Stockyard Gully

Stockyard Gully These caves are located some 250 km north of Perth. It's an easy 1 day trek from Perth with only a short section of sandy, limestone outcropped track to reach the caves.
StartClick to Reverse the Dynamic Map and Driving NotesUpper Swan
FinishLake Indoon
DifficultyDifficulty 2.5/5 Suitable for4WD AWD 2WD Caravan Camper Motorhome Bike 
Distance303.55 kmMinimum Days1
Average Speed79.51 km/hrDriving Time3 hrs 49 mins
Rating Be the first to rate this item0 Reviews
Article By: Member - Mark
Page Updated: 11 Jan 2010

Go to top Description

The Stockyard Gully Caves are one of Western Australia's best kept secrets. The main cave has a sandy bottom and is some 300m long from entrance to entrance. There are two shorter caves that are accessible for the more adventurous before reaching the "final" cave, which has no exit.

The caves can be approached from the Northern end via Lake Indoon or the southern end from Cockleshell Gully Road. 4WD is only required for the sandy tracks and is suitable for towing off-road trailers/vans. Any 4WD is appropriate, as the larger rocky limestone outcrops on the track have been flattened off by CALM.

Although this trek can be completed in one day (mostly driving), it is a great weekend away with overnight campout at nearby Lake Indoon.

Lake Indoon is a large, freshwater lake, which covers 130 hectares, with a depth varying from approximately 1.5m - 5m depending on the seasons and rainfall. It is approximately 4.5kms around the lake. The Lake Indoon facilities include camping grounds around the lake, an ablution block with hot water showers, and a tank for drinking water. The Carnamah Shire runs the campground at Lake Indoon with campsites available on a first-in first served basis. A new gas BBQ and picnic area is available near the boat ramp on the north side of the Lake. Costs are $5 per person per night (½ price for kids), collected by rangers in the morning. Click www.carnamah.wa.gov.au to view the Shire of Carnamah website providing further details on Lake Indoon.

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Go to top Interactive Route Map

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Stockyard Gully Help

From: Upper Swan
To: Lake Indoon

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Go to top Permits

No permits are needed for the Stockyard Gully trek. Camping fees apply at Lake Indoon - costs are $5 per person per night (½ price for kids), collected by rangers in the morning.

Go to top Things to See & Do

Go to top Preparation

This is a basic 4WDing trip with no special preparation needed. If you manage to do this trip without seeing another vehicle, consider yourself blessed. If camping at Lake Indoon, basic supplies are available only ~10 kms from the Lake at Eneabba or full supplies from Jurien Bay, some ~50km south west. If travelling in the warmer months, ensure you have supplies of water on board.

The Cockleshell Gully Road entrance is a well-maintained gravel road that is capable of being traversed by any vehicle. The short 4Wdriving section to actually reach the caves is basically a sandy track with outcrops of limestone. It can be soft in the drier months but I have never had to reduce tyre pressures to get through. Soft roader vehicles without low range will easily be able to complete this trek.

Stockyard Gully Caves can be approached from two ends. The "southern" approach is from Cockleshell Gully Road and is typically the way out if one has camped overnight at Lake Indoon. The "northern" end is approached from Eneabba/Coolimba Road, off which Lake Indoon is located.

Fuel Supplies & Usage

Fuel SymbolUpper Swan, BP Service Station (East of Muchea), Jurien Bay Diesel4cyl 43 litres ULP4cyl 49 litres LPG4cyl 61 litres
6cyl 47 litres6cyl 55 litres6cyl 53 litres
8cyl 47 litres8cyl 50 litres
Fuel is also available at Cataby (which is just off the Brand Highway around 32kms north of the Moore River bridge) and Eneabba (about 12kms east of Lake Indoon).

Services & Supplies

The following locations have various services and supplies: Upper Swan, BP Service Station (East of Muchea), Jurien Bay
There are also some limited supplies at Eneabba (about 12kms east of Lake Indoon).

Go to top Camp Sites & Accommodation

Go to top History

The erosion from a creek fed upstream from the surrounding plains formed the caves. Further erosion over the years has resulted in roof cave-ins, leaving natural entrances to the caves. These caves are a natural water course and the creek flows in the wetter months. There are warnings not to enter the caves in severe rainstorms as the cave can flood! One can see the levels that were reached in the local flood of 1999.

Go to top Driving Directions

Time
Direction
Distance
Upper Swan to Bullsbrook East 12.75 km N 359° 9 min
Bullsbrook East to BP Service Station (East of Muchea) 11.94 km NW 333° 9 min
BP Service Station (East of Muchea) to Chandala 4.99 km N 340° 3 min
Chandala to Beermullah 41.16 km NW 337° 25 min
Beermullah to Brand Hwy & Orange Springs Rd 25.57 km N 340° 15 min
Brand Hwy & Orange Springs Rd to Badgingarra 77.43 km N 343° 56 min
Badgingarra to Brand Hwy & Jurien Rd 23.36 km NW 332° 15 min
Brand Hwy & Jurien Rd to Jurien Rd & Cockleshell Gully Rd 23.34 km W 262° 15 min
Jurien Rd & Cockleshell Gully Rd to Jurien Bay 16.16 km SW 244° 12 min
Jurien Bay to Jurien Rd & Cockleshell Gully Rd 16.16 km NE 64° 12 min
Jurien Rd & Cockleshell Gully Rd to Stockyard Gully Tunnel 38.05 km N 348° 37 min
Stockyard Gully Tunnel to Lake Indoon 12.64 km NE 32° 29 min
Upper Swan to Lake Indoon 303.55 km     3 hr 49 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.
The Kimberley - Drysdale Plateau - Bradshaws and Green Ants, a day spent in search of ancient art.
Sunday 25th July, 2010 The Kimberley WA To get access to it you first had to climb a good way up the escarpment over a fall of jumbled boulders and tangled vegetation. While the initial entrance is fairly narrow, there are sections, as you walk further along the gorge, that are almost creek like. At times the gully was cloistered by high stone cliffs and overhanging vegetation and yet in other sections, quite open. Small gullies ran off in all directions and in many places, well worn boulde

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