Twitchin Road, Onslow WA
Submitted: Friday, Sep 12, 2014 at 15:48
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WarrenTC
Has anyone had recent experience with this road?
I am travelling to
Onslow in a couple of weeks and would like to drive this road rather than the black-top as it is the original highway route. I have seen a picture of part of the route taken in June which looks like the road is in pretty poor condition:
https://bigcountryventure.wordpress.com/2014/06/#jp-carousel-44
Reply By: AlanTH - Sunday, Sep 14, 2014 at 09:40
Sunday, Sep 14, 2014 at 09:40
There was some talk a couple of years ago of doing the Twitchin up for road trains going to the Wheatstone project.
I was up there about 10 weeks ago though and nothing had changed. Some locals reckon they use it in the dry but avoid it when there's been rain. Gates to open top and bottom of the road and warning signs....but I didn't bother reading them.
AlanH.
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Follow Up By: WarrenTC - Sunday, Sep 14, 2014 at 13:17
Sunday, Sep 14, 2014 at 13:17
Hi AllanTH - so you didn't travel along the road?
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Follow Up By: AlanTH - Sunday, Sep 14, 2014 at 18:13
Sunday, Sep 14, 2014 at 18:13
No we didn't as we were towing our small van and were a bit unsure as to whether to or not so erred on the side of caution. But when leaving the
Onslow area we did use the Peedamulla dirt road which goes off left from the main
Onslow road and meets the North Coast Hwy further along.
Nice drive with a fairly
well graded surface.
AlanH.
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Follow Up By: WarrenTC - Sunday, Sep 14, 2014 at 18:16
Sunday, Sep 14, 2014 at 18:16
Good to hear, thanks Alan, as I was planning to use the
Onslow-Peedamulla Road as
well.
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823675
Reply By: Member - David G (WA) - Sunday, Sep 14, 2014 at 20:30
Sunday, Sep 14, 2014 at 20:30
Warren we did it in mid july from Barradale into old
Onslow , the road at that time had recently been opened up by grading but would need more work as there was some areas of loose sand which I doubt road trains or even semis would have negotiated without difficulty , we didn't have to use 4wd but it was an enjoyable drive and took about 3 hours just pooling along.
There was a
large camp close to the Ashburton
bridge but it was
well signposted which was the first place we saw other vehicles.
Cheers Dave
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539082
Follow Up By: WarrenTC - Sunday, Sep 14, 2014 at 22:06
Sunday, Sep 14, 2014 at 22:06
Thanks David - that sounds promising. Did you need to let tyres down at all?
Will be giving the Shire a call tomorrow to find out when was the last time it was graded.
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Follow Up By: Member - David G (WA) - Sunday, Sep 14, 2014 at 22:26
Sunday, Sep 14, 2014 at 22:26
Warren we run an Oka and I didn't alter the tyre pressures from highway running which was 60psi,there was an old shire sign at the Barradale end saying the road was no longer maintained travel at your own risk but as I said it had been freshly graded at that time,there was couple of gates but you leave them as you find them and some old run throughs, which the
grader had widened out.
If it has been reopened for heavy traffic I can't see you having any problems other than trucks and if it is not being used other than rain you should be ok.
Cheers Dave
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Reply By: blown4by - Saturday, Sep 27, 2014 at 21:58
Saturday, Sep 27, 2014 at 21:58
I've driven it several times. It is no worse than any unsealed outback road. It's a bit sandy in
places and some sharp bends without warning signage and watch out for cattle sleeping on the road. Never had to let my pressures down. The
bridge over the Ashburton near Minderoo Station is quite spectacular and you can get some good photo's from the river bank at water level. Agree with the comments about avoiding it if its been raining, but that applies to any outback road you don't want to wreck by leaving great wheel ruts behind.
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539607