Saturday, Jul 23, 2005 at 02:23
Hi,
I've just returned from a trip that started by heading across the GCR three weeks ago. I was in a loaded Landcruiser HJ61 towing nothing.
It's a long drive. Lots of heavy corrugations. If others say Docker River to
Yulara has just been graded, that'd be good, cos three weeks ago it was the worst of the whole stretch - continual heavy corr for the whole distance especially around
Lasseters Cave area.
I got some relief by driving with one set of wheels in the gutter where there were no corr, but this is more risky with a van.
We saw one camper trailer broken down out of
Warburton with a broken axle. they'd set up
camp under a tarp off the road and looked very forlorn. The other trailers were towed by drivers who looked stressed. Maybe I did too!
It has rained since I went so that might make it better, or worse if there are more washouts. Around docker river has been closed due to flooding across the creek crossings.
Yes the
camp at Docker is nice and flushing toilets a welcome change from the shovel. Must collect own firewood prior to
campsite - it is not provided as mentioned in the trek notes on this site. And it is nice and peaceful, tho decidely nippy, to get up before dawn and walk to the top of a nearby dune and watch the dawn sun hit the ranges.
We found Euro
Rockhole, as per trek notes on this site, but couldn't locate the others. I'll recheck my GPS coordinates with the website then let David know. We managed to find a nice
campsite instead of
rockhole 2 at the GPS coords, and guess the
rockhole is not far from there.
First night Kalgoorlie. Fixed water pump and rear main gearbox seal in half a day and got to 50kms west of
Laverton for a
bush camp off the bitumen road.
Night three was near
rockhole 2, night four was at Docker, night five at
Yulara. We were pushed for time and would have preferred to travel slower and have one more night on the road to ease the pressure a bit.
Council offices at
Warburton are nice and new and have displays and original artworks. Roadhouses
well stocked and friendly. Paid $1.60l for diesel at
Warburton, $1.50 at
Yulara. Plenty diesel available at all roadhouses.
Plenty of wedgetail eagles pairs around - they take off slowly - need to avoid hitting them for their benefit and yours. Camels a plenty, not many roos. Few emus.
Desert oaks are magnificent approaching Giles near the
Gunbarrel Highway intersections.
My memories now are mostly pleasant of the trip, but immediately after we got to
Yulara I declared I wouldn't be choosing to do THAT trip again soon. I'd let my tyres down to 35psi and also found travelling in 4WD was better than 2WD, seemed to ride over the corro's better. Road also has stony sections of
limestone that are annoyingly rough to ride over.
Hope this helps and you don't break anything important.
Tim
AnswerID:
121700
Follow Up By: ThomasJ - Saturday, Jul 23, 2005 at 11:16
Saturday, Jul 23, 2005 at 11:16
Footloose, Cracka and TimHJ61 - thanks for the response, it's the sort of info I was hoping for, but could have done without the corrugations! Even though it's an off-road van the corrugations take their toll. Have been on the Gibb R road at it's worst and that was a painful experience, although we survived trouble free, but also passed destroyed trailers. So will think long and hard about it. Cheers.
FollowupID:
376896