Gunbarrel Hwy Day 4 - Mingol Camp (Harry Johnson’s Water) to Mingkili Claypan

Monday, Jun 25, 2001 at 00:00

ExplorOz - David & Michelle

Day 4 - Monday 25/6/01
Start - Mingol Camp (Harry Johnson’s Water)
Stop - Mingkili Claypan
Trip Odometer - 227.2km
Stopped time - 1.56hrs
Moving average - 58.2km/hr
Moving time - 3.54hrs

Yesterday’s blowout needed to be removed from the rim and our spare rubber put onto that rim as our next spare wheel. The early sunrise, around 6am and a little baby wanting to get up meant that we were able to do our maintenance and lift camp by 10.15am. Leah screamed for a lot of this time however as she is teething quite ferociously. When we left home she had 4 teeth, 2 bottom and the top 2 “fangs” not the very front ones. But now we see the very front right coming down and the other cutting just after it.

We made Carnegie for an early lunch and refuelling stop. Our fuel consumption was as follows:

126L used between MeekatharraCarnegie (?kms).

Fuel at Carnegie was $1.30, which is actually cheaper than at the Warakurna Roadhouse in Giles, even though that is on the main road. Carnegie get their fuel from Geraldton however.

Pam at Carnegie told us that engineers are out surveying to re-route the Gunbarrel from Wiluna to Carnegie to avoid low lying areas and also that there is currently a native title grab on Carnegie and the surrounding area!

There were 3 other travellers at Carnegie when we arrived, but we haven’t seen one traveller on the road yet. All 3 had come from the east – west, and travelling in the opposite direction to us. Conditions reported from them were varied, as always, depending on the person’s frame of reference. For example, Pam told us the next 200km east of Carnegie is good going, however one of the groups told us that it had taken them 3hrs to cover just 100km. So, we just headed out to find out for ourselves.

The track definitely deteriorates immediately east of Carnegie but as Pam said it was pretty good and we were travelling at a constant 70 – 80km/hr.

Views of Mt William Lambert are great.

Arrived at Mingili Claypan quite late – just on sunset by the time we’d driven the diversion track around the flooded section and selected a camp. The claypan in flood is quite interesting with lots of rosellas, budgies and galahs again but most interesting were the red-legged swamp hens living in the flooded bushes along the track. Another very cold night but no mossies.
David (DM) & Michelle (MM)
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Always working not enough travelling!
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