Central Australia 23-8-2013

[Big Red]

Friday 23rd August

After completing the Canning Stock Route, Gunbarrel Hwy and Old Abandoned Gunbarrel Hwy I came out on the Great Central Road not far west of Warakuna and thinking i might get to see the weather balloon release at Giles Weather Station I hot footed it Eastward passing a Toyota that someone must have chucked out ...


I rocked up to Giles but the timing was all wrong to see the balloon release but they did have a room with lots of memorabilia and some interesting stuff outside so the side trip was well worth it ... especially since it was only about a Km from the Great Central Road

Len Beadells Grader


A big shoe


Blue Streak Rocket

[Big Red]

A painting from inside the memorabilia room


The station is surrounded by long grass and bush


The radar tower

[Big Red]

I had already done a bit over 1100Kms from Wiluna but reckoned I had enough fuel to get to Yulara so drove past Warakuna and hit the GCR again.

I left WA and hit the NT


Lots of these flowers alongside the road


The road was wide and dusty all the way until The Olgas came into view

[Big Red]

I still had 3 hours of daylight left so decided to do the 4 hour "Valley of the Winds" circuit walk through The Olgas.

[Big Red]

I made the walk in about 2 1/2 hours so as the sun dropped below the horizon I made it to Ayers Rock just before the light was completely gone.






I stayed the night at Yulara, was good to have a shower and eat at a restaurant for a change.

[Big Red]

Saturday 24th August

In the morning packed and pumped up the tyres again refuelling with 212 litres used since Carnegie.

On the Bitumen I passed Mt Connor in the distance.


I made my way up towards Alice Springs and turned off to Rainbow Valley for a look.

I walked right around the base of one of the ranges as it only looked like a small hill.
Turned out to takes a couple of hours and without water was a real bad idea, lesson learnt!

[Big Red]

I backtracked back to Stuarts Well and refuelled then heads west crossing the Ghan line and turned right for Chambers Pillar.












I made camp and took a few pics

[Big Red]

Sunday 25 August 2013
I took a few more pics as the sun came up and hit the road again.




The view from the new lookout with the pillar in the background ... couldn't resist adding the top stone to a cairn.

[Big Red]

I followed the Old Ghan Line with the worst corrugations of the whole trip so far.




I tried getting on the Finke Race Track for a while but the moguls and dips were just as annoying as the corrugation but the speed was far far far slower ... got me stuffed how the race cars go so fast on it.


I made it to Finke with everything still intact and prepared to hit the Desert.


continued to the Simpson Desert .... viewtopic.php?f=2&t=89&p=1203#p1203