Gunbarrel Highway 21-8-2013

[Big Red]

After doing the Canning Stock Route we were going to do the Gunbarrel Highway on the way home but Jeff had to wait in Wiluna for new shocks and I had to head for home for work so decided to head off on my own.
Sue and Jeff came along a few days later to pick up the pieces if needed.

Wednesday 21 Aug

I packed up camp at the Gunbarrel lagger campgrounds on the site of a failed vinyard about 12 km from Wiluna and headed in to Wiluna.




They haven't changed much over the years.


Jeff checked at the mechanics but the shocks were going to be a few days away so after restocking at the servo and checking over the Ute I said my goodbyes to Sue and Jeff and hit the road for Carnegie Station 353 Kms away.

[Big Red]

After travelling for some time I found a Children Crossing sign in the middle of nowhere but not a sign of a building or even a side track anywhere to be seen, no idea why they were there.


There was not much else to be seen either apart from a couple of windmills, a small lake, some more wildflowers and a rustic camp beside a waterhole at Mingal.

[Big Red]

I refuelled with 71 litres from the overhead Diesel tank at Carnegie Station then hit the Gunbarrel Highway towards Giles.

[Big Red]

The road was pretty good and I made good time with the terrain changing constantly.






I turned off to Mt Nossiter which has a low range steep track up to the top of the hill but is a bit too bushy to get any decent views and even if you do there's not much to look at.

[Big Red]

I continued on to “The Oval” which is just a small Claypan with a couple of goal posts jammed in the ground.




There was a pile of wood sitting there and since it was getting dark I set up camp as the Sun set and the Moon rose at the same time.




Somewhere in the middle of the night I was woken by a loud tinny clatter which went on for 20 minutes or so and turned out to be a 10 tonne truck and trailer full of empty drums which stopped for 20 minutes or so across the Claypan from me.
There was a lot of movement and talking over the engine noise then it reversed up, turned and shone the headlights my way then drove on into the distance with the rattle and clanging clearly audible for a good half hour afterwards.

[Big Red]

Thursday 22 August 2013

Next morning the Moon was setting as the Sun rose as I rolled up the swag and headed off.


I stopped at another track to the left and drove up to the top to find another lookout.
not much to see but I did spot a small cave hidden by the bushes which was unusual in that it had a pebble floor and no sign of people or animals using it.


I continued on passing a small truck for sale ... perhaps just relying on passing traffic for a sale was not the best option.


I drove past another temporary shallow lake.

[Big Red]

The Wildflowers were looking pretty similar to the Canning Stock Route.


and so were the corrugations.


There were a few abandoned trailers and cars along the way.


There are a few hand pumps spread across the Gunbarrel Highway [but not the Abandoned Gunbarrel Highway]

[Big Red]

Another wrecked trailer and several wrecked cars were passed.


Len Beadell made a lot of these signs but some where pinched so there are replicas in place and some of the originals are located at Giles weather station.


I passed some scenic hills along the way.


and more wildflowers

[Big Red]

The road was making a beeline for a larger than normal hill in the far distance.


As I got closer I could see something on top of Mt Beadell.


Len made quite a lot of desert tracks.


I drove up to the top of the hill and had a look at the memorial Stainless Steel Tripod.


there is a good view of the track i had just driven in on.


A large cairn also sits on top as well.

[Big Red]

Not far down the road I stopped at Beadell's camp to chat to the only other vehicle I had seen apart from the ghost truck.


Camels on the track.


More cairns.


More water pumps.


These pink trees are pretty rare to see.