Caiguna to baxter cliffs

Submitted: Tuesday, Jan 17, 2017 at 14:46

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unclegrump

Has anyone been up the escarpment lately and how tough was it?

Reply By: Mikee5 - Tuesday, Jan 17, 2017 at 15:51

Tuesday, Jan 17, 2017 at 15:51

I dropped the caravan at Caiguna and set off after lunch. I soon realised that it was not doable in an afternoon. It is tight through the trees and rocky, I turned around after 30 minutes. Tyres were 20 and mirrors folded in. I suggest give it a whole day. I will give it a better shot next trip.

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Reply By: luxtourer - Tuesday, Jan 17, 2017 at 18:36

Tuesday, Jan 17, 2017 at 18:36

We did it in a bit more than half a day a couple of years ago. Just slow, rough going for most of the way. The roadhouse loaned us a mudmap - and despite its warning, we didn't find the last section from the memorial to the escarpment any worse that the previous sections.
Give it a full day if you can.
Cheers John

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Reply By: unclegrump - Tuesday, Jan 17, 2017 at 19:12

Tuesday, Jan 17, 2017 at 19:12

Thanks guys i know from experience about the tracks in the area. Im more concerned about goin up the escarpment with my camper and if there are any major washouts Actually goin to the bird observatory from Esperance so just trying to determine which way to go.

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Follow Up By: AlanTH - Wednesday, Jan 18, 2017 at 11:49

Wednesday, Jan 18, 2017 at 11:49

I'd go in from the observatory uncle grump as it's a better track down to the beach. Then a decent track through from there to Twilight Cove. Much better than going through the burnt out area.
There's a good spot behind the first line of dunes for camping which still has vegetation.
AlanH.

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Reply By: Phil B (WA) - Tuesday, Jan 17, 2017 at 20:22

Tuesday, Jan 17, 2017 at 20:22

If you mean from Twilight Cove up to the top of the cliffs and then head west, I was there recently a huge bushfire took out 500K of country including the trees/shrubbery coming up the scarp.

Lots of diverts around fallen trees, although someone had been thru we still had to drag many off, some just too big. Had to do reversing back and forwards a times

You'll get a camper through but will need to do a lot of track clearing (a chainy needed) as no one with campers had been thru since the fire.

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Follow Up By: AlanTH - Wednesday, Jan 18, 2017 at 10:24

Wednesday, Jan 18, 2017 at 10:24

Right there Phil B. Our club just did a trip down there and went in via Cocklebiddy and the track was very rough, stony and everything burnt out. The last part is diverted and you go onto the beach but when getting there if travellers then turn east they see a pole with a float attached which shows the old track.
Signs show track closed but turning right there (just in past the first line if low dunes) brings you out to an open area still with vegetation where camping is OK.
If I do it again I think I'll go in via the observatory and along the beach and scarp.
We did it in reverse then went in again from Caiguna, not too bad but dusty. Good camp spot near where the old telegraph line runs and from there you can go down to the Baxter monument and further along the cliffs as we did to the telegraph station and Point Malcolm.
From there the track to Mt Ragged is OK with some slow parts but quiet easy and the Cook and I did it on our own.
Worst part was where that track meets the Parmango and Balladonia Rds. Many big corrugations which shook the crap out of us for over a 100 kay.
Good luck and enjoy the views which are magnificent.
A word of warning, we saw a death adder right on the cliff edge..... laid very still and was in a position where it could easily have been trodden on. :-((
AlanTH

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