The "Gunbarrel Highway" is an isolated desert track of 1400km from Wiluna to Yulara (via Jackie Junction and Docker River). In general, washaways, heavy corrugations, stone, sand and flood plains are all typical elements of the drive, but the track is graded occasionally by the Wiluna Shire Council from Wiluna through to 180km east of Carnegie. There are excellent bush camps, and many sites have bores with water.

You can pick up the Gunbarrel from either Wiluna in the west, or Giles (Warakurna Roadhouse) in the east and so it is usually done as an extension/beginning of a Canning Stock Route Trek Note, West McDonald Ranges Trek Note or The Tanami Track Trek Note.

At the western end of the trek, Wiluna is the launching point for both the Gunbarrel and the Canning Stock Route Trek Note. It is a town quite unlike any other in Australia. Other than the few people who service the passing 4WD explorers, the town is mostly aboriginal and there's just a few dusty buildings, a store, a pub and the camping ground, which is a far cry from the 1930s when this was a prospering gold mining town of 9000 people boasting the southern hemisphere's biggest mine.

At the eastern end of the trek, Giles is actually not a town at all but the homeplace of the Warakurna people and the location of a remote meteorological weather station, known as Giles. Visitors must stay at the Warakurna Roadhouse, where modern campground facilities, fuel and basic food supplies can be obtained as access into the aboriginal community is not allowed. Most people plan a visit to the weather station while they are here, which is little different to any other weather station around Australia. Visits are free, but you need to let them know in advance that you're coming, particularly if you want to observe the launch of a weather balloon.

Conditions vary greatly in this region, depending on how much rainfall has occurred in recent days and the volume of traffic and how long its been since the road was last graded. Please read these notes in conjunction with the detailed and updated WA Road Conditions Report that have been compiled with the assistance from the Wiluna Shire Council, the AN4WDRN and the assistance of ExplorOz users who report actual conditions to us.

In general, washaways, heavy corrugations, stone, sand and flood plains are all typical elements of the terrain. The major trouble spots are around Mingkili Claypan and between the Heather Highway turnoff and Jackie Junction (extreme washaways). The "abandoned section" from Jackie Junction to Giles is deeply rutted and in places quite sandy. During the peak travelling season (late June - Oct), many people make the journey across the Gunbarrel Highway so diversion tracks around major obstacles will be in place and even the abandoned section should not be overgrown unless you are the first group of the season after rains to push through the spinifex.

You will need to obtain 2 Transit Permits from 2 aboriginal land councils (one in NT and the other in WA) for this trek. These are transit permits and they cost nothing to obtain. Applications can be made over the phone or by email. Your permit can be either emailed or faxed back to you. See our permits page for more information, contact details and links.

Central Land Council - Phone: (08) 8951 6320 (WA/NT border to Yulara). Apply online at http://clc.org.au/Permits/permits.html
Ngaanyatjarraku Council - Phone: (08) 8950 1711 (Warbuton via Jackie Junction to border).

These permits together cover the area between Warbuton and Yulara, and so you must abide by the restrictions outlined in the permit whilst in this region. For the remainder of the trek, from Wiluna to Jackie Junction, you are on pastoral land.

Travel the first of the "bomb roads" made by Len Beadell. Find and locate plaques, original bores and blaze trees. Wild camels, dingoes and birdlife; historic ruins and remote stations.

Technically this is not a hard 4WD trip, but you must be very well prepared and experienced. We would not suggest that you embark on a trip across the Gunbarrel Highway as your first outback camping trip.

There are many bores with water them along this track and we strongly advise that you do not use this water unless there is an emergency. Please do not plan to use this water - carry all your own drinking and washing water. The impact of increased 4WD tourism on these historical areas needs to be considered to ensure that access for all remains. Note - to obtain water, you will need to carry a narrow water vessel (less than 14cm diameter) and about 45m of line! Some bores are very deep.

The Gunbarrel Highway was the first road built as part of Australia's role in the weapons research facility called Woomera. The area of land designated between Woomera and 80 Mile Beach near Port Hedland was chosen as the most suitable area in the world for a rocket range, but it was an uninhabited desert waste-land in the most remote part of Australia.

This weapons research project did not just involve the launching of rockets into waste-land, but complex missile tracking instruments had to be placed in position throughout this vast region and so a massive ground survey was required to determine the earth's shape.

The first task was to construct a road running east-west across the centre of Australia to provide a major service access for the construction of all other linking roads. The Gunbarrel Highway was the first of the Len Beadell roads and so is a very historical journey for people taking the trip today.

Len Beadell, the surveyor for the project, admitted he was " a surveyor who liked to draw neat lines on maps", so he decided to site his roads in areas where long straight tracks could be built. It was Len himself, who light-heartedly named his road gang the "Gunbarrel Highway Construction Party". This was done for distance, fuel and maintenance efficiencies for both his construction team and future users. Which is good for us four wheel drivers because it has meant that with a bit of preparation and a good vehicle setup, there's a whole lot of outback tracks that although are no longer maintained, are still in good condition for travelling.