This follows an earlier thread on Kidson and gives conditions in June 2007. It’s long –but I hope it suits.
We travelled solo from Sandfire Roadhouse on the Great Northern Road near 80 Mile Beach to
Newman along the Kidson, to Kunawatjiri, then Canning SR, and Tallawanna track.
Distances, Fuel and Supplies. Sandfire to Kunawatjiri (the next settlement and diesel supply) is 660km. More distant diesel supplies are at Capricorn RH petrol and diesel fuel dump (approx 930km) and Cotton Creek (diesel) (approx 1070km). Travellers planning enroute refuel should
check fuel supply points before travel and if Capricorn fuel dump is to be used, book fuel when at planning stage. We arranged fuel resupply (if needed) at Punmu, Kunawatjiri and Cotton Creek by phone when in
Broome two days earlier. Very agreeable and simple. Very basic food supplies were available at Kunawatjiri.
We filled at Sandfire RH including two jerry cans - giving a total of 220lts or maybe 1350-1450km in the Troopy with no trailer.
Temps. There was no winter to speak of this year June-July – only one morning below 5 degrees. Days generally in mid to high 30s. So flies a plenty and just a few mozzies.
Entry Point. The Western entry to the Kidson is 44km south of Sandfire and 1.4km north of the 80 Mile Beach Camping Ground turn-off. A radio
beacon marks the entry – no sign. Just a
gate and an untidy track – ie few indicators of recent travellers. The road here is flat with occasional dips.
Camping. Camping spots are plentiful and easily found: on the gibber, near several rocky knolls, on several of the large sand dunes, on the road itself and at three bores. Two bores were operational - good water and showers (ie it was windy). Our choice
places were the large rocky knoll at 237km from track start (
pic),
Razor Blade bore (
pic) 409km, the
bore near the Punmu turnoff (
pic) 512km (this has no real
camp site). Others may
well like the
views and camping on the occasional sand dunes (approx 280-320km from start).
Driving. The trip to Kunawatjiri can be done in two days if no punctures and no camera. But maybe you’ll come
home with damage too. We took a lazy six days. Driving conditions are generally easy on red dirt, sand and gibber in the north/west (pics). In the west, before the sand dunes, there are many short scratchy sections where sometimes the scrub on each side interlaces (
pic). Washouts are sometimes 60-90cm deep and required some road building and off track driving (
pic). There are several diversions some of which are faint and occasionally overgrown. There are occasional
long flat stretches of deep sand requiring 4WD.
The sand dunes themselves are easy driving. From memory they are clay-topped. The Hema map warns of washouts on one side of the dunes. If you travel fast, be warned. The washouts are now on BOTH sides; they are deep and they run down and across the track. At low speed they are of no concern.
Spinifex is a serious consideration. It gathers under the vehicle (
pic) and requires checking and removal if the grass is high. The seed will get into the radiator fins and is impossible to remove by any means other than radiator removal. Do not rely on a single flyscreen to protect against this.
At the Percival lakes chain of claypans the track is forced to take a southerly course. This area was dry and easy going - but clearly would be difficult/impassable when wet.
Past the Punmu turn-off, the 109 km of road to Kunawatjiri is flat and smooth highway. The CSR is 4km beyond Kunawatjiri.
Wildlife. Expect to see geckos (especially in the cup at the Moriaty memorial) (
pic), perhaps ridge-backed monitors (I found a pair hibernating near one of the bores) (
pic), camels (regular escort service –whether you are lost or not), dingoes, and of course finches, budgies and our favourite - the butcher birds.
Kunawatjiri. The store is small and carries few supplies. We bought 3 years old frozen bread, cereal, biscuits and a kit of tube patches with glue. (This kit was poor quality – but needed due to several repairs.). Brian Kelly ran the store. Had been in the area some 28 years.. Told of his fight to get proper water supplies along the track after the loss of a family out there. Eventually govt agreed to bores and windmills – but there was a tardy response from finance/Army who started the project late – ie Spring. It ran into early summer before the project was abandoned.
Side trip. We travelled the Gwenneth Lakes track (turn off 386km from start) for just 14 km to the first windmill. We were the first to travel this track since it last rained – so probably 2006. The track entry has a marker (
pic). The track is quite easily seen, but severely overgrown with very high spinifex and dense scrub sections. Track
clearing was necessary when we could not find or make a diversion. The windmill is said to be evidence of the abandoned govt project referred to earlier. The corroding galvanised tank sheeting and reinforcing iron lie in wire-tied bundles beside the erected mill (pics).
In all this was a great trip. We saw no other people. A real sense of adventure since we had done no research. Did not refuel at Kunawatjiri, but pushed on to the Tallawanna – another story here!
Any comments/questions welcome
Cheers
Chris