Old Gunbarrel eastern end track conditions

Contact the Roadhouse at Warakurna. They would have the most up to date info.

road conditions are perceived differently by most people too. What I think is reasonable may be absolutely crap for someone else.
Don’t know how you get around that.

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Hi Ray, Current track information will be of no use for a "mid 2019" trek.
I agree with Chris and Shane's suggestion for nearer to the time.

That section can have some nasty washouts but if you leave the trailers behind and go carefully you should be OK. And of course, you can always prematurely turn around and return to your trailers at Warakurna.
However, I would not go near there if rain was in the offing or if it had very recent rain.

Hi Ray,
While I also agree that conditions between this year and next can change, for what it's worth I was there earlier this year (April) and you should have no problems, not towing and in a well prepared 4WD. There were 1 or 2 small washouts, easily managed, and plenty of growth on the sides of the tack and in the centre, including spinifex. But a nice drive in that section.
Cheers, Mark.

Hi Ray

Further to the above good replies, here is my 2 cents worth.

Firstly if your campers have withheld the trip out to Warakurna, then they should have no problems on that section of the Original Gunbarrel Highway, with the only exception if it is wet, and if so, stay hold up at Warakurna, as things to dry out quite quick out there.

If you are only going as far as Lake Christopher, you will be camping out for 2 nights, as it may only look a short distance on a map, but it will be slow going, and no speed trip. Our first days drive from Warakurna had us camped about 20 kilometres short of the Lake Christopher turn off, so even if you had a long day, you are still going to have to camp in the area that first night.

There are no sign posts to let you know when to turn off, so moving maps navigation will be a very good aid. If you are not on the lookout, you will drive straight past the turn off without even knowing it was there.

Conditions do not change much out that way, as the track is not maintained, and the washaways will only get bigger year after year.

It is a pretty drive and not hard, just take your time and stop to smell the roses...
Rather than talk any further, I will let you decide what the conditions are like from the below photos.



Cheers


Stephen

A very belated thank you and apology to all who replied to my request for information on track conditions on the eastern end of the Gunbarrel. For some reason, email notification of your responses ended up in my junk box. Result? I thought no one loved me! We have recently changed our security system from Mcafee to Norton, so I suspect that may be the culprit in the sudden redirection of the notifications to the junk box.

Stephen, your photos are fantastic - a very graphic reminder of why desert travel is so enticing.

Your information on travel times was also helpful. I would be pretty confident that the trailers would do okay. My travelling companions have TVans and our Rhinomax Scorpion withstood the rigours of the Gunbarrel last year (2018) from Carnegie Station to the Heather Highway turn off, and down the Heather Highway. It's just that we have particularly reasons for not taking them out on the eastern end.

My main goal is that we experience the Rawlinson Range a bit more 'close up and personal' by trekking along them for a bit. Maybe we can get enough of this experience with an early start (and long) day trip and travelling out and back as far is practical in a day (with slow travel an acknowledged given)?