Marble Bar the NW Coastal Hwy via Shay Gap

Submitted: Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 11:30
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Just wondering if anyone knows what the road conditions are like between Marble Bar to the NW Coastal Hwy via Shay Gap. We're looking at this as an alternative and shorter (about 180km's) route than going out to the highway via Port Headland.

:o) Melissa
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Reply By: TomV - Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 11:48

Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 11:48
Melissa, haven't done it for twelve months, but usually good condition and a very good time saver. Very scenic too. Watch out for triple road trains from Telfer. Marble Bar to Shay Gap seems to be regularly maintained, by mining cos I think. From Shay Gap take Boreline Rd. This bit is sandy and tends not to get corrugated.
Tom
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Follow Up By: Member - Melissa - Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 13:44

Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 13:44
Thanks Tom, just the sort of info I was after.

:o) Melissa
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Reply By: motherhen - Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 14:53

Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 14:53
Went that way year before last; was a very good road then (unless there's been heavy rain i can't envisage a problem). It was a scenic drive; loved it. Dind't find anywhere to stop along this route though, until we got to the "bore" - then a group of others who use it as a regular overnight stop pulled in. The cattle didn't care about the intruders sharing their drinking spot at all - must be used to them.
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Reply By: Col (wa) - Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 18:52

Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 18:52
Melissa,
Went that way last july and had no problems at all.A friend went just after the wet season and could not cross the De grey river even though it has a concrete bottom it was 1.2m deep and flowing very fast.
Would go that way every time from now on.
Col
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Reply By: Sweeney - Monday, Feb 28, 2005 at 12:54

Monday, Feb 28, 2005 at 12:54
I went through there in December 2004 and the boreline track looked like it hasn't been graded for a while but in was good condition. The Shay gap road itself was in good condition as well as the Mable bar - Nullagine road. There was bad corrigations from the Shay gap to the Marble bar to Port Headland road but only about 5-10 km (can't remember the name of it).
Only thing to be careful about is that this time of year the Top end is having their yearly monsoon and the track may be fairly wet. After April (or May) it should be dry enough.
I loved driving through there in my diesel Daihatsu Scat (bit rough being a SWB) and area around Shay gap is something to see.
Hope this helps.

Sweeney
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Follow Up By: cookie - Monday, Feb 28, 2005 at 14:15

Monday, Feb 28, 2005 at 14:15
Wet...... rain......... what's that??? :-)

There hasn't been rain of any consequence in Hedand for 12 months, since the couple of cyclones went past last year. None this year! You don't really get the monsoonal type activity until you get to Broome and the Kimberley.

Having said that we did get a shower last night, just enough to wet the ground and there has been some storm activity around, none of which seems to hit hedland so the roads out marble bar way may have got some water, but not enough to cause any drama I wouldn't have thought. There was a fair bit of flooding out marble bar way last year.

Cookie.
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