Road access for the Warburton/Blackstone and Mulga Park Rds

Submitted: Friday, Feb 21, 2020 at 16:47

ThreadID: 139704 Views:12818 Replies:4 FollowUps:10

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Finke to Uluru via Old Gunbarrel

An alternative route to access the wonderful Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park, this trip from Finke east of the Stuart Highway takes in the Lambert Centre - the planimetric gravitational centre of

Giles-Mulga Pk Rd, Blackstone-Warburton Rd

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Finke to Uluru via Old Gunbarrel

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Uluru - Ayers Rock, is probably the best known feature in Australia. Of sacred significance to our indiginous aboriginies this is the world's largest rock.

Richard S18

Has anyone recently travelled from Warburton in WA to Finke on the Warburton/Giles/Mulga Park Rd in SA.
If so what do we need to know and what are the road conditions ?

Cheers and thanks for your response.
Richard

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Reply By: Mick O - Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 08:00

Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 08:00

Hi Richard. The road is a well-maintained gravel Highway to support the majority of Two Wheel Drive vehicles that use it. Ufortunately you will need permits for both the Western Australian and Northern Territory sides. The permit for WA you should be able to get a through the department of Indigenous Affairs website. The Northern Territory side is a lot more difficult
access to the APY Lands is tightly controlled and policed. There are significant fines for travelling without a permit and you would be escorted back to your point of entry by the police Unfortunately the permit process now requires you to have a police clearance as well. Applications through the Vic office in Alice Springs. You'll need a reason for entering APY lands. Permits are not issued for transit only. Hope that helps Mick

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trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
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Follow Up By: Richard S18 - Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 11:09

Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 11:09

Hi Mick,
Thanks for your reply and information, much appreciated. We are wanting to get to Finke then Dalhousie Springs to do a Simpson Desert crossing and wanted to avoid the Grand Central Road.May have to come via the Mulga Park Rd.
I did expect the response you gave and wonder why much of central Oz is inaccessible.
I note the list of purposes for being granted access to APY lands on their website but hope the roads were public gazetted roads for travellers access and maintained for this purpose. I note it was suggested on the forum that permits could be granted to purchase the art works.

We are now considering using the Connie Sue and Anne Beadell track to get east from Kalgoorlie via Rawlinna.
Do you have any experience on these routes?

Cheers and thanks again for you response.
Richard S

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Follow Up By: Life Member - Duncan W (WA) - Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 12:16

Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 12:16

Richard if you are heading out from Perth then head into Kal, take the Trans Australian Railway service track as far as the Cable Haul Rd and then up that to the Connie Sue, and then CS to the Anne Beadell and then east into Coober Pede.

The Trans track is an excellent run and so is the Cable Haul Rd. If you've never driven the CH Rd you have to travel about 1km east of where your map shows the intersection onto the Trans line as you have to cross the railway tacks and then back track a bit.

We used this route on our Perth to Simpson and return in 2014.

Don't forget that there is a stack of permits to be got for parts of the GVD & CS & ABH.

Cheers

Dunc

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Follow Up By: Richard S18 - Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 13:01

Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 13:01

Hi Dunc,
Thanks very much for your reply.
Sounds like a good option to travel on the Trans from Kalgoorlie then CS and ABH to Coober Pedy then on to Dalhousie Springs for the Simpson Crossing.

What is the GVD you refer to? and also for the permits do you have any easy to find contacts who we need to contact. The Hema Desert Map series is a bit vague about this and only suggest to enquire with the Tjuntjuntjarra at the Ilkurika Roadhouse on the Anne Beadell Hwy.

Cheers Richard

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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 13:37

Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 13:37

A group of us did the CSH in June, ‘18, from Cocklebiddy to Parallel Road No.2, then west on PR-2, so didn’t travel on last section up to Warburton.

The CSH is an interesting drive, with a mix of terrain & road conditions. Some sections through the sandhills are badly eroded, with a few “scratchy” sections, so you wouldn’t want to be towing anything bigger than a camper. Good camp at Neales Breakway, or at Neale’s Junction.Toilet at the latter, plus some company.

We did over 10K kms on that trip in 2018, and sections of the CSH were amongst the most fascinating!

Bob

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Follow Up By: Richard S18 - Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 14:23

Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 14:23

Hi Bob,
Thanks for the reply.
Sounds like we will have to go on the CSH for the experience and it would traverse a range of landforms and vegetation. Am interested to see what the company at NJ is. No problems with us and campers as we go light with the OZtent.
Which direction and how far is Neales Breakaway from NJ?

Cheers and thanks Richard

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Follow Up By: Life Member - Duncan W (WA) - Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 15:04

Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 15:04

Hi Richard, GVD = Grt Victoria Desert.

The permits that we got were: Connie Sue, Anne Beadell (WA ) & AB (SA), Army permits to travel through and camp in the Maralinga and Talaringa Conservation Park, + the SA deserts parks pass.

Neale Breakaways are as per the attached:

Neale Breakaways

Below is the route taken read from the north west and home via the south west route. All up 7758km and in a comfortable 19 days. Work and available leave days determined our time frame.

Simpson Desert trip route

cheers

Dunc

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Follow Up By: Richard S18 - Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 15:13

Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 15:13

Hi Duncan,
Again thanks for this great detail.
Really appreciate what you have sent us.

We intend to do the northern and westerly loop home after the Simpson crossing via Alice Springs to Kunawaritji on the Canning Stock Route and west to Telfer and Newman.

Cheers again Richard

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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 19:36

Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 19:36

Think it’s about 50kms from the Breakaways, up to NJ, Richard. We had smoko at the junction, after a relaxed start that morning.

Would agree with Mick’s comment about the track north of Rawlinna, very lumpy in parts, until you leave the Nullarbor. The track north from Cocklebiddy is much the same, as you get closer to Rawlinna. We were a bit late travelling up there, and arrived after dark, lights everywhere & with the exception of a lovely young lady waiting on the Indian-Pacific’s arrival, the place was deserted. The Train arrived in due course, passengers alighted, sat at trestle tables & were entertained by a singer while they sipped a drink or two & fires kept the cold at bay. Apparently in warmer weather, a meal is served at Rawlinna, rather than eating on the train.

Bob

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Can't remember most of it.

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Reply By: bobsabobsa - Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 15:07

Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 15:07

Warburton, Giles, Ayres Rock only requires 2 permits one for WA and one for NT you apply for these online you are only travelling the Great Central Road
Ayres Rock , Curtain Spring turn right on the Mulga Park Road you then come out at Kulgera and the Stuart Hwy travel down to Marla turn left onto the Oonadatta track the rest is easy to Dalhouise

never heard of a police clearance need to transverse the GCR

have a read of this post

https://www.exploroz.com/forum/137171/condition-of-mulga-park-rd-from-nr-curtin-springs-to-sturt-hwy

Bob

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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 15:35

Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 15:35

Bob, the OP was actually asking about he Giles Mulga Park Road from Warburton through Blackstone and then across the APY lands. A police clearance is now very much part of the process and the APY council have been playing silly buggers with it lately insisting that even normally exempted Govt workers and ser vice providers to the communities must also have them...even the police themselves.

In respect to the GCR, you actually should have your permit and these are immediate issue through the WA Departments of Planning Lands and Heritage. They can also give you the map of roads you need a permit for clearly identifying the GCR. You do not need a police clearance for roads in WA, just the APY lands along the SA/NT border.

DPLH Permit website page.

Cheers

Mick

''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
Richard Maurice - 1903

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Reply By: Mick O - Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 15:47

Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 15:47

Yes both. Connie sue is a good run north to the Anne Beadell although a bit lumpy with limestone outcrops in places in the early stages heading north from Rawlinna. Condition depends on how many people have been using it, weather events and maintenance being conducted. Generally a good run. Anne Beadell is a mixed bag and deteriorates once you get over the SA/WA border heading east. Parts of it are a very heavily corrugated. It's an awesome drive to undertake providing you slow down and take your time. Heaps to see and do along the way.

''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
Richard Maurice - 1903

Lifetime Member
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AnswerID: 630178

Follow Up By: Richard S18 - Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 16:07

Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 16:07

Hi Mick, Bob and Alan

Really appreciate your replies. Must start working on the permits but often they don't respond!

Mick I have seen your videos which were excellent and give a good snap shot of the tracks. Looks pretty good to me and about the same as the Canning Stock Route which we did 3 years ago.....some good and some bad bits.

Cheers Richard

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Reply By: equinox - Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 15:50

Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at 15:50

Hi Richard,

All the advice given here is good however please don't change your plans until you have made contact with the permit issuing authority.

Cheers
Alan