Destinations > Canning Stock Route, Part 1

Approximately 12km past Well 14 there is another climbing opportunity with a short 50m climb up a rocky outcrop proving much easier than Inglebong Hills, and whilst it does not have the same fascinating rock strata the views are excellent. After the strenuous activity you'll be pleased to take a break at Well 15 where you once again can collect good water. Remember some of these watering spots whilst being good one year can be less than attractive the next. The last time I stopped at Well 15 it was full of water but it also carried a healthy colony of over a thousand frogs, we declined the opportunity to replenish our water here on this occasion. There is also a memorial nearby to Edward Wilkins who was killed in 1936 by aborigines, not all that long ago.

One of the striking things you will notice along the Canning is the abundance of wildflowers with colourful grevilleas, hakeas and a myriad of flowering ground covers striking a dramatic contrast to the deep red sand. Naturally the amount of wildflowers will depend on the last rains, but I have rarely seen the western deserts without a fantastic collection of wildflowers. The other points of interest to note are the abandoned items along the track, carts that were pulled by ambitious people, motorbikes broken and burnt out, and even 4WDs that succumbed to the ever present danger of fire caused by the collection of spinifex around hot exhausts. If you are travelling early in the season and there is a lot of growth in the centre of the track make sure that you stop frequently to clear the collection of spinifex from under the vehicle and their seed heads out of your radiator. Always carry sturdy gloves for this purpose and a steel hook that allows you to reach into the cavities under your vehicle to remove the clumps of dry spinifex.

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Past Well 16 is the turn-off to the Calvert Range, this is a must-visit area and is described more in the breakout piece. My tag-alongs always visit this area and it is a highlight for our customers who travel with us.

Back on the CSR and heading north after the Calvert Range the track enters some of the most stunning parts of the CSR. A huge rock escarpment soon joins you on the right and will be accompanying you all the way to the entrance to the beautiful Durba Springs. This escarpment, known as the Durba Hills, has a predominate cairn atop it; a track leads off to the right to deposit you directly below the cairn. There is a 20-minute rock scramble almost straight to the top of the hills where you will find Canning's Cairn. The views from up here are stunning and this is one rocky climb everyone should undertake. On your return to the carpark take a walk along the dry creek to your right as you descend the rock scramble and you will see fossilised roots coloured pure white in the washed out creek bed.

Don't rush off to Durba Springs just yet; its delights will wait for you, as there is a lot more to see in the next few kilometres. Just 6km past the cairn is the turn-off to the beautiful Biella Springs, it is a rough single lane track for 2km followed by a strenuous rock hopping walk for half an hour to the cool waters of Biella Springs. Back at the CSR the next port of call is near the entrance to the Durba Springs track, a track spears off to your right towards the escarpment and leads to the base of the rocky ledge at Killagurra Gorge. If you continue on foot up the creek bed you will be rewarded with aboriginal rock art sites that must be respected, as this is a registered sacred site.

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