Destinations > Canning Stock Route, Part 2

Our journey continues northwards on those horrible corrugations which persist across flat country until you reach Well 35. Here the desert oaks and sand dunes return and the going is much the same as before the flat plains of the previous 50km.

Well 35 has been flooded for several years now and may still be isolated, there are tracks around the flooded areas. You will be passing through magnificent forests of desert oaks but will also note many dead trees. These trees died following extensive flooding of the northern section of the Canning following a cyclone that passed over the Kimberley Region in 2001/02. It is a shame to see these stately trees that can survive such a harsh climate perishing due to too much water. It brought home to me that flooding in the Canning is a rare thing given the length of time it takes for these desert oaks to reach maturity. Death is something that is familiar to the CSR, near Well 37 are the graves of Thomson, Shoesmith, Chinaman and McLernon.

Between Well 39 and 40 you will cross the wide expanse of Lake Tobin, which is normally a dry clay pan. This provides a welcome relief from the pounding corrugations and rocking and rolling of the sand dunes and you will even see speeds up to 40kph as you glide across the clay pan bed of the lake. The crossing is nearly 3km long, but of course if there has been recent rain do not venture onto the lake bed, instead follow the deviations around its edge. Near Well 40 is the grave site of Michael Tobin who was a member of Canning's well construction party who was speared by a native during one of several confrontations that the early explorers experienced. I remembering remarking on one of my trips up the Canning that Tobin would never have expected so many people to visit what is such an isolated grave site. We placed some native flowers on his head stone and bowed our heads in respect.

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Another thing you will notice when travelling the CSR is the persistent wind, it can blow for days on end only dying down after 8pm. It tends to dry the skin and combined with the hot sun, even in winter we have experienced temperatures in the mid-thirties in the northern section of the CSR, sun and wind burn is common. Pity poor Canning's crew and the drovers who spent months on end in this wretched environment.

By now you will have been on the CSR for close to 15 days if you have followed my notes, and yet there is still a long way to go. This is what makes the Canning Stock Route such an epic 4WD journey, it is relentless, harsh and unforgiving. The corrugations seem to rattle everything in the vehicle, you are constantly tightening roof racks and checking suspension components and finding your larder spread throughout your storage boxes. I have seen wheel carriers fall off, rear differentials split with fatigue, side steps rattle off and battery carriers come adrift under the bonnet. On one of our trips even the rear stub axle parted company when its nuts worked loose and sheered off. Being able to bush weld is an important feature of any CSR trip.

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