Update on some Pilbara Roads

Submitted: Thursday, Oct 13, 2011 at 20:50
ThreadID: 89540 Views:3267 Replies:1 FollowUps:7
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Firstly,thanks exploroz for having me as a new member,been a visitor for a while,so here goes my first thread.(as a member) Just returned from an eleven day trip down to the Pilbara,any one travelling this area may be interested in the condition of some of the dirt roads I have just travelled on.

Boreline Road off Gt.Nthn Highway-Excellent,graded with extensive re-sheeting.
Muccan/Shay Gap road-excellent,all graded.
Warrawagine to Marble bar road,very good,graders on the road,lots of road trains though.
Marble Bar road to Nullagine,very good despite what the the signs say.
Nullagine to Newman,again very good despite what the signs say.
Jigalong / Balfour Downs road,very good,all graded.
Talawana Track (and by now beyond the Rudall turnoff and on the way to Parnngurr),all freshly graded.
North/South road through Rudall has had a bit of a grade in the recent past,but those that know it (this was my first trip) it varies from ok to stoney to sandy to boggy etc.etc.
DQB road is slow,got in ok with camper trailer.(still plenty of water in the pools)
Tjingkulatjatjarra road is slow,again got in ok with camper trailer.(still a good amount of water in the pool)
Road north to Telfer,very good,again recently graded
Telfer back to Woodie Woodie turnoff,very good,graders on the road.
Track in to upper Carawine,slow going but got in ok with camper trailer.
Oakover river is still running,great camp spot for a couple of days.
All up travelled 2667km and had a great time.
Hope this information is of some use to those travelling this area.
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Reply By: Mick O - Thursday, Oct 13, 2011 at 21:17

Thursday, Oct 13, 2011 at 21:17
KB,

mate welcome aboard and thanks for the track updates. I'm jealous that you've been into Rudall of course. First time in six years I haven't made it back to that neck of the woods. Would be really keen to know hoe Rudall was looking after a year of heavy Rains. 3 Goanna's pool (the main pool at the mouth of the DQB gorge), was it up to the brim (no black high water marks showing). How is the spinifex regenerating around DQB? Did you see many Camels in the park?

Hope to get back for a month or so in 2012. It is a truly amazing place.

Thanks again KB.

Mick

(P.S. would you mind updating the track info in the Road Conditions area of the EO site. Cheers. )
''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
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Follow Up By: Member - kimberleybloke - Thursday, Oct 13, 2011 at 21:50

Thursday, Oct 13, 2011 at 21:50
G'day Mick,thanks for the welcome,the main pool is showing the black high water mark,water level is about half a meter down,saw the three goanna's up on the rock,further up the gorge still had to swim three pools to get to the top of the range.Spinifex is looking very good throughout the whole area.The only camels I saw where dead,looks like they had been culled from the air,but during a bit of bush walking during the day in various areas of the park came across plenty of tracks of camels,donkey's,dingo's,roos etc.Overall I would have to say the park looks very good,no evidence of any fires,(yet).Weather was still very pleasant while I was there,but the heat is not far away I feel.

KB
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Follow Up By: watery - Thursday, Oct 13, 2011 at 22:34

Thursday, Oct 13, 2011 at 22:34
Just been out that way myself last week, the country certailntly looks good, all the roads are excellent, apart from the Kidson from Lake Auld to the Eighty Mile Beach, a lot of overgrown bush, except plenty of scratches. We took a day and a half to do that section, plenty of live camels just NW of Lake Auld, thanks Mick for your pevious imformation, Cheers Peter.
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Follow Up By: Diesel 'n Dust - Thursday, Oct 13, 2011 at 23:31

Thursday, Oct 13, 2011 at 23:31
Now that's the Spirit KimberleyBloke!!

I should do an update on the some of the roads around the Fortescue River/ Marsh.

I'll do it tomorrow I need beer after today's work!

cheers

Matthew Clements
I just love the Pilbara!
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Follow Up By: B1B2 - Friday, Oct 14, 2011 at 07:42

Friday, Oct 14, 2011 at 07:42
Kimberley bloke and D & D,
Speaking of beer, has the iron Clad Hotel reopened in Marble Bar. It was a dry argument last year:-((

Cheers,
Bill
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Follow Up By: Dan - Yal - Friday, Oct 14, 2011 at 08:24

Friday, Oct 14, 2011 at 08:24
B1B2
I havent been to Marble Bar since race round a few months ago, but the Ironclad was definitely open for business that night!!

Dan
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Friday, Oct 14, 2011 at 10:19

Friday, Oct 14, 2011 at 10:19
KB, Peter and Matt,

it'd be great if you could add a bit of info to the track conditions section. It's a great resource and I notice it's been pretty under-used of late. Considering just how many of us are out and about these days, we've got a wealth of information that's going to waste.

Pete glad you enjoyed the Kidson. It’s a great run. I hope you had the Scratchpro on lol. How were the bores looking out that way? Was Razorblade still operating and producing good water? The entries for these locations in the "Places" sections here on EO are also updateable and a great resource as they link to the trek notes for each track.

Great to see everyone did some great trips this year. Fairly pedestrian for me in 2011 so hopefully 2012 will see me over west again.

Get to updating things you blokes.

Mick
''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
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Follow Up By: dieseltojo - Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 12:32

Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 12:32
KB ,
That's not a yabbie, mate that's a baby crock!!!
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