Trip Report 2009 Days 1 – 7

Richard Kovac

Holiday
25th May – 7th June 2009 5385.7 km
Avg 7.15 Km/L
Cheapest Fuel $1.199/L @ Kewdale, Dearest $3.20/L @ Kunnawarritj
Avg. $1.7258/L
No damage to the Troopy
No flat tyres
No problems at all This was our first trip was without our dog Benny who’d died a month or so earlier. It was to cover the Hunt Oil Road, the Gary Highway, Gary Junction Road, Sandy Blight Junction Road and abandoned section of the Gunbarrel Highway.
Total water taken was 105litres and used a total of 65litres.

Day 1 – Monday May 25th.
Our first morning started off cold with a frost on the ground and clear skies overhead. We got up about 0700 and set off to get breakfast the bakery at Merredin. We didn’t rush and got to Coolgardie to fuel up at 1200 and got some lunch at the same time. We then headed up the highway and saw the usual road kill. Travelling between Menzies and Leonora we again spotted goats and again going out to Laverton. Arrived at Laverton at 1600 and the caravan park to set up camp within the 40mins and could then watch the sun setting between 1700 – 1730.

Laverton Caravan Park

Tyre pressure was front 40 and rear 50.
Richard made the HF radio sched for Perth so we’d finally had a drama free first day (for possibly the first time ever). That night we watched our first and last DVD for the trip.

Day 2 – Tuesday May 26th
Got up with the sun at 0630 to cold, clear skies (around 6°C) and got away from camp at 0800. Robyn had not replaced her batteries in the head light and it was very flat so we filled in time waiting for the shop to open to get AAA batteries. Headed out of town and lowered the tyres 10psi all round so they were now front 30 and rear 40 now we’d hit dirt – albeit wide open road dirt road.
Pulled in to Tjukayirla Roadhouse

to fuel up at 1330 and got some lunch at the same time. There was road works on the Great Central Road and along with a few rockholes and sights we saw camels and a few kangaroo’s.
Richards hip/knee was giving him some trouble but generally he was coping well, needing to get out periodically, to walk around.
We made camp (as in Mick O’s Blog) by a red low ridge about 18mk up the Hunt Oil Road.

The ridge was about 10ft high with many eroded “caves” that animals would normally utilise. This time we’d brought along a portable toilet and tried it out with success.
Richard made the HF sched.

Day 3 – Wednesday May 27th
Richard birthday saw us getting up at 0630 to clear skies (later turning to intermittent clouds) and a cool morning of 6°C. Reducing tyre pressure again a further 5psi on the front to 25 the rear remaining 40. We got off around 0800 and immediately saw camels and washouts with detours.

Road base is fairly good but surface varies between firm sand and small stones, some corrugation patches, dry spinifex and lots of dry creeks and gullies. As the spine fix increased we got out the home made shield for the radiator and did regular inspections under the vehicle. These inspections did not yield too much as there had obviously been two vehicles on the track at some recent point ahead of us.
We stopped for morning tea at the bore

and then around 1200 we got to the caves. We thought about going to the abandoned camp but the washouts were too deep at the commencement that we thought we’d cut our losses and not proceed. We had a look around the caves and got lunch ready to have. We travelled on and at 1500 made Mt Worsnop and then onto Alexander Springs.

It was a warm afternoon when we walked up to the springs that were unfortunately dry. The remains of a dead camel (a long time dead as no smell) was just below the springs so can only assume they had been dry for some time.

We headed back to junction of the road and turn off to Alexander Springs and set up camp for the night. At 1640 it was still 20°C. Toilet breather had leaked the cleaning solution and a branch had loosened one of the diesel jerry can lids (but didn’t loose fuel as we saw the wet patch around the mouth) but otherwise no ill effects from the road. Richards hip still holding up but giving Richard stabbing pains and he got through on the HF sched to give a progress report.

Day 4 – Thursday May 28th
Up again at 0630 to overcast skies and warmer morning (9°C at 0645). Set of at 0745 and at 0810 Richard spied a couple of caterpillar trains (processionary caterpillars) on the side of the road.

We got out to watch these curious creatures marching up the sides of the road. We then had a camel escort us up the road for a short time and then a bustard (or bush turkey)

did the same thing a short way later. 1015 we had morning tea at the potentially good campsite and at the Nissans burnt remains we learnt that the Williams clan travelled the Hunt Oil Road on the 22 may 09 (also from Perth). We got to Geraldton Bore at 1430 and set up camp. We’d also realised that day that the following Monday was a public holiday in WA so the planned stop for fuel would be closed. Richard tried to ring Kunnawarritj but got an answering machine. While the afternoon was still warm (22°C) and we had bore water available, Richard tried out the portable shower. Hanging some bits off the ladder and standing in a blue bowl we used to carry bulky items he had a shower and washed his hair which once becoming accustomed to the cool temperature was enjoyable. Robyn and already had a cloth wash so declined the offer of a shower. Lessons learned included not to stand so close to the Troopy.

About 1600 we saw a 70 Series Ute heading east on the Gunbarrel but didn’t stop. That evening Richard again made the sched but lightening could be seen clearly and plentifully in the east, the sched was not able to shed any light on the weather being a problem. The south/western sky was still clear and we practiced how to find south using the southern cross. A new moon rose to the north.

Day 5 – Friday May 29th
0630 saw the day warmer again then previous mornings, at 11°C and clear skies. Later there were high clouds and as the day progressed increasing amount of clouds prevailed. It became dark by 1700 because of the cloud cover with pink hues on the horizon to the west. Despite the overcast nature it was still warm being 23°C at 1630.
Richard’s leg gave him a hard time overnight. We headed out of camp at 0745 after Richard checked the weather with SA HF schedule. We got to Everard Junction at 0930 were Richard made a couple of HF calls.

DEC

One to DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) as they had a sign saying they were planning burns during May June 09 and ring them, getting through and getting an all clear, the other to Kunnawarritj and while he got through couldn’t manage to speak to anyone. we visited Charlies Knob and found the stone compass on the ground, not further on we met 2 vehicles heading south (QLD & VIC) they had seen rain in patches and road still had puddles on it but not enough for them to issue warnings. They were heading to Kalgoorlie to visit family before heading back east. There were 2 individual vehicles heading north ahead of us.
Road was initially stony til about 10-15km past Charlies Knob but then more compressed earth.

Around McPherson Pillar turn off there was big evidence of previous “bogs” and the area was muddy.

We made the turn off at 1500 and got to the Mulgan Rockhole at 1530 (this road was very rough & rocky) and then got to the Pillar at 1600. There was water in the Rockhole and camels nearby. Camped at McPhersons Pillar base and had a wonderful view of it, despite our concerns at the weather. After setting up camp we took a walk up to the pillar and saw rain clouds dropping rain to the north and clouds marble like overhead. Nothing we can do is wait and see what happens. We saw a “message in a bottle” hanging in the tree at the base of the pillar and we read a couple. Richard recognised one of the messages from an online correspondent “27/06/07 Allan & Jerry McCall left to visit Lake Blair & Alfred Marie Range”. Richard put the photos on the laptop and see saw where we’d been.

Sounds of rumbles occurred around us but it sounded more like a plane in flight path rather than thunder. After the HF sched we listened to the Carlton vs. Eagles game which Carlton won. 🙂

Day 6 – Saturday May 30th
The alarm had somehow been turned off so we rose at 0700 to a dense mist low over the country. Cloud lifted about 0830 but remained patchy throughout the day. Richard made the morning HF sched and again later that afternoon. We left camp at 0820 and got into a boggy section of road as we got out onto the Gary Hwy. It is noteworthy that about 10-15 km either side of the Pillar turnoff is a section of road that becomes slushy easily and should be driven with caution if there has been recent rain in the area. Lake Cohen was dry and we were relieved to find that area of road was fine and we made Eagle Hwy Junction at 1035. We saw a grey feral tabby cat running up the road and then crouched beside the road as we drove by. As we slowed down it took off through the spinifex. We found the rough camp marked on the map and it had several “rooms” to the camp. The area was a tree capped ridge either side spinifex plains.

We prepared lunch at McDougall’s Knoll (1245) where you drive up onto the knoll to the Trig marker. It would be possible to camp in ample area’s in the hinterland. Initially after McDougall’s Knoll the road was more rutted and slow but then opened back up into spinifex country some with many bushes and small trees. Many of these plants crowd the road and you find yourself in “avenues”. Flowers were out on most of the bushes but not masses on the ground. Some area’s of road showed evidence of ripples on the road, so the rain must have been enough to have run off. Animal life we saw that afternoon included the occasional camel, kangaroo and bustard.
1445 saw us at Windy corner were again there was an open area were people have obviously camped but very open. 1530 we reached the Tropic of Capricorn (both the real and Len’s marker a few meters to the north)

and soon after found an area suitable to make camp (1600). As we unpacked we realised the little aerial had been broken off, the large one we took off every day due to the plants overhanging the road. Setting up the tent we had the dew from the morning running off it.
We’d set up camp and it was getting dark (1745) when we heard a motor and we saw a set of headlights coming down the road. It was the 70 Series Ute (that passed us at Geraldton Bore) heading south.

He stopped to chat and was a geologist who had worked this broad area for over 30 years and was heading to Leinster for Monday. We broke the bad news that it was a public holiday Monday and while irritated (like we had been) he could take the trip a bit more slowly. He told us something of the area ahead of us and headed off into the dark. We listened to the footy again that evening.

Day 7 – Sunday May 31st
We awoke to a dense mist that finally became low level cloud about 1000. We got up at 0630 and broke camp at 0800 with the entire tent etc wet with dew.

We turned up the road the Patience Well and looked in on a rocky outcrop with caves at 0817 that would have been an ok for a camping spot and extended investigation would have been worthwhile (if time and weather permitted). There was a lot of evidence that animals used the caves (probably to get out of the “pea soup” mist).

The country side kept changing from rocky outcrops and caves, natural bridge

and good quality camping in those regions for large crowds, to dense trees and then more open country. We did an off road excursion, to where we believed Patience Well was, but upon heading into what looked like a dense tree line doubled back to the track fairly disappointed. Tyre tracks headed off into the scrub SE where the track turned more to the North and we assumed this had been the geologist we met last night. We however turned back to the Gary Hwy and got back to the junction at 1125. 55 mins up the road we turned off to Well Number 2. It was a pretty drive about 3 km up the road you pass through an avenue of wattle (very overgrown) but quite pretty all the same. This 47km stretch of track had some loose, soft sections but was otherwise in fairly good condition. Got there at 1140, made lunch and had a look around. No 2 Well was opened in 2000 and closed in November 2003 and was >4km in depth!!

The pump looked to still be there and had the plaque with information on it. There were still plenty of old drums, tins, cement blocks, and old rubbish tip, bits of old tanks and the Aerodrome had white tyres and tins in large drill rod thread protectors to light it up when needed. Worth the longish trip out we thought and headed back, making it to Gary Hwy again at 1457. We heard a couple of vehicles on the Gary Hwy as we were about to turn back onto it, but didn’t see them (only their tyre tracks). We thought we’d make camp at Veevers Crater and headed out missing a large lizard (most likely a monitor) in the grass off the track. This track had some large washaways that had be detoured and mostly grass with some low scrub.

Reached the crater at 1540 and it was ~70m across and 5 m deep. There was no where to camp there so after a hurried look we headed back to try to find a camp. Just prior to the Gary Hwy turn off there was a cluster of and nestled with them for the night.

Richards’s leg was very bad tonight but he did miss the lunchtime voltaren. We had been camping in an L shape with the tent off the side of the drivers side rear of the vehicle on the ground sheet tonight we tried another option. We put out the awning at the back of the Troopy and the ground sheet under it with tent in line with the end of the awning. Pro’s being easier to unpack (and under cover) and having clear access to both sides of the vehicle, con’s being awning in the road of gas bottles on the roof (had to use ladder up the side) and because we put the tent on the ground cover we were fairly close to the back of the Troopy and therefore a bit cramped. We took the table and chairs outside initially.
Sunset was at ~1700 and was 19°C and made the Sched at 1800. We took a 10L water bottle from under the floor to fill the blue water bottle and top up the 20L bottle.

Words by Robyn and Richard Kovac
Photos by Richard Kovac

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