Great Australian Bight

Submitted: Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 16:26
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Can anybody tell me which is the best road/track to take to access the coastline down from Eyre Higway west of the WAborder.ie Is it better from Cocklebiddy than Mundrabilla or Caiguna.Any help appreciated.
Nugget

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Reply By: Member - joc45 (WA) - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 19:52

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 19:52
Hi wB
There are heaps of tracks south off the Eyre highway to the coast. Depends on what you want to do/look at.
South of Caiguna will take you to the Baxter cliffs,
South of Cocklebiddy will take you to Twilight Cove,
South of Mundrabilla will take you to beach.
16km east of Cocklebiddy will take you to the Eyre telegraph station/Bird Observatory.
Plus lots more tracks.
MM me for more info.
cheers
Gerry
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Reply By: Member - w B (WA) - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 22:10

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 22:10
Have heard that some tracks are very rough.Wanting to spend a few days at a good camping spot where i can catch a fish and maybe a feed of abalone.Thanks for the response.
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Follow Up By: Member - joc45 (WA) - Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 01:42

Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 01:42
The country above the cliffs/escarpment (Madura to Balladonia) is pretty rough, flinty limestone and there can be rough patches interspersed with claypans. The country on the Roe Plains (east of Madura) is relatively smooth down to the coast; ie, few rocks but plenty of potholes. There are fishing camps on the coast west from Eucla to south of Madura. Red Rocks Point is the most western of these fishing camps. West of there, you'll need to get to the coast either via Eyre Bird Observatory, or from Cocklebiddy to Twilight Cove. All beach fishing. West of there, it's the 200 foot cliffs right thru to Point Culver. One used to be able to get down to the bottom of the cliffs at Toolinna Cove, but CALM/DEC removed all access down the cliff. Fishing is popular at the western end of the cliffs (Pt Culver), and you can access this off the highway east of Balladonia, and there's a nice camping spot in the higher dunes.
Not sure you'll get any abalone east of Israelite Bay (fishermen dive for the brownlip and greenlip abs), but have found Roe's abs around Cape Arid. Was out around Cape Arid a few weeks back, and the fishing was fairly lean, partly coz the SE wind was blowing our lines right back at us.
Drop me a line on
gezza90 at amnet dot net dot au
for Ozi waypoints and track files.
Gerry
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 02:05

Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 02:05
Hello Gerry

I have always been confused by the reference to the western end of the Baxter Cliffs as "Point Culver". All the maps I have (including those old ones you scanned) show it ~15km east of the "western end of the cliffs". The location where the Baxter Cliffs and Wylie Scarp join (where the beach ends) appears to have no official name. I have only ever been a few k's east past Wattle Camp in that area so no idea of true situation. May head down there later this year.

Cheers
Greg
I sent one final shout after him to stick to the track, to which he replied “All right,” That was the last ever seen of Gibson - E Giles 23 April 1874

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Follow Up By: Member - joc45 (WA) - Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 11:58

Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 11:58
Hi Greg,
Was out that way a few weeks back (well, Cape Arid, anyway) with my brother (he remembers your dad well).
Yeh, you're right, everyone seems to call Pt Culver the transition from cliffs to Wylie Scarp, even tho it's kms away. Prob, as you say, coz there's no name for the transition. Anyway, there's a nice spot amongst the dunes and banksias, tho it's on the track thru to the beach.
Previous trip we caught a 2kg flathead off the beach at the transition. Delish!
Still to get to Wattle Camp, the lakes were flooded on the trip 2 years ago.
BTW, do a google earth on the area just east of Wattle Camp, and you'll find a track heading nw all the way back to Balbinya! What was it used for?!!
cheers
Gerry
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 12:31

Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 12:31
Re track: no idea though maybe a short cut to the beach for whoever use to hang out at Bilbinya? I wish I had Google Earth back in Jan 2001 - I wallked all the way to Wylie Scarp and back through the bush (~15km) from the exact same salt lake that the track in question also crosses !!!

Cheers
Greg
I sent one final shout after him to stick to the track, to which he replied “All right,” That was the last ever seen of Gibson - E Giles 23 April 1874

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Follow Up By: Member - Captain (WA) - Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 13:36

Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 13:36
Thats disappointing to hear that you can no longer drive to the top :( I did this trip in 1995 and was hoping to do it again one day. Anyway, here is a writeup and pics of this trip that I posted in 1998, more than a bit out of date but hopefully you might get something out of it.
Writeup of Telegraph Trip

Cheers

Captain
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Follow Up By: Member - joc45 (WA) - Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 14:08

Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 14:08
Hi Captain,
Been a couple of years, but as far as I know, one can still drive from the beach to the top of Wylie Scarp just before the start of the western end of the cliffs; rubber matting has been laid on the track to assist up the sand dunes. Although water had washed a decent drop off the lower end of the matting. No problem for a Nissan tho' :-)
I think Greg was referring to a walk he did from Wattle Camp back to the scarp. Would have been hard work!
cheers
Gerry


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Follow Up By: Member - Captain (WA) - Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 14:37

Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 14:37
Hi Gerry,

Hey, thats great to hear you can still do the trip. Interesting to hear there is rubber matting there now, seems to be the way it goes around the SW.

Cheers

Captain
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Reply By: - mazcan - Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 16:05

Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 16:05
hi wb (wa)
www.dec.wa.gov.au
may help you cheers
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