers travellers a full range of services.
Ravensthorpe   
Populated Place Service Station,Roadhouse Caravan Park Fuel Water Supply Toilet Pub Food,Shopping Camp Fee Police Station Medical Services Resort,Motel
No description entered. Enter description or photos.

 Environment

Most of this trek is over dirt roads and in places which are very sandy. The terrain is a mixture of sandy track and creek crossings that are sometimes steep sided.

Vegetation tends to be scrub and heath, with thick but tall scrub at the southern end and goldfields woodlands at the northern end.

 History

In 1894 Walter Dunn pioneered the track to the Dundas Goldfield; he set up a store at Cocanarup (18 kms SW of Ravensthorpe) to provide supplies to travellers from Albany to the goldfields.

Surveyor General John S. Roe whilst on his 1848 explorations in the area named Peak Charles after the then Governor, Charles Fitzgerald, he also named nearby Peak Eleanora after the Governor’s wife.

In 1910 Guy May and Arthur Hewby, also explored extensively throughout the area and followed Dunn’s Track to the north east. Hewby had a trackside swamp named after him. Hewby and May constructed the cairn on Peak Charles.

 Driving Directions

Time
Direction
Distance
Ravensthorpe to South Coast Hwy & Carlingup Rd 5.87 km E 75° N/A
South Coast Hwy & Carlingup Rd to Getenmellup 9.42 km NE 52° N/A
Getenmellup to Carlingup Rd & Nindilbillup Rd 4.11 km NE 44° N/A
Carlingup Rd & Nindilbillup Rd to Nindilbillup Rd & Vermin Proof Fence 9.84 km N 355° N/A
Nindilbillup Rd & Vermin Proof Fence to Dam and Cairn 6.71 km NE 47° 4 min
Dam and Cairn to Cascades Rd & Dunn's Track 26.28 km NE 49° 17 min
Cascades Rd & Dunn's Track to Dunn's Track & Dog Rock Access 65.1 km NE 62° 2 hr 38 min
Dunn's Track & Dog Rock Access to Peak Charles Rd & Fields Rd 6.26 km NE 66° 15 min
Peak Charles Rd & Fields Rd to Annes Pass 8.18 km NE 57° 19 min
Annes Pass to Moir Rock 37.64 km NE 40° 1 hr 31 min
Moir Rock to Lake King Norseman Rd & Coolgardie Esperance Hwy 12.77 km E 74° 31 min
Lake King Norseman Rd & Coolgardie Esperance Hwy to Coolgardie Esperance Hwy & Dundas Access 33.9 km NE 38° 1 hr 22 min
Coolgardie Esperance Hwy & Dundas Access to Lake Kirk 11.49 km N N/A
Lake Kirk to Norseman 10.27 km N 8 min
Ravensthorpe to Norseman 247.83 km     5 hr 29 min
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.

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