Mon, 7th May, 2018 Well 18, CSR to Georgia Bore, cnr CSR & Talawana Track, WA (exploring CSR)

6.30am 13.5 degrees, still and clear sky. Lovely sunrise over the sand ridge.

It warms up quickly once the sun is up. By 6.40am it was 15.5 degrees.

Steve found this interesting ‘tomato-looking’ thing near our camp. It has some nasty spikes.

Packed up and headed back onto the CSR. Straight up and over our first ridge for the morning and it was a double one. Nice view from the other side looking towards Terrace Hill where Onegunyah Rockhole is (near the south west end of Lake Disappointment). A bustard flew out of the grass as we drove by.

Onegunya Rock Hole – Terrace Hill

Canning named this feature because of the peculiar rock terraces found on the hillside above the rock hole.

Through the grassy track to the base of Terrace Hill and a short walk through the grass to the Rockhole. I changed back into long pants this time – no more scratchy legs for me.

Just as we came up to the rockhole an owl and a heap of little finches flew out of the tree. Luckily the owl just went to a tree above and sat their patiently while I took a photo. Some of the finches settled for a moment for a photo too.

Not much water in the rockhole but enough to keep the finches, hornets and bees happy. And by the looks of the dung around here, the camels are happy too.

Found some art under an overhang to the right. There was a cave too but no paintings in there.

I found a snake skin – no snake in sight which was good.

We climbed up Terrace Hill, not very high but it gives a good view back across the flat plain to Diebil Hills. Then around to a sand ridge – beyond that is Lake Disappointment. Over the rest of the rocky hill.

Back at the truck I found a camel pad impression – big hoof.

Back out to the CSR. After we crested another sand ridge I took a photo of the northern side – doesn’t seem as much vegetation on this side.

Two camels were beside the road and stood there for a photo then as they wandered off I took a video of them. There were about 20 further over on the right.

Pulled up to check out a dead Mitsubishi just before a sand ridge. It is now a place for notes from travellers!

I climbed up the sand ridge to take a video of Steve coming up. Made it look easy – as Steve says it was for his trusty Nissan.

I found some animal prints at the top – dingo and goanna.

Nice view from the top of that ridge and we can see across to Lake Disappointment in the far distance.

Continued on alternating between sandy than rocky ground. Lots of the ridges have corners at the top and then a curve bit at the start and end which makes them more interesting to ascend. We came in closer to the western edge of the lake so a lot more salt pans.

Drove through a grove of desert oaks and then it felt we were in an avenue of them as we ran along the edge of a ridge.

Around and then across a large salt pan. The washing is getting a good tumble on the back of the truck.

Stopped at the Tropic of Capricorn for a photo – I got the GPS exactly on the Hema.

Steve reckons it is time to strip off now we are in the ‘Tropics’ – oh no.

Around the edge of another salt pan to Well 19.

Well 19 – Kunanaggi (13 feet, 4m)

This was the first well given an Aboriginal name by Canning although other springs, Biella, Durba and Diebil had been given local names. A steel wagon tyre is all that remains of a wagon abandoned by George Williams in 1938. He had been attempting to take a load of stores from Wiluna to Billiluna.

No sign of the wagon tyre now – would have rusted away in all the salt. The water is not very nice either – it is red. The old trough is still there in the grass.

Went for a walk across the salt pan as someone had recently driven across and by the looks of it, got a bit stuck. They had another go and got across.

We followed the track around the salt pan and over a sand ridge to the other side. Saw their wheel tracks coming out of the salt pan.

The sun is quite hot in the later afternoon. I ended up with one very dark arm on that side compared to the right arm so I cut up one of the long sleeve shirts Steve had to make two arm covers. Putting this one to good use at the moment.

Another dead trailer – glad we didn’t bring on. Steve saw the toilet seat in the back so set it up for anyone with an emergency!!

Back on the road again – mainly doing 20 to 30kph. Crossed over some rolling sand ridges so took a video to show the boys what it is like.

A dead fuel tank this time beside a pushed over tree – wonder where the car is?

The next ridge had a lot of whoopy-doos on the climb up so Steve had a look to see if he could run up the side of it. Took a video of going up that one. He backed off near the top as we were getting a good bump along in 2^nd gear so we backed up and then had another go in 1^st gear high range and it was all good.

Found a nice resting place for yet another trailer. 2015 going by the dates left on it from other travellers.

We have noticed a lot of bigger ant hills around these wetter/salt pan areas.

Found Savory Creek and it had water in it.

Savory Creek

Named by Canning in 1904 after Bob Savory, the leasee of a station near Newman. Savory had supplied provisions for Canning’s survey of the Rabbit Proof Fence. 

Further down was the crossing which was easy enough even though it appears a bit boggy at first. Took a video of that too.

Continued along the left side of the creek as it wound its way to Lake Disappointment. The creek seems to get deeper as we continued along.

We went as far as we could and parked up to have lunch. Nice view. It was 32 degrees in the shade with some wispy clouds coming over.

I checked out the water quality – very, very salty.

Walked around the corner a bit for a view over a very small section of the lake – not sure if that is an island out there beside the creek – then around and back up the creek.

After lunch Steve checked under the truck for excess spinifex and usual routine check.

We continued along the track and as we crested a small rise we had another great view over the area we were just at and I zoomed in to what seemed like an endless horizon.

Back on the sandy track again for another 10km to another turn off back towards the edge of Lake Disappointment. It covers a huge area but I don’t know the actual size.

 Panned around, zooming in on the ‘islands’ further out.

Lake Disappointment

This lake was named in 1897 by Frank Hann who, after following the direction of creeks in the area, expected to find a large freshwater lake.

Back onto the CSR track for a bit then we turned off for a 10km (half hour) drive to Well 20. We are travelling parallel with the sand ridges rather than crossing over them now. Crossing and going around lots of salt pans.

Well 20 – Wangutju (18 feet, 5.5m)

Wells 19 to 25, with the exception of Well 24, are all on the extreme western edge of the stock route. This is because stock feed was very poor to the west and much better to the east of each of these wells. In 1955 Jack Gordon became very ill just before reaching Well 20 and was unable to water his mob of 500 head. Almost half of the mob died of thirst before Jack was well enough to draw water for the stock.

Luckily we didn’t find any bones! Took some photos than the half hour drive back out to the main track again.

Lots of big anthills around here and they are all kinds of shapes.

Steve (the tracker) had noticed we were following someone towing a big log – for quite a while too. Eventually it went up the hill to a nice camp spot overlooking another part of Lake Disappointment. Sadly they had left their log smouldering so Steve got down the shovel and covered it in sand. We had a cuppa overlooking the lake.

Continued on around the lake and came to a sign – put in for the Bicentenary in 1988. It is the last view for us of the lake before we climb over another sand ridge.

Passed a few dry salt pans.

Ran alongside one of the sand ridges till we crossed it then into the next flat area to run along parallel with another ridge till we crossed it on a low section. Lots of winding around sand ridges. Steve reckons if Canning had just gone straight and up and down the ridges it would cut the trip in half!! He is having ‘big climb’ withdrawals as we are just going over low parts. We can see another range in the distance – probably McKay Range looking at my map.

Crossed over a salt pan with lots of salt in the gutters left by others when they have gotten bogged.

Spotted a big gas bottle hiding in the bush – really!!

Nice flat area around a salt pan – Steve gave the old girl a blast and got her up to 55kph in 4^th gear – well for a minute or so!

Up another ridge and over the top into a dip between the two ridges where we spotted two bustards who didn’t fly away for a change so I managed a couple of photos.

I spotted some smoke to the west in the distance – shouldn’t worry us.

We came to a Y intersection – track around the edge of a large salt pan or up the sand ridge. Steve chose the ridge and we were the first ones on it this year. I didn’t get a photo but took a video of it instead.

Running alongside another ridge we spotted a dead camel right beside the road. Obviously had only just been killed so Steve got out to take a couple of photos of its hoofs etc. There were bare footprints around it so must have been killed by some locals or the Rangers who are trying to eradicate them. They might be feral but it is still sad. Steve said its foot pads are soft and the fur was firm and coarse though softer at the top. We asked someone about how to make better use of them but they said when they were rounding them up to sell to the Arabs they would get a heap but the Arabs would only buy one or two which didn’t make it viable. Apparently these ones don’t have the diseases the Arab ones have to they just get a couple to use as breeding stock.

Back into the gum trees rather than the desert oaks now as we near Well 21. There is a big hole in the ground but you can see the well below and some of the timber framing etc.

Well 21 (51 feet, 15.5m)

Water in this well was never of very good quality. The direct track from Well 21 to 22 was built in 1988. Somewhere on the stock route, possibly at a location like this, Wally Dowling fell and broke his leg while trying to turn a mob of rushing cattle. Many of the cattle that rushed were lost in the desert. Some considerable time later cattle from this mob were found on Henbury Station near the Stuart Highway south of Alice Springs. They were sold under the TA Doman brand in Adelaide. Stock are known to have walked 500 km, without water, along the sand dune corridors of the Simpson Desert but this trek of over 800 km, without any physical feature to keep stock travelling in a straight line, and also without any regular water sources, must rate as a remarkable feat. (In good seasons stock are able to survive from the moisture contained in succulent bushes such as the native parakeelya.)

The Death of Stephen Grace

In 1907, a party of four men known as the Kirkpatrick Prospecting Party camped at Gunanya Spring, north of the present site of Well 21. During the night of August 24, they were attacked by Aborigines who speared Grace in the chest and Kinkaid Phillips in the shoulder. Neither was badly wounded. Robert and William Kirkpatrick doctored the two wounded men and the party set out along the Rabbit Proof Fence towards Wiluna. Following Canning’s survey map of the fence line they were able to find soaks and wells. However one section of 110 miles (177 km) without water caused much hardship. Stephen Grace became progressively weaker and although he eventually received some medical care on the track south of Lake Nabberu, he died on October 10, 1907.

Further along we came to a cross road for what appears to be a mine haul road. They have come across the top of the ridge and laid clay base over it so it sets hard so they can get their machinery in.

We spotted a ute with a few locals in the distance so that is probably who killed the camel.

All this area was burnt and all the new growth is coming back but it leaves the burnt branches hard when they whip down the side of the truck.

Further along the flat we spotted about 15 camels so I told them to run to the hills!! Took a video of them trotting along. I keep commenting that we haven’t seen any kangaroos – maybe they aren’t in this area or have they all been hunted out!

Zipping along the flats as the track is good at the moment – getting up to 35-40kph. It is a bit corrugated so good to get up on top of them. A flock of budgies zoomed by us – boy they go fast. Like all those little birds that like to dice with death and fly in front of the truck.

The sun is sinking into the west as we head around to Well 22. We noticed on the map that the track goes north up to Georgia Bore which isn’t one of Cannings. Well 23 is further to the east and the track I presume would have originally gone that way but when Beadell put through the Talawana Track in 1963 they might have change the direction of the CSR to use that road instead – will have to investigate that.

Made it to Well 22 through black sooty sand which coated the back of the track. Again another hole in the ground but this time no water and only a bit of the trough left in the grass.

Well 22 (53 feet, 16.2m)

This well was in ruins when Snell arrived in 1929. It was also in ruins in 1954 when a party led by George Lanagan drove three 4WD vehicles from Wiluna along station tracks to Talawana then across the desert (before the Talawana Track was built) to Well 22. The well was completed dug out and a circular galvanised corrugated iron liner put down about 11 metres to the rock. This reconditioning was necessary so that Doman cattle could continue to use the stock route. After their return to Wiluna, Miss Margaret Doman, who was in charge of all the Doman properties, was contacted by Len Brown who was bringing down a mob from Billiluna (pedal radios had been used on the stock route for some time). Miss Doman drove George Lanagan and Dennis Booker to Well 22 to take the cattle on to Wiluna. Len Brown and an Aboriginal stockman returned to Perth. Miss Doman is believed to be the only woman to drive across the desert to Well 22 prior to the Talawana Track being built.

Someone left their fuel drum by the track!

Lovely after sunset colours.

A sand ridge to one side with the two types of trees.

One of the gums had fallen over so Steve chopped it up for firewood before we headed off to find Georgia Bore. Unfortunately darkness has descended on us again so the last 9kms is in the dark. Also the nice flat track has gone and we are climbing in and out of what feels like a creek – or just the track all eroded, so it was a slow trip in the camp area.

There is a bore and toilet block and a few areas of cleared grass with fire pits to camp in so we found a spot and set up. Too late for a camp photo – will do that in the morning. No one else around again!! We have got set up down to a fine art now and it wasn’t long before we settled down for a drink under the blanket of stars. I can sit and stare at the stars for ages – trying to find satellites as well – while Steve can just dream away looking at the fire.

Played a few games of Skipbo and I had better mention that Steve won!! Steve got lots of water from the bore (after he evicted the frogs) and we had long showers.

Map of this section of our trip. I had forgotten to take a photo of the map for the past sections which I had already uploaded so went back and added them in.