Backtrack past Nifty Mine

Funny you should menrtion that Big W. I've been lost (I mean "geographically challenged" in 2006) on it and travelled it last year as an access route to our Yandagooge expedition. My blog from 17july08 covers the start of it. I have traced the entire route across to the Eastern most route that heads north from Christies Crossing towards Woodie Woodie on Google Earth. The .kmz files should be on your email about now.

Cheers Mick.

William,

Darren aka EO Member Bundy Boy is a road pilot and is up there as we speak. I know he has been up to nifty a few times in the last few months. He might be worth a mm.

Matt

Willem,

We attempted the track up past Nifty, about four or five years ago with a Murchison Safari's tagalong.

The operator said at the time, that he had obtained permission from Nifty to use the track.

Anyway we did not make it more than halway before the track became impassable due to flooding. It was during that winter when they had huge rains and Telfer was cut off for a month.

Willie.

Have a friend who is currently working on a road construction crew at Nifty as we speak. He is due back thursday, so will ask if he has any info that may be of benefit.

Mike W

Hi Willem

Been across there twice. Never had anyone ask what we were doing and there are no gates or barriers of any sort. The track is quite good (especially compared to the Rudall Road and the Canning). First time we used it as a short cut to get to Nullagine as one member of our party was going to need fuel at Nullagine as he was in a petrol Prado. We knew he wouldn't make the trip right up to Telfer and around to Marble Bar.

The last time was last year. The road has been used by exploration company drilling rigs and there are plenty of signs that drilling is taking place along a lot of it, so probably need to be aware that you could come across something bigger out there.

The centre section of the track has some great flora in season.

At the Nifty end, you come out onto a main gravel road where you turn left, that passes the airport. Then it's into the mine area, a left hand turn at the stop sign and you head out of the mine. Signage up tells you about the UHF channels and where everything is, or its just as easy to scan to hear the different parts of the mine working.

I do recall them asking you to drive with your headlights on in the mine area.

Nifty to Woodie Woodie is a big wide road that you would have no trouble passing oncoming trucks. Road becomes bitumen at Woodie Woodie for the short run up to the Skull Springs Road.

Hope that was helpful.

Okay,

May not be too much more info than what has already been posted, but here we go.

Skull Springs to Woody is pretty rough and wet at the moment, with a lot of rain recently. Many of the bitumen roads have also been closed.

Between Woody and Nifty is approx 45km of gravel road. Quite corrugated at the moment. It is a privae mine road so permission from either mine is required, however normally a phone call will suffice.

Mike