Canning stock route

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Put your cursor over TREK NOTES....... press it and up will come a window that tells you all about the treks in Australia .... its called a web site ! and you can read amazing things ( if you can read )......

We did the Canning ON OUR OWN, way back in '94 in a '79 FJ55 Landcruiser. Preparation is the key to a successful trip. So you must do heaps of research and make sure that all working parts on your vehicle are in good condition. That may mean stripping starter motors, alternators, wheelbearings, swivelhubs etc etc. down. We did a North/South route which is MUCH harder than a South/North journey.Despite our preparedness we broke two shockies, had to rebuild the carby (corrugations), the snorkle rattled loose and fell off, a bodymount cracked, the battery tore out of its base, the centrepins on the front springs rattled loose, the winch rattled loose as did the bullbar. The front chassis crossmember snapped as we arrived home. Most of the breakages were due to having smacked a bullock in the dark,a month prior to our trip. All fixable things. We underestimated our fuel consumption and arrived at Well 23 with only 9 litres left in the tank !!!
We did a four week trip which included a side excursion from Well 41 east out to Helena Spring ( 190km return ). The explorer David Carnegie was shown this place by aborigines in 1896. He named it after his sister, Helena, and called it the Diamond of the Desert. Looked pretty ordinary to us 98 years later. We dug out the native well and water seeped to the top. Birds soon flocked from nowhere to drink from the well. We covered the well up again before leaving so as to avoid the water being polluted. On our return to the CSR it took 7 attempts to cross the highest dune in the desert. We saw 105 vehicles on our entire trip and only camped one night with other travellers. The rest of the time we had the solitude of the desert to ourselves. It was a most magical experience.
Cheers, Willie

Colin, I envy you making this great trip.
I travelled the stock route in 2000,we just got through as the track had been closed for many months due to flooding.
Without doubt the Eric Gard book is the bible for this trip,he has travelled this track so many times and knows it intimately.
In regards to fuel we did not use the well 23 drop off option ,but carried
enough fuel to use well 33 only.
Research is the path to success on this trip,as is a very reliable vehicle.
I travelled with members of the Victorian land rover owners club,club groups are a great way to travel both for company and security.
Have a great trip Regards

Colin. We did this trip at the end of our 10 month trip to Oz in an 80 series diesel. Having done Cape York, Simpson, Gunbarrel, I would say that the Canning was not technically difficult when we did it in July. Rain would make it more difficult due to mud. All the comments on preparedness are well founded. We helped someone off the track after their leaf spring broke. Conclusion - if a component is not 100% then take a spare. Take a water sprayer esp if you have a petrol vehicle - we met a half burned out vehicle who was lucky to put an undervehicle spinifex fire out before disaster struck.

Try to go with another vehicle & people you like - I saw too many people in tagalongs who may not have enjoyed it so much due to pressures of large groups! We did meet several vehicles on their own - prepare accordingly.

The Gard's book is good for history. I wished i had more books on Flora & Fauna.

I got fuel at the Community - cheaper and more reliable than the drop - phone ahead for availability. Do the side trips - very interesting. Expensive provisions there - not surprisingly! $1/potato!

I wish you well on the trip - dont rush & take your time. We took 3 weeks but wished we had 4/5. Provision yourselves accordingly.

Rob

colin hope to see you there next winter as I am planing it also

colin hope to see you there next winter as I am planing it also