SA/WA Border Region

Hmmm - what route are you planning North from Eucla..?. that is hellish country up there, and whilst following the border sounds like a great idea, and there appear to be a lot of tracks there, the country is hellishly slow, the mulga falls and grows over the track really easily - one minute you're in sand, next you're in the carst... That is why all the routes taken by the locals are west or east of the border.

Even on a bike I reckon you'd be doing 50km a day as the crow flies and 200km in actual distance.

Just a caveat - If its just two of you on bikes, I'd have serious concerns of you being able to carry sufficient water and fuel. Theres no water out there, unless you deviate west to the the WA tanks on the Anne Beadell, or the shed tanks on the Cook Road about 100k south of Voakes Hill. And theres no one out there to provide help.

Only chance for fuel would be to deviate to Ilurka (?sp) roadhouse on the Anne Beadell.

Any information on a road... um track north from 29 34 41.04S 128 53 30.31E ?

I had made a note of it, but can barely see something on Google Earth - have no idea where it goes (or went).

There is also the road north from Ilkurlka... you can get approvals for that road and I have been told it is in pretty good condition by the locals who seem to be using it.

Call up Ilkurlka - they should be able to tell you.

I can ask around when I'm up there week after next.

Gday Andrew,
I haven't been out there. But it features on the Hema SW map.
I'll attempt to paste an image here from my members gallery, but its not working at present
or


Also, I'm still having a read of the DMP for Mumungari, so will email you in the next couple of days

Cheers

The Ilkurlka road north brings you out at Pipalyatjara - somebody here did it recently... I will put my mind to thinking who.

From what I understand it is graded and all - or has been lately.

That is a fair way west of the border and Wingellina... why Wingellina?

Cheers
Andrew.

The whole point of the project is raise money for the Childhood Cancer Association by doing a 'Lap of South Australia' That means following the borders and coast as closely as possible.
We're well aware of the potential difficulties and are making every effort to gain as much knowledge about the country we're travelling through as possible before we go in May next year.
It seems the only people that think it's not possible are those who don't live in the area. I've made some great contact both in W.A. and the APY Lands, all of whom are very supportive and don't think it's in any way impossible. When the people in the area tell me it's not a good idea, that's when I'll reconsider. :-)
So I guess I just need to make my mind up who to believe.
I think you might also be surprised at how much more quickly and easily a bike can cover ground as opposed to a 4X4.
We simply had to come up with a project that was interesting, to make it attractive to sponsors etc. And this is what we have come up with.
We already having backing from some pretty major sponsors including a motorcycle manufacturer to supply bikes etc so I have every confidence that we will be successful. And even if we're not, we'll still raise some much needed funds for a very deserving charity. :-)

I do spend a lot of time with the locals out there Tony, and have driven up the "border tracks" to the transcontinental line in a 4x4.

I don't ride bikes ;-)

The people in the area will never tell you anything's a bad idea. They only ever think you're craaazy and don't say it ;-) They call it manta milmil - country (manta) that is dangerous, sacred and forbidden (milmil). As far as I am aware you won't find them travelling out there except on the Oak-Valley - Tjunjuntjara road and if travelling North, usually from Cook or Rawlinna. Ask them where they go or where they have been out there. When I took a mob of them out there recently I was showing them things they hadn't seen.

For all that, I can't see that it's not feasible up to the Anne Beadell. It may be that the track that I mentioned near the border does continue North, but I've not been there. Certainly North from Ilkurlka should be feasible from all I've heard.

If you want some contacts at Oak Valley let me know (Andrew@vividadventures.com.au) - I look forward to following your progress.

Cheers
Andrew.