Punmu/Gary Junction/Sandy Blight Junction/Papunya/Any recent info

Submitted: Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 14:33

ThreadID: 44598 Views:3406 Replies:5 FollowUps:17

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Member - Willie , Epping .Syd.

Howdy ,

After finishing my gold fossicking adventure in Marble Bar , I am heading home across the Central Australian Freeway while it's still toll free .

Can anybody give me a recent ( up to a year ago ) report on what the trip was like . I am surprised there is nothing in the Exploroz Trek Notes about this journey.

I am turning south 18 klm east of Papunya to have a little adventure on the way south to Pt Augusta . Does anybody have any ideas about what to do after leaving Haast's Bluff ( have done the stuff in the W MacDonnells )

Thanks ,

Willie .

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Reply By: Member - extfilm (NSW) - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 15:17

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 15:17

Hey Willie,
I am looking at being in Papunya in the first 2 weeks of August. From the 4th I think.

AnswerID: 235114

Follow Up By: Member - Willie , Epping .Syd. - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 16:36

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 16:36

Hi extfilm ,
I am going to be there around July 17 so that is a bugger . Are you working out there ?
Willie .

FollowupID: 496126

Follow Up By: Member - extfilm (NSW) - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 16:49

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 16:49

A mate is coming over from the states and is doing a doco out there. I am assisting him as well as taking numerous pictures. I will be on the south coast on the 19th july, leaving 20th and although have not worked out my official trip I'm thinking about heading through mungo, gammon, Lake eyre, finke, Alice around the 4th, 2 weeks nth of papunya, Hoping to fit in CSR, talawana to Rudall river, then to laverton, back to uluru, not sure how to get back to sydney from there but have to be back here the last week in September.

FollowupID: 496129

Reply By: Hairy - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 15:23

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 15:23

Gday,
Not a lot of choice really, Glen Helen, Hermansberg or Kings Canyon via Boggy Hole or the loop road. Have you been down the Finke track, New crown,Delhousie
Cheers

AnswerID: 235115

Follow Up By: Member - Willie , Epping .Syd. - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 16:41

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 16:41

Hairy ,

I was hoping for something around Haast's Bluff or in that general area .

If nobody can suggest anything around there , I might drop in to Glen Helen as you suggest . Have you been in there ? Worth going ?

Do you know if there is any wobbly old tracks that go south from Glen Helen . There is none marked on my Hemma , but I am about to open Exploroz and have a look on the 1 : 250 maps for a gander .

Thanks ,

Willie .

FollowupID: 496127

Follow Up By: Hairy - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 17:42

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 17:42

Glen helen is just a Pub and waterhole (which a pub is always worth a look in my eyes) and yeh Ive been their 100s of times as I live in Alice.
There a lots of tracks south of Glen Helen but most of them will take you a long way out of your way or around circles as they are bore runs and you realy shouldnt be there anyway(blackfella land,National Parks or Station property).
Are you trying to avoid the bitumen and dont have to wory about time?
I know of a track that comes off the Glen Helen road and takes you out near Hamilton Downs on the Tanami road.
There is always the Owen Springs road which would cut off Alice. There is a track from the Wallace rockhole turn off across to Ellery creek bighole but they will all be sort of back tracking.
What Willem suggested would probably be the most practical and interesting way.
Let us know what you decide on,
Cheers

FollowupID: 496137

Follow Up By: Member - Willie , Epping .Syd. - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 18:43

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 18:43

Hairy ,

You are lucky to live in the middle of such a great area .

I just thought if I could head south over some goat track to the road that connects Haasts Bluff with Namatjirra Drive , I would save myself 80 klm of back tracking .

If not , I will go down Namatjirra Drive and off down through Owen Springs as you suggest .

Thanks ,

Willie .

FollowupID: 496158

Follow Up By: Hairy - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 19:11

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 19:11

Yeh theres plenty of tracks out there, if your saying about a track from Hassts Bluff to Glen Helen there is a good road there already.
Go to Google earth and you will see plenty oy options
Cheers

FollowupID: 496170

Follow Up By: Willem - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 19:12

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 19:12

Willie

There is a goat track heading south from Ellery Creek Big Hole. Used to be open but last time I went that way a big sign up in a tree stated Aboriginal Freehold Land. You would really want to know where the tracks went to but you could come out near the Owen Springs turnoff. I did this track years ago. Not sure about it now, the place may be fenced off. That track is also a Landcruiser breaker and is best to be done with a Nissan as back up vehicle....LOL

Cheers

FollowupID: 496171

Follow Up By: Hairy - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 20:14

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 20:14

Gday Willem,
That track has a few others that lead off it but the main track comes out on the Hermansberg road directly opposite the Wallace Rockhole turn off. Yes there is a blackfella sign still there but of course its up to the individual if you want to take any notice of it or not.
And just for the record......the only car Ive ever pulled out of there was a Nissan! LOL Cheers

FollowupID: 496186

Follow Up By: Willem - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 20:35

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 20:35

I was winding Sir Willie up....lol

Yeah I have been along most of those tracks...way back in the 90's

We used to take a side track that went up to an old Government Bore. One could also get access on foot to the Horn Valley where there were lots of ancient fossilised sea creatures.

Lots of happy exploring hours out there, undisturbed by anyone.

Cheers

FollowupID: 496190

Follow Up By: Hairy - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 20:39

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 20:39

I took mt kids up there about a month ago, they sit there for hours going through the fossils.
Cheers

FollowupID: 496192

Follow Up By: Member - Willie , Epping .Syd. - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 21:58

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 21:58

Willem , Hairy ,

That track sounds vey interesting .

Thanks , and thanks for knighting me as well . Sir Willie has a nice ring to it .

Have you or Hairy ever been in to Willie Rockhole . It is south off the Gary Junction Road a few klm east of Sandy Blight Junction ? I will have to go in there for a look !

Willie .

FollowupID: 496221

Follow Up By: Willem - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 22:09

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 22:09

Hairy

Have you been out around the back of Ellery Ck Big Hole on the way to Giles Spring then veer right into the Chewings Range and go through along Ellery Creek past Fishole Waterhole through to the back of Hamilton Downs Stn. A bit rough in places and a bit of rock hopping to do. Used to be an old stock route. Then follow the base of the range back to Painter Spring and through the scrub to the Tanami Road.

Cheers

FollowupID: 496223

Follow Up By: Hairy - Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 09:36

Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 09:36

Willie,
Sure its not Sir Willie rock hole?..But no havent heard of that one, let us know what its like if you get there.
Willem,
Yeh, went through that track ( back of Ellery to Hamilton downs ) about 15 years agowhen it was open, they locked the gate that goes through the gap near Ellery for years but I was told the lock has gone! Dont need to take the bolt cutters after all, as a group of us were talking about heading out that wy soon.
Cheers

FollowupID: 496299

Follow Up By: Willem - Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 17:25

Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 17:25

Hairy

Yeah the lock was missing and the steerl bar wide open when I went that way in 2005. Still, I do carry a Master Key just for incase...lol

There is a newer track twisting through the scrub to lower down the creek on approaching the gorge but once in the creek there are a few serious rocks to clamber over. Nothing too bad though.

Cheers

FollowupID: 496417

Reply By: Willem - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 17:18

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 17:18

G'day Sir Willie

Road from near Telfer(bitumen) was OK last year all the way to the Kunawarritji turn off. We couldnt get fuel at Punmu as they had all gone walkabout. Not a soul in sight...just 20 camp dogs.

Kunawarritji to Gary Junction to Haasts Bluff turn off is OK(2005) with corrugations in places. You will need two permits to transit.

Haasts Bluff, Tylers Pass, Gosse Bluff, Hermannsburg, Boggy Hole, Ernest Giles Road, Stuart Hwy, Kulgera, Lambert Centre, Oodnadatta, Lyndhurst, Camerons Corner and back to the big smoke heading east.

Cheers

AnswerID: 235129

Follow Up By: Member - Willie , Epping .Syd. - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 18:45

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 18:45

Willem ,

Thanks for the info . It seems few of our members have been along here .

How long did it take you to drive Punmu to Papunya ? Where did you camp ?

Thanks ,

Willie .

FollowupID: 496161

Follow Up By: Willem - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 19:04

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 19:04

Willie

I didn't actually do the whole run to Papunya. From Punmu last year we struck out on to the Kidson and went west. In 2005 we came from a camp south of Ellery Creek Big Hole to WA/NT border camp, then spent time at Jupiter Well and then on from there to other places.

You can do the run from the Telfer turnoff to Haasts Bluff turnoff in 4 days.

1st camp 17km this side of Kunawarritji/Kidson Track intersection in sand quarry on left.

2nd Camp can be Jupiter Well

3rd Camp can be quarry hole on left 10km this side of WA/NT Border

Next camp can be somewhere near Tylers Pass and so on.

Cheers

FollowupID: 496168

Reply By: Member - vivien C (VIC) - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 19:00

Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 19:00

Willie,

We travelled on the Gary Junction Road in August last year. We left Redbank Gorge which is just west of Glen Helen and went via the Haasts Bluff road to Papunya then all the way across to the Telfer Mine.

We camped the first night about thirty kms west of the WA/Nt border in a flattened out area (old gravel pit) about a km off the road. There was a small range marked on the map here as Dover Hills. As we were travelling East to West the track to our camp was on the left side and led up through a grove of Desert Oak.

The second night we camped about ten kms west of Kunawarritji near a Repeater ... again on the left side of the road and surrounded by bushes so very sheltered from the road.

Third night we we camped beside Skull Springs Road near Eel Pool turn off.

As Willem said the road was quite good with areas of corrugation, sand and rocky patches. The main thing to look out for are the wash outs..which can stretch almost across the road in places. These are usually well marked by a star picket with a red cloth.

We stopped for fuel at Papunya and Kunawarritji and called in at Kiwurrkurra to see Len Beadells burnt out ration truck. We had a really enjoyable trip.

Viv

AnswerID: 235161