Description
The David
Carnegie Road is best accessed by turning south off the
Gunbarrel Highway. There are a couple of significant features to look out for in this area, however before leaving the Gunbarrel to head south, make sure you check out
Mungilli Claypan, just a little further east - this claypan is often wet which attracts good birdlife and is a nice spot to rest or camp. Another good place to visit is Breaden Bluff, which is a large red sand stone bluff, named by explorer D.W.
Carnegie on 15th August 1896 after Joe Breaden, a member of his exploring party. Some other highlights in this area are the
Pikalu Rock Holes, which is an Aboriginal name provided by the late Mickey Warren in the 1970s, and the
Breaden Bluff Ceremonial Grounds.
Enjoy a pristine desert environment, with vast spinifex plains, rocky outcrops and some challenging 4WD driving. On this trek, you can visit sites such as the breakaway country at Breaden Bluff and
Forrest’s Camp 59, which is where John
Forrest camped whilst on his 1874 expedition to the Overland Telegraph Line. Another popular spot is Empress Springs, which is where a tired and dehydrated David
Carnegie and his companions were led to by local Aborigines.
Interactive Route Map

Gunbarrel Hwy & David Carnegie Rd & Eagle Hwy
Intersection reached after a couple of good days travelling north on the DCR. We approached the DCR from the south turning onto the track and heading north from the Great Central Road (GCR) 15 km west of the Tjukayirla Road House.
Features:

Position: 124.2413ºE 25.3944ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: David Carnegie Rd & Forrest's Camp 59 Access
Distance: 40.6km
Average Speed: 30.57km/h
Features:

Position: 124.1694ºE 25.7408ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Forrest's Camp 59
Distance: 1.44km
Average Speed: 16.08km/h
Forrest's Camp 59
John Forrest’s Camp 59, (the site of his 59th camp from Geraldton, whilst on his 1874 expedition to the overland telegraph line), it is located at the southern end of a plateau area and is only 4.5 kms east of the David Carnegie Road.
Features:


Position: 124.1845ºE 25.7411ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: David Carnegie Rd & Forrest's Camp 59 Access
Distance: 1.44km
Average Speed: 16.08km/h
Features:

Position: 124.1694ºE 25.7408ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Camping in Eucalypt Woodland (David Carnegie Rd)
Distance: 77.95km
Average Speed: 34.48km/h
Features:


Position: 124.2297ºE 26.3755ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Camping near Acacia & Gums (David Carnegie Rd)
Distance: 3.48km
Average Speed: 33.62km/h
Features:


Position: 124.2339ºE 26.4049ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Camping in Mulga Woodland (David Carnegie Rd)
Distance: 16.18km
Average Speed: 25.61km/h
Features:


Position: 124.2402ºE 26.5279ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Camping near Claypan (David Carnegie Rd)
Distance: 7.61km
Average Speed: 37.95km/h
Camping near Claypan (David Carnegie Rd)
Large claypan 150 metres to the eastern side of DCR. Great camp with plenty of dead timber about. Western end of claypan has a soak so camping well to the east affords good opportunity to watch wildlife arriving at sunset.
Features:


Position: 124.2249ºE 26.5895ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Empress Spring
Distance: 28.23km
Average Speed: 41.82km/h
Empress Spring
Empress Spring was named by Explorer David Wynford Carnegie as “a humble tribute to the world-wide rejoicings over the long reign of our Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria.” David Carnegie was shown this water hole by local aborigines on his exploratory travels in 1896.
Features:

Position: 124.3665ºE 26.7664ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: David Carnegie Rd & Breaden Bluff Access
Distance: 18.05km
Average Speed: 46.53km/h
Features:

Position: 124.4555ºE 26.8864ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: David Carnegie Road & Ceremonial Ground Access
Distance: 11.65km
Average Speed: 19.83km/h
Features:

Position: 124.4463ºE 26.9221ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Nice Camp Spot (Pikalu Holes)
Distance: 1.12km
Average Speed: 19.93km/h
Features:

Position: 124.4545ºE 26.9156ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Pikalu Rock Holes
Distance: 0.2km
Average Speed: 19.4km/h
Pikalu Rock Holes
Situated about 2.7km S.S.W. from Breaden Bluff in the Great Victoria Desert. Aboriginal name provided by the late Mickey Warren in the 1970s. Pikalu Rock Holes are track side and at the northern end of an old airstrip.
Features:

Position: 124.4564ºE 26.9156ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Track to Ceremonial Ground (Ends here)
Distance: 1.33km
Average Speed: 13.55km/h
Features:

Position: 124.4663ºE 26.9085ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Breaden Bluff Caves
Distance: 0.18km
Average Speed: 9.33km/h
Breaden Bluff Caves
These caves are massive; head high in places and up to 6 to 8 metres deep. There are dozens of caves and some are connected.
Features:

Position: 124.4663ºE 26.9059ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Breaden Bluff Ceremonial Grounds
Distance: 0.1km
Average Speed: 16.7km/h
Breaden Bluff Ceremonial Grounds
This spot is located two gullies north of the parking area. Many standing stones and stone lined pathways can be seen. It’s a long walk over stony ground so allow 1.5 hours return, and that includes a very good look around. Wear stout shoes and use a compass or track-back GPS.
Features:

Position: 124.4653ºE 26.9037ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Breaden Bluff Caves
Distance: 0.1km
Average Speed: 16.7km/h
Breaden Bluff Caves
These caves are massive; head high in places and up to 6 to 8 metres deep. There are dozens of caves and some are connected.
Features:

Position: 124.4663ºE 26.9059ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Track to Ceremonial Ground (Ends here)
Distance: 0.18km
Average Speed: 9.33km/h
Features:

Position: 124.4663ºE 26.9085ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Pikalu Rock Holes
Distance: 1.33km
Average Speed: 13.55km/h
Pikalu Rock Holes
Situated about 2.7km S.S.W. from Breaden Bluff in the Great Victoria Desert. Aboriginal name provided by the late Mickey Warren in the 1970s. Pikalu Rock Holes are track side and at the northern end of an old airstrip.
Features:

Position: 124.4564ºE 26.9156ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Nice Camp Spot (Pikalu Holes)
Distance: 0.2km
Average Speed: 19.4km/h
Features:

Position: 124.4545ºE 26.9156ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: David Carnegie Road & Ceremonial Ground Access
Distance: 1.12km
Average Speed: 19.93km/h
Features:

Position: 124.4463ºE 26.9221ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Great Central Road & David Carnegie Rd
Distance: 44.02km
Average Speed: 44.97km/h
Features:

Position: 124.4481ºE 27.2230ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Tjukayirla Roadhouse
Distance: 15.58km
Average Speed: 70.39km/h
Tjukayirla Roadhouse
Tjukayirla Roadhouse is 15kms east of the junction of the David Carnegie Road and the Great Central Road. Apart from fuel, the Road House also provides basic food stuffs, and has a caravan park with a camp kitchen.
Very well priced local art.
Position: 124.5753ºE 27.1553ºS (GDA 94)
Permits
Things to See & Do
Preparation
There are no fuel, water or supplies available on the David
Carnegie Road so all of this must be carried. The nearest limited supplies are available at Tjukayirla Road House and
Carnegie Station. The nearest significant supply points are Wiluna or
Laverton.
Remote Desert Country
Temperatures can rise to 50°C in summer and it has been known to rise to 60°C. Travel during summer is not recommended. This is remote desert country, so be fully self-sufficient. Keep in mind that this is not a well travelled route and there are absolutely no facilities for travellers, not even stations or aboriginal communities.
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 must be totally self-sufficient and should read the
4WDriving Topic for related articles and checklists for
vehicle setup and driver awareness. High clearance vehicles recommended, and depending on the season, a spinifex blind is highly recommended.
We advise that you refer to the latest information and advice about outback
communications in the
Communications Topic. For any dune driving you should fly a dune flag from the front of your vehicle to avoid head on collisions on dune tops. Additionally, the lead vehicle in any direction should periodically make calls on Channel 10 from the top of large dunes on the
UHF radio to advise oncoming traffic of your position.
Fuel Information
Please note that unleaded fuels have long been unavailable in the region in an attempt to combat petrol sniffing issues in nearby Aboriginal communities. Recently, a new fuel from BP called Opal Unleaded, has been introduced to better serve travellers interests, whilst combating petrol sniffing problems. BP Opal Unleaded is available at Warburton, (and also
Warakurna Roadhouse and Docker River along the
Great Central Road).
Fuel Supplies & Usage
 | Tjukayirla Roadhouse |
Diesel | 4cyl 41 litres * |
ULP | 4cyl 44 litres |
LPG | 4cyl 54 litres |
| 6cyl 42 litres | 6cyl 50 litres * | 6cyl 48 litres |
| 8cyl 44 litres | 8cyl 45 litres | |
Usage is averaged from
TrekFuel (* specific to trek) submissions and calculated based on trek distance.
There is also fuel available at Wiluna (start of
Gunbarrel Hwy),
Laverton (Great Central Rd) and
Carnegie Station. (These
places are not shown on this trek note).
Best Time To Visit
Closest Climatic Station
Carnegie
Distance from Trek Mid Point 148.91km NW
| | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Mean Max. °C |
38.3 | 36.8 | 33.8 | 29.8 |
25.2 | 21.1 | 21.1 | 23.6 |
28.6 | 32.5 | 35.4 | 37.2 |
| Mean Min. °C |
23.3 | 22.8 | 20.0 | 16.1 |
10.9 | 7.0 | 5.7 | 7.3 |
11.8 | 16.2 | 19.3 | 22.1 |
| Mean Rain mm |
28.8 | 53.1 | 32.7 | 22.1 |
16.7 | 15.0 | 12.5 | 7.6 |
3.5 | 4.8 | 11.0 | 23.8 |
Best time to travel Ok time to travel Travel NOT recommended
Services & Supplies
The following locations have various services and supplies:
Tjukayirla RoadhouseThere are good facilities and supplies available at Wiluna (start of
Gunbarrel Hwy) and
Laverton (Great Central Rd) and limited supplies at
Carnegie Station and Tjukayirla Road House.
Camp Sites & Accomodation
Environment
The track is well defined and easy to follow, although a lack of maintenance has left much of it at the northern end in poor condition. At the northern end, the David
Carnegie Road has many washaways; rocky outcrops and track deviations, there are few sand dunes. Two large rocky plateaus need to be traversed making the going slow. The southern end from
Empress Spring south is often graded to allow tourist access from the
Great Central Road, although there are a few sandy patches on this section.
History
The Hon. David Wynford Carnegie
David
Carnegie was an explorer and gold prospector in
Western Australia. In 1896 he led an expedition from
Coolgardie through the Gibson and Great Sandy Deserts to
Halls Creek, and then back again.
David
Carnegie invested his profits from two earlier gold mines and proposed a major expedition to travel almost 1600kms from
Coolgardie to
Halls Creek. Much of the area through which he intended to travel was unexplored and unmapped at the time and
Carnegie hoped to find good pastoral or gold-bearing land, and to make a name for himself as an explorer.
Carnegie's party consisted of five men and nine camels. Some of his travelling companions were the prospectors Charles Stansmore, Godfrey Massie, bushman Joe Breaden and Breaden's Aboriginal companion Warri. They left
Coolgardie on 9th July 1896 and travelled north to
Menzies and then north east.
On 23rd July 1896, they had entered largely unexplored country and were finding it difficult to locate water. On 9th August 1896, the dehydrated party came across a native who they captured and forced to show where water was located. The water supply they were led to was an underground spring in a hidden cave – which
Carnegie named
Empress Spring after Queen
Victoria. Luck would have it, they were saved and the party knew they could never have found this hidden underground cave on their own. Soon this became the pattern for the remainder of the expedition – to capture natives to help them whenever they were short of water.
Leaving the
Empress Spring, the expedition continued north. Throughout the months leading to October, the party passed through the desert country of the Gibson and Great Sandy Deserts. It was difficult travel as they crossed over endless sand ridges. Nearing the end of their epic journey, tragedy struck the party and on the 2nd November 1896, Charles Stansmore died. He slipped while crossing a ridge, ended up dropping his gun and was shot as the gun hit the ground. Stansmore was buried by his companions and David and the remaining members of the party reached
Halls Creek four days later - a journey of 149 days and 2,274 kms.
Carnegie had spoken highly of his good friend Charles Stansmore and his sudden death on the threshold of success was a sad blow to the company.
Carnegie's expedition was originally intended to terminate at
Halls Creek, but since they had found no gold-bearing or pastoral land, the party decided to continue exploring, by returning to
Coolgardie by a more easterly overland route. Later after returning to England, he wrote and published a book on his experiences in
Western Australia, entitled Spinifex and Sand.
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.