CSR conditions update

Just finishing the trip report - hopefully later tonight or tomorrow but keep your ear to the ground as I will post it here.

Dave

Apart from first hand reports as promised by Geocacher you can be advised that the CSR, if not flooded in the dune corridors, will be corrugated, rocky, have chopped out tracks especially on the southern side of the dunes and will be scratchy in places. Water is available from some wells but you should always carry enough water with you to last to Well 22 or 26 at least where there is known drinkable water.(April 2005)

Still a good, challenging drive, with spectacular desert scenery.

Unfortunately I haven't finished it but I will say the whole track is as dry as. They have obviously had rain in some areas but only enough to green things up in some places and hike the growth rate of the spinifex in the north - 50cm high in places in the middle of the track and roof height in others beside the track.

Pack the spinifex blind and a good hook for getting it out of all those nooks and crannys around the exhaust. A 5 litre sprayer is a mandatory fire fighting device, keep it full and accessable. Makes a great & very water efficient shower for a quick clean up, brushing teeth etc.

The spinifex blind should be shade cloth (60% ish) and go from near ground level to the bonnet over the bull bar and wrap around the sides to cover that gap also. We initially tried layers of nylon flyscreen being concerned about air flow but we needn't have bothered. Hilly's shade cloth one never presented a heat problem and our flyscreen one shredded.

The track was dry all the way down. The main Savoury Creek Crossing was empty :o))) and the only water we saw other than in the wells was in Guda Soak/Rilya Stretch which made the best camping spot I have camped in years. Waterbirds abound, white sand and plentiful firewood. Reminded me a little of Hattah before the drought but nicer. No other people!

There is more water available on the south end as several of the restored wells that are described as flooded in the trek notes have now reappeared as the water table has dropped and are now accessable again. But they are sadly no longer potable as the water reeks and tastes strongly (disgustingly) of sulphur. They will be many years before they are drinkable I fear and the malealuca trees around them have all died as well. Sad that the work of Ken Maidment and others has been in vain restoring wells only to have nature destroy the water.

The community at Well 33 will not open on Sunday as described in the book at all. If you need fuel there on Sunday you will be camping at Well 33 until Monday morning, and their opening time varies so sleep in. The windmill at Well 33 has been repaired after being out of action for some months or more and is now providing great water again.

There is water at Durba but quality is poor and the down stream billabong and campsites are a bit on the nose due to the dead camel and emu in the water.

As said before the trip report is coming. Work got in the way today. Any specific questions and I'm happy to answer them.

Dave

thanks for the information, it was very useful.....we expect to start from Willuna in the last week of July. hoping that the spinifex might be mowed down a bit by then.