ALBANY 4WD CLUB TRIP CONNIE SUE, OLD GUNBARREL AND GUNBARREL HIGHWAY JULY – AUGUST 2015 Introduction The participants on this Club trip were led by Geoff and Anthea (Nissan Patrol) and accompanied by Robyn and Alan (Isuzu Dmax) and Dave in a Toyota Troopy. The planned route was: Esperance – Mt Ragged – Cocklebiddy – Rawlinna – Connie Sue Highway to Warburton – Old Gunbarrel to Warakuna – Great Central Road back to Warburton – Gunbarrel Highway to Wiluna then on the bitumen to Leonora. Leonora was the end of the Club trip. The Route. ! Day 1 20th July 2015 430 Km We gathered at Brooks Gardens car pack for a 9.00 am departure. After a quick photo opportunity we were on the road towards Esperance. Morning tea was taken at the Pallinup River and a cool windy lunch at Ravensthorpe. Our aim was to overnight at Quagi Beach campground. We arrive there about 4.00 and set up camp. A short exploratory stroll along a very soft beach with lots of birdlife. Awnings were extended before having nibblies under a threatening sky which was just as well as the heavens opened up just as we were gathering around the campfire after cleaning up after dinner. The rain sent us into our tents by 8.30. More rain and wind overnight! Day 2 314Km Despite a wet pack in the morning, we were on the road to Esperance by 9.15 with lots a dark cloud moving in from the South. Refueled in Esperance in the rain and continued on Fisheries Road to Condinup for a leg stretch, a pie and to check the road conditions to Mt Ragged. The advice was to take the Parmango Road as some folks had come through Mt Ragged with difficulty. We accepted the advice. The further north we went the drier the road became but the potholes still contained water. The road showed evidence of heavy use in the wet with quite deep ruts in places. Saw an Historic marker sign and decided to investigate. It was the abandoned Deralinda Homestead. The main building was partially restored with an iron roof and stone walls. There were two dams and some stone outbuildings. It was well worth the stop. Dave spotted an Australian Bustard on the road. Continued until about 3.30 when we spotted a good campsite with plenty of handy firewood about 30 Km south of Balladonia. Day 3 307 Km A very chilly night and frosty morning resulted in moving on about 9.15. We stopped at the Telegraph track intersection for a photo before continuing on to Balladonia. Here we pumped up our tyres, had a coffee and a look around the museum. Then onto Highway1 towards Cocklebiddy – first time for Geoff, Anthea and Dave, umpteenth for Al and Rob. We noticed a new mobile phone tower about halfway between Balladonia and Cocklebiddy with 5 bars reception.! Pulled up at the Caiguna Blowhole for lunch then onto Cocklebiddy for fuel and showers. As there had been rain on the Nullarbor, we were advised to take the track to Haig rather than the Rawlinna road. We did, heading east from Cocklebiddy before turning north. Opened and shut quite a few gates to start with but not much else - a few kangaroos, low saltbush, no trees. Not good for camping! Crossed the Dingo proof fence with cloud cover increasing. Al managed to hit a decent sized rock and punched a hole in the sidewall. Bugger! And a long way to go with only one spare! After changing the tyre we were looking for a campsite, no good looking for cover here, and found a clearish area close to the track. Our leftover wood from the telegraph track fed the fire. Day 4 168 Km A much warmer night, better sleep and easier pack up. Tyres pumped up to reduce the threat of sidewall damage. Grey skies, grey scenery and grey kangaroos on a rough limestone track with water filled potholes. A decent size group of shrubs presented a morning tea stop. A slow careful day dodging road hazards, ridges, washouts potholes and mud. About 4 km short of the railway line Anthea advised they may have a flat tyre. They did! Not quite as severe as yesterdays but it had to be changed. A short time later we made it to Haig (nothing to see) and proceeded a short way along the Trans Access Road toward Rawlinna before pulling up for lunch. Fairly well formed gravel road – bliss! Good run to Rawlinna, arriving about 3.30. Saw two eagles, a feral cat and some cattle. A quick windscreen tour of the settlement, many buildings vacant, a mine nearby ! probably shut, a couple of residents spotted. The derelict looking toilets near the station in good working order. Looked unsuccessfully for a protected campsite so we set up where others had. Fortuitously the wind dropped. The first train appeared from the west, two engines and double stacked containers. A nasty surprise right in the middle of tea preparation in the dark, a sudden gust of wind and a downpour! Major panic to keep everything dry and protected. The clay pan was now very muddy and it stuck to everything. Another train at about 8.10 pm just after the rain had cleared. The rest of the night was dry. Day 5 97 Kms A muddy if sunny morning. It took a while to sort out the mess but we managed to hit the Connie Sue at 9.15. Very stony, muddy, slippery flat treeless scene. 24.5 Km in 1.5 hours. We stopped for morning tea and found the first of many benchmarks alongside the track. We eventually reached the end of the Nullarbor after about 45 kms or so as we started to see some trees, a bit less wind but still plenty of stones. Drove into the abandoned station homestead at Premier Downs for lunch. We were watched by many cattle who came to drink at the water point. It was pretty isolated and desolate place so we could understand why it was abandoned. The track was becoming drier but no less stony. Here we saw our first traffic- 5 Victorian vehicles with 3 trailers (2 Tvans) and two tents. They have some interesting track in front of them! Found a campsite on the side of the road with some stones but plenty of handy firewood. A good calm, cold and dry night. Day 6 201 Km A cold, fine morning and e were on the road just after 9.00. Very rough and stony track to start the day – slow going. At the junction of the track and the formed road we came across a Ford Spectra Van on its side in the middle of the track. Nearby with campfire going was an Aboriginal family –man, wife,2 kids and 2 dogs. We were relieved that no-one was injured although the young boy had a bump on his head. A dressing soon fixed that and he was later spotted checking the dressing out in the side mirror! We helped get the van back on its wheels and tried to start it. Jumper leads, then new battery were unsuccessful as the starter motor refused to engage despite the tap hammer treatment. As it was an auto we couldn’t tow start it. The sat phone was used to contact a relative at the Tjuntjuntjarra community and organise a rescue. We topped up their water and saw that they were otherwise ok and as there was nothing else we could do, we moved on. Now on a better road, after 61Km we reached a roofed water tank. We took the opportunity to top up our water supplies with the rain water. The track became less stony and the vegetation gradually changed. More Desert Oaks, Sturt Desert Peas, and some lovely soft sandy stretches. At our lunch stop more flowers were evident; wattle, cassia, mauve daisies and occasional everlastings. On this stretch we saw one live and several dead camels. Spinifex appeared in the afternoon as we proceeded further north. We diverted 6 km off the road into the Neale Breakaways – very big and spectacular – great colours and mounds of very sharp stones in a big circular depression. As there was a camping area here we decided to stay the night. Scrounged enough wood for a good fire with an early camp on sand! ! Day 7 175 Km On the road a little earlier today as we get into the routine and the weather warms up. Anthea found a camp oven stand which we will put to good use. Fairly good run , few corrugations and the beginning of the sand dunes and a few different flowers. We reached Neale Junction about 10, checked out the survey markers, plaques and had a coffee. A great sandy track north (for a change) but lots of burnt out areas probably from lightning strikes. About an hour out from Neale Junction we caught up with a large convoy. It was the Harry Ferguson Tractor Club – 17 tractors and 22 Support vehicles. Luckily they were stopped on the side of the track for a cuppa so we were able to sneak through. They were on their way to Alice Springs! We were overtaken by two vehicles who were obviously in a hurry irrespective of the conditions. We did note a bit later as we were looking for a lunch spot and passed them, that a bonnet was up. We didn’t see them again. Shortly after lunch, having let some more air out of our tyres, we passed 2 more vehicles heading south.