Kennedy Ranges, WA

D&PU I have not travelled this track but it sounds very interesting.Have a safe and happy trip.

D & P U this particular track will punish your tyres make sure you have good tyre changing equipment and decent spare tyres, October is not a bad month to do the track, warm days, cool nights, most creeks and rivers are easy to cross also at this time of the year.

Regards
Spango

We did this route June last year. Came up the Mullewa Carnarvon Rd via Murchison Settlement (lovely drive) and Gascoyne Junction, up to Kennedy Ranges then east to Cobra Stn and Mt Augustus. On our return leg we doubled back to Mangaroon then went up to the NW Coastal Hwy via Lyndon & Towera. The country was pretty barren after years of drought but we loved it - real outback stuff. They've had good rains this year so you should see it much nicer and a few wildflowers too.

The roads we found in pretty good condition as the main routes are graded fairly regularly. Mostly flat open country but you'll encounter a lot of dips and creek crossings. Stones (the sharp, jagged type - one of which punctured a tyre on our trailer) are the biggest problem. Try to stick the middle of the road and keep away from the edges.

The route between Mangaroon and the NW Coastal Hwy is much less used and therefore a lesser road - really just narrow station tracks, crossing mostly flat, open country. Not so stony as the others except for the 25km or so immediately north of Mangaroon which winds through a low range and is a bit rough and very stony. The main thing to know about this stretch is that it is pretty lonely. We travelled along here in peak season and never saw another soul until we hit the hwy. For us that was part of the attraction but it's also what finally prompted us to get some long range communications (HF, Satphone). You don't sight any of the homesteads and if you broke down you could easily be out there for days before someone happened along. So I'm not saying don't do it (quite the opposite, I recommend it) just that you are well prepared and let someone reliable know when you expect to be along there and when you arrive safely at the other end.

Do you have a GPS? If so I could provide you with some waypoints for this route. There are a couple of lovely creek crossings which are perfect for overnight camping or lunch stops between Mangaroon and Cobra. Also well worth taking a detour from Cobra out to Edithanna Pool (no camping).

Enjoy your trip.

:o) Melissa

Hi there
We (and 7 other families) are doing this route from Murchison up to Mt Augustus to Cobra Station and then to Coral Bay and Exmouth leaving Perth on 23rd September. When are you leaving I could let you know the conditions after we have done it if you like? We are fairly well prepared and because there are so many of us we should be OK with tyres as we all have a few spares.

Melissa I would be extremely grateful for waypoints for this area if you wouldn't mind emailing them to me. My email is hdprice@iprimus.com.au.

Thanks for all the info
Diana

D&PU

I travelled from Carnarvon Via Gascoyne Junction, Mt Phillip Station, Cobra Station to Mt Augustus this week.

Roads are in excellent condition at the moment and in many places normal road speeds are easy. We had 32PSi in tyres and did not have any failures.

As mentioned, there are many dips and river crossings. Not all dips in the road are sign posted and these are the buggers with the sharp stones (slate actually) that will cause problems if you hit the dips too fast. All river crossings are dry at the moment. Stay away from the edges of the road at all times.

At the moment, there is a charter helicopter at the Mt Augustus Resort doing joy flights over the rock. Just brilliant. Let me know if you want to see a picture and I can send you one from the air and ground. I also have some of the road.

Good luck