Talawana Track, Windy Corner, Gary Highway, Sandy Blight Junction Road

Submitted: Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 00:43

ThreadID: 58318 Views:6269 Replies:4 FollowUps:9

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farmer112

Hi,
my name is Juergen, 4WD tourist from Germany. I currently plan a trip for September this year. I intend to travel on the Talawana track to Windy Corner, then continue north on the Gary Highway to Kunnawaritji, before turning west towards Kintore on the Gary Junction Road. From Kintore, I want to travel the Sandy Blight Junction Road to Docker River.

I am looking for information, how long the trip from Newman to Windy Corner via the Talawana track would normally be (how many days are required to do it) and in which condition the track is. Has anyone in the forum recently travelled the Talawana track to Windy Corner? Regrettably, there are no trek infos available for this track in the trek section of exploroz.com, nor for the Gary Highway and the Sandy Blight Junction Road.

What about the conditions on the Gary Highway north to Kunnawaritji? Problems with overgrowing spinnifex and corrugations or is it more comparable to the Gunbarrel highway?

I would also be glad to hear something about the current conditions on the Sandy Blight Junction Road.

Thanks a lot in advance for your help. Any information will be of great benefit to me.

Regards from bloody boring Dortmund/Germany (can't await to be in Oz again...),

Juergen

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Reply By: Member - Footloose - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 03:35

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 03:35

Hi Juergen, you might have to re think the Sandy Blight Track. AFAIK permits are not available for this track.

AnswerID: 307442

Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (SA) - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 08:01

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 08:01

Hi Footloose
The Sandy Blight Junction Road is one of those roads where the track is closed for no reason, then opened again. The present status is green lights go. I am taking 5 vehicles up there in 4 days time, all with the correct permits in hand. Mind you this was the longest section to get permits to be granted, taking about 3 weeks, which as you know is still not very long compared to some aboriginal permits.

Cheers

Stephen

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FollowupID: 573302

Follow Up By: Member - Footloose - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 10:11

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 10:11

Thanks for the heads up Steven, I appreciate it.

FollowupID: 573328

Follow Up By: Member - Footloose - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 10:40

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 10:40

Stephen, are you guys turning right or left when you get to the T junction ? I'm assuming that you're starting at the "bottom" ?

FollowupID: 573330

Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (SA) - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 13:03

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 13:03

Hi Footy.
I am giving my group a real magical mystery tour of that general area. From Giles, doing the Abandoned section of the Old Gunbarrel out to Mount Beadell, then back down the Heather Highway to Warburton and back up to Giles. From there the Sandy Blight Junction Road north to Kintore, then east back to Kings Canyon, then Boggy Hole.
I know what you mean about the permits. When last out that way years ago, tried to get permits to do the Sandy Blight Junction Road, but it was closed to all white people. When I found out that they were issuing permits again, I was not going to let it go by.

Cheers

Stephen

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FollowupID: 573341

Follow Up By: Member - Footloose - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 13:11

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 13:11

Hi Stephen, thanks for that mate. You will enjoy that trip.
I was told that the track didn't receive funding for maintanance on a regular basis so the council at Papunya simply closed it whenever they couldn't fix it.

FollowupID: 573342

Follow Up By: Member - Mick O (VIC) - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 17:51

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 17:51

Footy I was told the same thing but saw Steve's post last week. I applied and had the permits for the SBJT back in three days. Be there in Late July coming east down the Gary Junction and then south on the SBJT.

Cheers. Mick

''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
Richard Maurice - 1903

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Reply By: farmer112 - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 18:37

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 18:37

Hi mates,

thanks for your feedback! I will apply for the permits asap.

Greetings from bloody boring Dortmund/Germany,

Juergen

AnswerID: 307566

Follow Up By: Member - Mick O (VIC) - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 20:43

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 20:43

Have some info for you in respect to your intended routes, particularly around the Talawana and Gary. Bit too much to post. Can you post an email address and I will forward some info, travel estimates, gps co-ords for points of interest etc. I will be on the Gary, Eagle Canning, Jenkins, Gary Junction and Sandy blight Tracks/Highways in July and August (leave in 3 weeks). Here are the addresses for the permits required for the Sandy Blight.

www.cic.org.au
http://www.dia.wa.gov.au/Land/Entry-Permits/

Cheers. Mick

P.S. I thought Dortmund was a great place. Kurlsch Houses? (pardon my spelling) a bit of a fun and a monstrous hangover!

''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
Richard Maurice - 1903

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FollowupID: 573428

Follow Up By: farmer112 - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 21:44

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 21:44

Hi Mick,

thanks for your feedback. Sounds GREAT!

Here is my email account: farmer112@arcor.de

Thanks a lot in advance,

Juergen

PS: Yeah, Dortmund is quite ok, but it's just boring, compared to these fantastic outback tracks in Oz. So the 101 days til my next trip feel like a bloody eternity...

FollowupID: 573456

Reply By: heldus - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 20:52

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 20:52

Juergen,

these bloody German tourists are everywhere, even in the deepest outback and I´m sure it doesn´t last a while and they invate the Vic High Country. LOL

Helga

AnswerID: 307591

Follow Up By: farmer112 - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 21:46

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 21:46

Hi Helga,

in fact, I am just thinking over visiting the Vic High Country later this year. ;-)

Another bloody Gerry invasion!

Cheers,

Juergen

FollowupID: 573458

Reply By: equinox - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 22:30

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 22:30

Hi Juergen,

I almost did the complete Talawana last year from Newman to Windy Corner. The only bit I didn't do was the 57 kilometre section between the southern access tracks into Rudall River National Park.

The total time to drive was 14 hours 57 minutes for a total of 600 kilometres. My average speed near the 57 kilometre section I didn't do was about 24 kilometres per hour. At that speed I should have done it in 2 hours 22 minutes.

Therefore had I done the complete section (Newman to Windy Corner) as per your request, I believe I could have done the 657 kilometres in 17 hours 19 minutes.

This is not taking into account stopping or sightseeing.

Cheers
Alan