Kidson Track - WAPET Road

StartClick to Reverse the Dynamic Map and Driving NotesKidson Track (Wapet Rd) & Canning Stock Route
FinishGreat Northern Hwy & Kidson Track (Wapet Rd)
DifficultyDifficulty 4/5
Suitable For4WD Motorbike 
Distance606.14 km
Minimum Days2
Average Speed43.75 km/hr
Travel Time13 hrs 51 mins
Page Updated: 23 Feb 2023

Description

The Kidson Track, also known as the WAPET Road, is an abandoned oil exploration track that was built during the 1960's by West Australian Petroleum Pty Ltd. Geologists call this region the Canning Basin, which contains two depocentres, one of which is named the Kidson Sub-basin. Both Canning and Kidson were pioneer explorers of the area. Kidson however never traversed the route of this track. The name comes from the geological region and for the fact that the track leads to a site that the West Australian Petroleum company called the Kidson oil well. (see History for more info).

The land through which the route passes is now under native title ownership (the Martu and the Nyangumarta) and access on these tracks and land without prior permission is strictly prohibited. (Permits are obtainable however, go to Preparation tab). Of most importance is current mining exploration activity in the area.

The Traditional Owners of these lands have agreements with several exploration companies for the reinstatement and use of this track, with strict protocols in place for exclusive use by the exploration companies. Subsequently, triple road trains, trucks, road graders and other heavy vehicles are now travelling along this single lane track under strictly controlled work site conditions every day and night in both directions.

Public travellers MUST NOT IGNORE the access restriction warning signs at both ends of this part of the Kidson Track, which effectively states you must not travel without a permit.

There are no restrictions for travellers using the Punmu Road enroute between Kunawarritji and the Telfer Road to the Great Northern Highway.

How to Use this Trek Note

  • To download this information and the route file for offline use on a phone, tablet, headunit or laptop, go to the app store and purchase ExplorOz Traveller. This app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage and the EOTopo webpage.

TIP

ExplorOz Traveller now features the NEW EOTopo 2023 mapset!

Environment

Whilst some may consider the desert terrain to be a little "boring", the land beneath the Kidson Track is a magnificent hydrogenological entity representing Australia's second largest sedimentary basin. The Kidson Sub-basin is the least explored Palaeozoic basin in the world with a proven petroleum system.

The land you'll traverse alters from sand, gravel (buckshot), dry river beds, culverts and densely treed areas. Most experienced 4WD travellers returning from a trip down the Kidson report it is generally of a reasonable condition but care is needed in the low areas as there are some deep washouts and you'll have some tight maneuvering.

The latest report (July 2013) confirms the track from the north through to the Gwenneth Lakes Rd turnoff has been graded. However, the track south remains in its original state.

You may encounter very dense, scratchy wattle, so if you don’t want any scratches on your vehicle, then this is not the track for you! The few sand dunes you'll encounter, were originally capped with clay by the oil exploration team in order to haul their drilling rigs over but the sheeting has eroded now and there are some deep scours, which require caution and careful wheel placement. Much of this has now been graded out in the northern section however the southern section still remains a challenge if you take a trailer, but with that said it is not impossible and quite a few people will successfully negotiate the track with a small, light, easily maneuverable, high clearance off-road camper trailer.

History

Edward Kidson, was a pioneer geophysicist/magnetician who conducted an expedition along the Canning Stock Route in 1914 to measure and map the earth's regional magnetic field. However, Kidson never traversed the route that takes his name. The name of this track is given because the track leads to an oil well spudded in 1965 near Canning's (water) Well 33, and was probably identified from Kidson's geology reports. The track also refers to the name geologists give to the region - beign the Kidson Sub-basin. Hence, the conflict in naming convention between who is using the road. The WAPET team apparently refered to their track as the Kidson Track because it lead to their Kidson Well #1, whereas future travellers refer to the track as WAPET because it was their road. In any case, both names remain in use today and are interchangeable.

The Kidson No. 1 Oil Well site is about 9k NW of Kidson airstrip (built and used by the WAPET team in the 1960s). It was spudded on 21st November 1965 and is 14,539 feet (4,431m) deep. The well was later abandoned on 20th July 1966. This site lies about 50km SW of Well 33, which is accessible off the WAPET Road to the east of the CSR, which is known as the Gary Highway. This position of the well site lies between the windmill and tank and the Kidson airfield.

The establishment of the oil search well necessiated the construction of a major access road to bring in the heavy drilling and ancillary equipment. The WAPET road covered a distance of about 660 km. It ran from near the Wallal Downs homestead turnoff on the Great Northern Highway to Swindell's Field airstrip (about 340 km south east of the Wallal Downs turnoff). It then ran about 300 km further to the Kidson drill site and beyond for about 20 km to an associated airstrip and its termination at Beadell's Young Range to Well 35 access track (later referred to as the Gary Highway).

Interestingly, renowed outback road surveyer/builder Len Beadell had also built a road through the same region in 1963, naming it the Callawa Track. When Len Beadell built his road it was superseded almost immediately by the WAPET road, as they are very closely aligned.

The WAPET crew had more resources at their disposal. Unlike Beadell's graded scrapes, the WAPET Road was constructed by gravelling over the long sandy flats, and they cut into any sandhills, clayed the tops, gravelled and side-fenced the edges to limit sand drift. It has since suffered the ravages of the wet seasons and the corrugating effects of vehicle use over time. After WAPET abandoned the oil well, the road was then used extensively by NatMap (during the late 1960s and 1970s) and has been kept in use by 4WD travellers. Unfortuantely, Len Beadell's Callawa Track however became overgrown and could not be negotiated.

TrekID: 226

Preparation

MUST READ: You are strongly encouraged to read the following articles prepared by the knowledge experts at ExplorOz for your safety and preparation before undertaking any published ExplorOz Trek - Outback Safety, Outback Driving Tips, Outback Communications, and Vehicle Setup for the Outback.

TIP

Please refer to Road Reports published by the local shire and/or main roads for the area you intend to visit. Road/Track conditions can change significantly after weather events. Travellers must be responsible for their own research on current conditions and track suitability.
Vehicles should be fully equipped for extensive, remote desert expedition touring. You should be fully self-sufficient, with all food, fuel, & water requirements and you will need an extensive equipment supply, especially tools and spare parts, plus spare tyres, tubes, repair equipment & air compressor.

Long-range communications should be taken (eg. HF radio, Satellite Phone), emergency beacons (eg. SPOT2, Epirb), and for vehicle-vehicle communications along the track a UHF radio.

Sand flags are also recommended for the dune section to assist with visual identification of oncoming vehicles. An advanced medical emergency kit should be carried by at least one party in your group. Due to possible growth of grasses in the middle of the Kidson Track, there may be a danger of accumulation of flammable solids under your car. Be prepared for this case by not only carrying a fire extinguisher, but also carry a spray bottle filled with water and frequently check the vehicle for grass build-up.

You could phone Kunawarritji Community some days before travelling and ask them for the latest reports given by other travellers. Nearly everybody coming down the Kidson fuels up at Kunawarritji, so they will be the ones with the latest information. Fuel availability is reliable there and fuel is also available (by arrangement) from Punmu.

Permits

The Nyangumarta People, the Kulyakartu People and the Martu People have Native Title grant and claim to the whole of the Kidson Track. The Traditional Owners of these lands have agreements with several exploration companies for the reinstatement and use of this track, with strict protocols in place for exclusive use by the exploration companies.

For full tourist permit information, see here: http://www.anfwdc.asn.au/kidson_track.php

Fuel Usage

DieselULPLPG
4cyl 85 litres4cyl 98 litres4cyl 121 litres
6cyl 93 litres6cyl 110 litres6cyl 107 litres
8cyl 93 litres8cyl 101 litres
Usage is averaged from recorded data (* specific to this trek) and calculated based on trek distance.

Best Time To Visit

Closest Climatic Station

Telfer Aero
Distance from Trek Mid Point 83.2km SW
 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mean Max. °C40.638.637.334.529.125.325.328.432.737.039.440.2
Mean Min. °C26.025.423.920.615.311.910.612.516.520.823.425.4
Mean Rain mm49.1102.777.320.018.914.313.25.42.52.916.546.9
    Best time to travel      Ok time to travel      Travel NOT recommended

Map

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Directions

Kunawarritji Roadhouse to Wapet Rd Antenna
Driving: 79.39 km
Heading: 280°
Avg Speed: 64.01 km/hr
EST Time: 01:14:24
Wapet Rd Antenna to Rocky Knoll - Wapet Rd
Driving: 18.69 km
Heading: 299°
Avg Speed: 55.06 km/hr
EST Time: 20:22
Rocky Knoll - Wapet Rd to Bore Ruins
Driving: 4.3 km
Heading: 307°
Avg Speed: 27.25 km/hr
EST Time: 09:28
Bore Ruins to Wapet Rd (Kidson Track) & Punmu Rd
Driving: 5.61 km
Heading: 280°
Avg Speed: 35.56 km/hr
EST Time: 09:27
Wapet Rd (Kidson Track) & Punmu Rd to Kidson Track (Wapet Rd) & Callawa Rd
Driving: 57.12 km
Heading: 354°
Avg Speed: 47.42 km/hr
EST Time: 01:12:16
Kidson Track (Wapet Rd) & Callawa Rd to Razor Blade Bore
Driving: 40.65 km
Heading: 292°
Avg Speed: 55.78 km/hr
EST Time: 43:43
Razor Blade Bore to Twin Gum Hill
Driving: 6.37 km
Heading: 348°
Avg Speed: 34.75 km/hr
EST Time: 10:59
Twin Gum Hill to Swindell Field
Driving: 48.19 km
Heading: 13°
Avg Speed: 47.04 km/hr
EST Time: 01:01:28
Swindell Field to Mellinjerie Well
Driving: 16.46 km
Heading: 307°
Avg Speed: 27.96 km/hr
EST Time: 35:19
Mellinjerie Well to Old Landrover Ruins
Driving: 249.04 km
Heading: 295°
Avg Speed: 37.1 km/hr
EST Time: 06:42:45
Old Landrover Ruins to Wapet Rd (Kidson Track) & Callawa Track
Driving: 19.93 km
Heading: 285°
Avg Speed: 52.42 km/hr
EST Time: 22:48
Wapet Rd (Kidson Track) & Callawa Track to Great Northern Hwy & Kidson Track (Wapet Rd)
Driving: 60.39 km
Heading: 302°
Avg Speed: 40.66 km/hr
EST Time: 01:29:06
Distance is based on the travel mode shown (Driving, Straight, Cycling, Walking etc), Direction is straight line from start to end, Avg Speed & EST Time is calculated from GPS data.

What to See

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Services & Supplies

Wildflowers

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