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Destinations > Canning Stock Route, Part 1
Canning Stock Route, Part 1
Issue: March 2006
Words and photos by Vic Widman
Final Frontier
The Canning Stock Route is the harshest 4WD track in the world. Vic Widman travels this iconic trail and finds there's more to it than meets the eye.
When it comes to 4WD adventures few, if any, can equal traversing the Canning Stock Route. A bold statement indeed but let's expand it even further. There would be few places on earth where you can drive a motor vehicle for close to 2000km or 16 days, day after day, without encountering some major form of civilisation. That's exactly what the CSR offers.
Driving the CSR is the pinnacle of offroad travel in Australia. Some people strive all their life to achieve this epic run. Others have failed part way only to be faced with expensive repairs and recovery and sadly people have even perished in the lonely and cruel wastelands of the Great Sandy Desert.
What seemed like a good idea to many becomes a logistical nightmare once they realise the planning and preparation required to drive what is the longest stock route in the world, traversing some of the most inhospitable land on our planet. I've driven the CSR, my company Great Divide Tours has led several CSR tag-alongs and we have seen just how harsh this sandy, meandering track can be and yet, with a properly prepared 4WD, appropriate planning and sensible time frames it can be conquered with few, if any hassles.
So what is the attraction to such a desolate and remote land? The answer is a mix of that remote and desolate nature, and the challenge of doing something that as few as 2000 people accomplish each year. But there is also the history of the Stock Route and the amazing scenery found scattered through the red desert sands of the Little and Great Sandy Deserts.
As mentioned, trip preparation is critical to successfully completing the CSR. Having a properly set-up vehicle and being a capable bush mechanic are ingredients of a successful CSR adventure.
So let's set off on a journey along the greatest 4WD adventure track in Australia. Although Alfred Canning built the chain of wells to bring the cattle from the northern tropics of Australia to the railheads at Meekatharra, the numbering of the wells starts at Wiluna in the south of WA. I prefer to drive the CSR in ascending well number order; apart from the opportunity to tick off each well as it is visited the route north leads from the colder climates of southern Australia to the delightfully warm weather of a northern Australian winter. Winter is the only real time that this route should be considered. Anything before May or after September will lead you into horrendously hot desert climates that will sap your energy and make your vehicle labour in powder-like red-hot sand. The CSR is definitely a winter route.
Just getting to Wiluna, the recognised starting point for a CSR adventure is an epic journey for east coasters. It takes days of driving on boring blacktop just to get to the start of the Great Central Road where the bitumen gives way to the red gravel just west of Uluru. Then you're faced with a three day slog over a corrugated and dusty Great Central Road through Warburton, and the Tjukayirla roadhouse before hitting the quaint mining town of Laverton where the friendly caravan park is a must-stop place. The bustling mining towns of Leonora and Leinster and their superb highway-style roads for the heavy mining machinery leave you in no doubt that this land is worth millions in ore and precious metals.
Wiluna too was once a thriving mining town with a population of over 3000 but its local mines have dried up and the town is just a shadow of its former glory. It is best to do your last-minute shopping in the well-stocked supermarket at Leinster and refuel here with cheaper prices than those found at Wiluna where you should top up with quantities beyond what you may have ever imagined. With the old hotel on your right and heading in a northerly direction along Wotton Street you are barely out of sight of the pub when the Cooper tyres will rumble onto the red gravel surface that will accompany you for close on 2500km. The red dust billows high into the cobalt blue sky on what seems to be an extraordinarily good road. It is just 3.8km from the cool shady veranda of the Wiluna Hotel where you will find a rough scratch of a track on your left that leads to the very first well of the CSR.
The rough 4WD track follows a fence line and has numerous wash-outs and scratchy overhanging trees along its length for 3.5km. Well 1 is a sad sight, with its dilapidated wooden structure, collapsed windmill and rusting water trough entwined in mulga scrub. It is a little disappointing that the first well is in such poor condition and I think it would be wonderful if this well could be restored to its 1908 glory as Alfred Canning had built it.
Returning to that superhighway of a gravel road your next port of call will be a further 6km up the good road. Another track leads to your left, don't expect road signs, just watch your trip metre and GPS readings provided by the excellent guide on the Canning written by Craig Lewis and Kathy Savage called Explore Australia by 4WD. This is a 10km diversion that leads to a great morning tea spot known as North Pool. A favoured swimming hole by the locals from Wiluna it is easy to see why with the broad river gums providing shade from the hot sun and the large billabong providing everlasting water. If your trip has started from Wiluna it is way too early to make camp but if you have travelled from elsewhere, this would be a beaut spot if not noisy at dawn and dusk from all the bird life that frequents the delightful waterhole.
It is a further 29km along the good gravel road before you come to the first signpost declaring the Canning Stock Route. Accompanied by dire warnings on remote travel and the lack of services, this right turn heralds the true CSR track. The bushes immediately close in on your heavily laden vehicle with the taller bushes crowding over the roof rack, it's time to hoist your red flag on your tallest aerial to make sure you are spotted by oncoming traffic.
A short distance from here you will come to yet more ruins - Well 2. After the obligatory inspection, photos and reading Ronele and Eric Gard's The Canning Stock Route - your best guide for the CSR - you will begin to marvel at the difficulties of digging these wells anywhere from 16 feet to 105 feet (5m-32m) into the earth's crust. Remember this was done in 1908 by hand with rudimentary tools and all the timber slabs lining the wells had to be cut by hand and carted to the well sites.
The track is firm and presents no problems other than being aware of minor ruts and washouts and the occasional sharp stone. It does not follow a straight course but meanders between shrubs and scratchy trees limiting vision as they crowd the track. The ground is a rich red as is the ever-present dust.
The next well is number 2A, built after Canning's original 1908 expedition; you realise that there are a lot more wells to see than the original 51. Well 2A is also known as The Granites and its walls are constructed from the rock in which the well was sunk. No wonder Canning didn't dig a well here with the first well sinking party.
Well 3 is just 70km from that good road, which is now a fading memory and presents you with an ideal campsite amongst taller trees with some shade and a fully restored well where you should find good water (always boil all water obtained from the wells before use). By now you will have noted that many of the wells are found a short distance off the main CSR track, and whilst they are not always signposted it is obvious that the track is likely to lead to a well or point of interest, so take your time and explore them.
The track conditions are good, but treacherous, the hard packed road is slightly corrugated and can lead to over enthusiastic driving. The occasional hidden rut or dry creek bed around the next blind corner is waiting to claim another victim. Be mindful of the weight you are carrying, with excessive amounts of fuel and water on board plus all food for at least 20 days, your 4WD will never have weighed so much previously. Slow down!
After a restful night under the stars and a chilly morning, expect temps to drop below freezing early in the adventure, you will continue in a generally northerly direction pushing past dry creek beds and dead mulga that you will miss later on when looking for firewood in the spinifex-only plains found further north. Kangaroos and emus are plentiful through here too.
White Well and Corners Well are distinctive with their windmills and holding tanks while cattle yards indicate you are on pastoral land and have not yet reached the true isolated parts of the CSR. The party of W A Snell sank Well 3A in 1929 and now the track veers to the right bypassing the soft boggy crossing of Lake Nabberu and the original course of the CSR. You are traversing Cunyu Station so keep to the track and avoid camping until at least Windich Springs. Sections of the track through Cunyu station cross very flat country with gravel-like surfaces, reminiscent of what I call the 'supermarket carpark' areas found west of the Simpson Desert. The temptation is to let the speed creep up on these relatively good roads but be warned there are many washouts and tight corners around dead mulga trees.
You leave the boundary of Cunyu Station near Windich Spring and it would be hard to go past this piece of paradise. The spring itself carries a large body of water most years with a plentiful supply of raucous corellas and finches. I have even seen ducks swanning around in the water. The banks of the spring are lined with large gum trees whose twisted boughs and colourful bark make for a superb sight reflected in the cool water. The camping is limited due to the rocky outcrops along the edge of the springs but one of the good things about the Canning is that other travellers are few and far between and you rarely need to share a campsite.
Well 5 is significant by the fact that it was the deepest well dug by Canning's crew at 105 feet (32m). Just imagine digging straight down through solid rock for 105 feet. Canning's men were truly working in impossible conditions. Today it lies in ruins but not so Well 6, which is another favoured campsite for travellers. The well has been restored and provides good water through its windlass, bucket and rope and long water trough which birds frequent to gain a cool sip. There are scattered shady trees and plenty of level ground. A short distance north of Well 6 is your first opportunity to properly stretch your legs.
There is a sidetrack leading to a small clearing at the base of Inglebong Hills, which you shouldn't miss. There is no defined track to the top of the rocky outcrop and the country is very rugged, make sure you have solid footwear. As you climb the escarpment you will marvel at the rock formations found at the top. The view's difficult to put into words but it's unlike anything you would have seen previously, and makes you wonder how it was formed. The view demonstrates the huge expanse of rolling spinifex and mulga, which stretches to the horizon.
Road conditions continue to be hard packed, with corrugations and the occasional developing bulldust hole. Some small sand ridges are encountered as is a magnificent stand of grass trees which disappear as quickly as they appear, again leaving you wondering why they chose this location to flourish so well.
Well 7 is found deep in a mulga bush outcrop and provides plenty of shelter if the wind is howling. Well 9 is significant as it not only provides good water from the water tank (be prepared to climb up on your roof rack to reach it), but it is also the site of Forrest Fort, although it's just a pile of stone these days. John Forrest made this his fortress in 1874 to save his party from the attacking local tribes. The nearby cattle yards and availability of water makes this place a dust and fly infested location. Glenayle Station is only 58km to the east, and for a small fee you can access or exit the CSR via this route.
Close to Well 11 you begin to encounter the real sand dunes that have made the CSR notorious and it won't be long before you find the need to lower tyre pressures a little. Do this gradually, there's no need to rush down to 20psi straight away, but equally no point in digging up the track or making your vehicle work too hard because of high pressures. The sand is a deep red and you will often find desert blooms scattered across the rippled sand ridges, making for perfect photo opportunities.
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The curiously named Lake Aerodrome will be seen in the distance as you skirt its eastern shore line, glistening white in the hot sun. Snell thought that the lake could be used as an airstrip but anyone that has driven on a salt lake will know how dangerous these inviting salt pans can be, don't be fooled, anchor points for winches are few and far between.
Well 12 was recently restored and provides good water. Always collect water when you get the opportunity, as you never know what lies ahead. The track is now more like the conditions found in the Simpson Desert with corrugated sand drifts between soft dunes. Between Well 13 and Well 14 on my last trip we paced an emu at 30kph and saw eagles riding the thermals so there is plenty of wildlife around. Sightings of camels, or at least their tracks, are very prevalent also.
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.
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.
Finally it's time to head into the beautiful Durba Springs, it is hard not to be impressed by this oasis. The road leads into a gorge that is surrounded by red rock escarpments that are just brilliant in the afternoon sun. The camping area is uniquely level and grassed; respect the areas being regenerated for future use. There is even an enviro cycle loo here for your convenience. You may have seen few travellers on your journey along the CSR, but at Durba you will find they all congregate to enjoy the peaceful setting. This place deserves some of your precious time and a minimum two day stopover is suggested. To make the most of Durba Springs plan to explore the gorge on foot. Last time I visited the area I walked right up the gorge marvelling at the colours and the overhanging rock ledges, stumbled and climbed over, under and round huge house-sized boulders and watched birds sip at the cool waters of the permanent swimming holes further up the gorge. The return journey was along the cliff face on the top of the escarpment and it was one of those journeys that will stay with me to the day I die. Heaven in the midst of one of the most remote locations in Australia.
In the next part, our journey continues into this hostile land, we encounter sand dunes like never before and trash expensive shock absorbers.
YOUR VEHICLE
Any vehicle undertaking a trip as rigorous as the CSR needs to be meticulously prepared. The route is littered with examples of poorly conceived safaris and equipment. Your vehicle preparation needs to commence several weeks before you depart with any known faults attended. It is almost certain that you will need to upgrade your suspension with aftermarket springs and shocks. This is no place for wild six inch lifts, though a standard 50mm is all that is required with a top quality shock absorber. But you will need to carry spare shock absorbers as they take a pounding and many will fail. Spare wheel bearings, centre bolts for leaf springs and the usual fuel filters, hoses and fan belts are all mandatory. A well thought out storage system especially for the carriage of the extra fuel and water is essential, and a cargo barrier to keep it off your head should be compulsory. Good tyres such as Cooper STs rather than your standard highway issue are mandatory and an additional spare and the equipment and knowledge to change tyres on the track and re-inflate them. An essential item is your communications, as a minimum you must carry either a satellite telephone or a HF radio. Of course the ability to be self sufficient, fix things, perform bush welding and improvise are all necessary and if you don't have these qualities, then join Great Divide Tours on its next Canning Stock Route trip in June 2006. Visit www.4wd.net.au
FUEL & SUPPLIES
The Canning is like no other place when it comes down to the need to carry fuel and water. Once you leave Wiluna there are no roadhouses until you reach either Halls Creek or Tilmouth Well on the Tanami Road over 2000km away and 20 plus days distant. Don't fool yourself about fuel consumption - the consequences are dire. If you take all the diversions to the scenic points and visit each of the wells then the following fuel requirements should be mandatory.
*Straight 6 and V8 petrol powered 4WDs need to be able to carry 350 litres.
*4 cylinder and V6 petrol engines will need 300 litres of unleaded.
*Diesels should carry at least 250 litres of fuel.
These figures are based on picking up 200 litres of fuel at Well 23 and are the quantities you should carry to Well 23 and from Well 23.
Fuel drops at Well 23 are arranged by contacting the Capricorn Roadhouse in Newman on (08) 9175 1535 and must be ordered and paid for six weeks in advance of your trip. It is delivered in 200 litre drums so you need to have the means of transferring the fuel from the drum into your fuel tank/jerry cans. Electric or rotary pumps are best for this.
Fuel is also available from the aboriginal community at Well 33 known as Kunawarritji, ph (08) 9176 9040, (some very basic supplies and showers are also available here). Fuel needs to be ordered at least two weeks in advance but can be unreliable and it is closed on public holidays, Sunday and Saturday after 12 noon.
As for water, allow at least 80 litres per couple, this needs to include all of your drinking, washing and cooking. It is based on the fact that you should be able to replenish your water on a regular basis along the route from the wells. We allow five days of travel without being able to collect fresh quantities. You will become quite adept at showering in just 2 litres of water.
WHEN TO GO
This is inhospitable country, traversing nearly 2000km of desert lands where no human habitation as we know it exists. The reason for this lack of population is the climate. In the period from September through to May the land bakes under a relentless heat; our own editor and his mate Ian Glover experienced the heat of the Great Sandy Desert in September and found it unbelievable. The best time to travel the Canning is in the dead of winter, June through to August. During a recent trip in July I experienced minus 5 degrees near Well 4 and temperatures of 35 degrees for days on end from Well 33 onwards. Rain at this time should be non existent but the wind is ever present and can be very cold before you reach the Tropic of Capricorn.
MAPS & BOOKS
Hema Maps have excellent maps in its Great Desert Tracks series covering the entire Canning Stock Route.
A must-have book for the area is Craig Lewis and Cathy Savage's Explore Australia by 4WD, this is an excellent reference with up-to-date information, distances and GPS recordings.
For a long time the 4WDer's bible for the area was Ronele and Eric Gard's Canning Stock Route. It carries detailed history on the CSR and the work performed by Alfred Canning. Some info is a little dated these days, but it should accompany everyone who dares to venture up the route.
THE CALVERT RANGE
Situated 38km east of Well 16, the Calvert Range is one of those places missed by most although it should be included on every visit to the Canning. Its stunning red ochre cliff face and jumbled rocks that have been torn away from the plateau make for a dramatic backdrop, especially at sunset. Make sure you pick a campsite on the western side to ensure that you catch these wonderful colours at the end of the day.
The track leads past Sunday Well (no reliable water) and over numerous soft sand hills, which will catch you out if you don't have the correct tyre pressures and driving technique. In 2005 this whole area was burnt out by a massive wildfire. Expect it to be bursting with new growth in 2006 providing a variety of colours in the vegetation. The access track leads directly to the escarpment with a shaded campsite found where the track intersects with the trail that circumnavigates the range.
There are several secluded campsites around the base of the range and on the northern side where the country is relatively flat, camping is also quite good, if not a little open. Take time to explore the range as you follow the track around its base. On the eastern side there is a track that follows a rough gorge for a little way and then by exploring the range on foot you will be rewarded with amazing rock formations and ancient rock art sites. The track crosses over the top of the escarpment at its southern end and drops down to the western side where the best art sites are found. Make sure that you explore every small gorge running off the western side and you will see some huge areas of aboriginal rock art, but please respect it and do not touch. You should allow at least two days to properly explore Calvert Range.
Words and photos by Vic Widman
Final Frontier
The Canning Stock Route is the harshest 4WD track in the world. Vic Widman travels this iconic trail and finds there's more to it than meets the eye.
When it comes to 4WD adventures few, if any, can equal traversing the Canning Stock Route. A bold statement indeed but let's expand it even further. There would be few places on earth where you can drive a motor vehicle for close to 2000km or 16 days, day after day, without encountering some major form of civilisation. That's exactly what the CSR offers.
Driving the CSR is the pinnacle of offroad travel in Australia. Some people strive all their life to achieve this epic run. Others have failed part way only to be faced with expensive repairs and recovery and sadly people have even perished in the lonely and cruel wastelands of the Great Sandy Desert.
What seemed like a good idea to many becomes a logistical nightmare once they realise the planning and preparation required to drive what is the longest stock route in the world, traversing some of the most inhospitable land on our planet. I've driven the CSR, my company Great Divide Tours has led several CSR tag-alongs and we have seen just how harsh this sandy, meandering track can be and yet, with a properly prepared 4WD, appropriate planning and sensible time frames it can be conquered with few, if any hassles.
So what is the attraction to such a desolate and remote land? The answer is a mix of that remote and desolate nature, and the challenge of doing something that as few as 2000 people accomplish each year. But there is also the history of the Stock Route and the amazing scenery found scattered through the red desert sands of the Little and Great Sandy Deserts.
As mentioned, trip preparation is critical to successfully completing the CSR. Having a properly set-up vehicle and being a capable bush mechanic are ingredients of a successful CSR adventure.
So let's set off on a journey along the greatest 4WD adventure track in Australia. Although Alfred Canning built the chain of wells to bring the cattle from the northern tropics of Australia to the railheads at Meekatharra, the numbering of the wells starts at Wiluna in the south of WA. I prefer to drive the CSR in ascending well number order; apart from the opportunity to tick off each well as it is visited the route north leads from the colder climates of southern Australia to the delightfully warm weather of a northern Australian winter. Winter is the only real time that this route should be considered. Anything before May or after September will lead you into horrendously hot desert climates that will sap your energy and make your vehicle labour in powder-like red-hot sand. The CSR is definitely a winter route.
Just getting to Wiluna, the recognised starting point for a CSR adventure is an epic journey for east coasters. It takes days of driving on boring blacktop just to get to the start of the Great Central Road where the bitumen gives way to the red gravel just west of Uluru. Then you're faced with a three day slog over a corrugated and dusty Great Central Road through Warburton, and the Tjukayirla roadhouse before hitting the quaint mining town of Laverton where the friendly caravan park is a must-stop place. The bustling mining towns of Leonora and Leinster and their superb highway-style roads for the heavy mining machinery leave you in no doubt that this land is worth millions in ore and precious metals.
Wiluna too was once a thriving mining town with a population of over 3000 but its local mines have dried up and the town is just a shadow of its former glory. It is best to do your last-minute shopping in the well-stocked supermarket at Leinster and refuel here with cheaper prices than those found at Wiluna where you should top up with quantities beyond what you may have ever imagined. With the old hotel on your right and heading in a northerly direction along Wotton Street you are barely out of sight of the pub when the Cooper tyres will rumble onto the red gravel surface that will accompany you for close on 2500km. The red dust billows high into the cobalt blue sky on what seems to be an extraordinarily good road. It is just 3.8km from the cool shady veranda of the Wiluna Hotel where you will find a rough scratch of a track on your left that leads to the very first well of the CSR.
The rough 4WD track follows a fence line and has numerous wash-outs and scratchy overhanging trees along its length for 3.5km. Well 1 is a sad sight, with its dilapidated wooden structure, collapsed windmill and rusting water trough entwined in mulga scrub. It is a little disappointing that the first well is in such poor condition and I think it would be wonderful if this well could be restored to its 1908 glory as Alfred Canning had built it.
Returning to that superhighway of a gravel road your next port of call will be a further 6km up the good road. Another track leads to your left, don't expect road signs, just watch your trip metre and GPS readings provided by the excellent guide on the Canning written by Craig Lewis and Kathy Savage called Explore Australia by 4WD. This is a 10km diversion that leads to a great morning tea spot known as North Pool. A favoured swimming hole by the locals from Wiluna it is easy to see why with the broad river gums providing shade from the hot sun and the large billabong providing everlasting water. If your trip has started from Wiluna it is way too early to make camp but if you have travelled from elsewhere, this would be a beaut spot if not noisy at dawn and dusk from all the bird life that frequents the delightful waterhole.
It is a further 29km along the good gravel road before you come to the first signpost declaring the Canning Stock Route. Accompanied by dire warnings on remote travel and the lack of services, this right turn heralds the true CSR track. The bushes immediately close in on your heavily laden vehicle with the taller bushes crowding over the roof rack, it's time to hoist your red flag on your tallest aerial to make sure you are spotted by oncoming traffic.
A short distance from here you will come to yet more ruins - Well 2. After the obligatory inspection, photos and reading Ronele and Eric Gard's The Canning Stock Route - your best guide for the CSR - you will begin to marvel at the difficulties of digging these wells anywhere from 16 feet to 105 feet (5m-32m) into the earth's crust. Remember this was done in 1908 by hand with rudimentary tools and all the timber slabs lining the wells had to be cut by hand and carted to the well sites.
The track is firm and presents no problems other than being aware of minor ruts and washouts and the occasional sharp stone. It does not follow a straight course but meanders between shrubs and scratchy trees limiting vision as they crowd the track. The ground is a rich red as is the ever-present dust.
The next well is number 2A, built after Canning's original 1908 expedition; you realise that there are a lot more wells to see than the original 51. Well 2A is also known as The Granites and its walls are constructed from the rock in which the well was sunk. No wonder Canning didn't dig a well here with the first well sinking party.
Well 3 is just 70km from that good road, which is now a fading memory and presents you with an ideal campsite amongst taller trees with some shade and a fully restored well where you should find good water (always boil all water obtained from the wells before use). By now you will have noted that many of the wells are found a short distance off the main CSR track, and whilst they are not always signposted it is obvious that the track is likely to lead to a well or point of interest, so take your time and explore them.
The track conditions are good, but treacherous, the hard packed road is slightly corrugated and can lead to over enthusiastic driving. The occasional hidden rut or dry creek bed around the next blind corner is waiting to claim another victim. Be mindful of the weight you are carrying, with excessive amounts of fuel and water on board plus all food for at least 20 days, your 4WD will never have weighed so much previously. Slow down!
After a restful night under the stars and a chilly morning, expect temps to drop below freezing early in the adventure, you will continue in a generally northerly direction pushing past dry creek beds and dead mulga that you will miss later on when looking for firewood in the spinifex-only plains found further north. Kangaroos and emus are plentiful through here too.
White Well and Corners Well are distinctive with their windmills and holding tanks while cattle yards indicate you are on pastoral land and have not yet reached the true isolated parts of the CSR. The party of W A Snell sank Well 3A in 1929 and now the track veers to the right bypassing the soft boggy crossing of Lake Nabberu and the original course of the CSR. You are traversing Cunyu Station so keep to the track and avoid camping until at least Windich Springs. Sections of the track through Cunyu station cross very flat country with gravel-like surfaces, reminiscent of what I call the 'supermarket carpark' areas found west of the Simpson Desert. The temptation is to let the speed creep up on these relatively good roads but be warned there are many washouts and tight corners around dead mulga trees.
You leave the boundary of Cunyu Station near Windich Spring and it would be hard to go past this piece of paradise. The spring itself carries a large body of water most years with a plentiful supply of raucous corellas and finches. I have even seen ducks swanning around in the water. The banks of the spring are lined with large gum trees whose twisted boughs and colourful bark make for a superb sight reflected in the cool water. The camping is limited due to the rocky outcrops along the edge of the springs but one of the good things about the Canning is that other travellers are few and far between and you rarely need to share a campsite.
Well 5 is significant by the fact that it was the deepest well dug by Canning's crew at 105 feet (32m). Just imagine digging straight down through solid rock for 105 feet. Canning's men were truly working in impossible conditions. Today it lies in ruins but not so Well 6, which is another favoured campsite for travellers. The well has been restored and provides good water through its windlass, bucket and rope and long water trough which birds frequent to gain a cool sip. There are scattered shady trees and plenty of level ground. A short distance north of Well 6 is your first opportunity to properly stretch your legs.
There is a sidetrack leading to a small clearing at the base of Inglebong Hills, which you shouldn't miss. There is no defined track to the top of the rocky outcrop and the country is very rugged, make sure you have solid footwear. As you climb the escarpment you will marvel at the rock formations found at the top. The view's difficult to put into words but it's unlike anything you would have seen previously, and makes you wonder how it was formed. The view demonstrates the huge expanse of rolling spinifex and mulga, which stretches to the horizon.
Road conditions continue to be hard packed, with corrugations and the occasional developing bulldust hole. Some small sand ridges are encountered as is a magnificent stand of grass trees which disappear as quickly as they appear, again leaving you wondering why they chose this location to flourish so well.
Well 7 is found deep in a mulga bush outcrop and provides plenty of shelter if the wind is howling. Well 9 is significant as it not only provides good water from the water tank (be prepared to climb up on your roof rack to reach it), but it is also the site of Forrest Fort, although it's just a pile of stone these days. John Forrest made this his fortress in 1874 to save his party from the attacking local tribes. The nearby cattle yards and availability of water makes this place a dust and fly infested location. Glenayle Station is only 58km to the east, and for a small fee you can access or exit the CSR via this route.
Close to Well 11 you begin to encounter the real sand dunes that have made the CSR notorious and it won't be long before you find the need to lower tyre pressures a little. Do this gradually, there's no need to rush down to 20psi straight away, but equally no point in digging up the track or making your vehicle work too hard because of high pressures. The sand is a deep red and you will often find desert blooms scattered across the rippled sand ridges, making for perfect photo opportunities.
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The curiously named Lake Aerodrome will be seen in the distance as you skirt its eastern shore line, glistening white in the hot sun. Snell thought that the lake could be used as an airstrip but anyone that has driven on a salt lake will know how dangerous these inviting salt pans can be, don't be fooled, anchor points for winches are few and far between.
Well 12 was recently restored and provides good water. Always collect water when you get the opportunity, as you never know what lies ahead. The track is now more like the conditions found in the Simpson Desert with corrugated sand drifts between soft dunes. Between Well 13 and Well 14 on my last trip we paced an emu at 30kph and saw eagles riding the thermals so there is plenty of wildlife around. Sightings of camels, or at least their tracks, are very prevalent also.
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.
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.
Finally it's time to head into the beautiful Durba Springs, it is hard not to be impressed by this oasis. The road leads into a gorge that is surrounded by red rock escarpments that are just brilliant in the afternoon sun. The camping area is uniquely level and grassed; respect the areas being regenerated for future use. There is even an enviro cycle loo here for your convenience. You may have seen few travellers on your journey along the CSR, but at Durba you will find they all congregate to enjoy the peaceful setting. This place deserves some of your precious time and a minimum two day stopover is suggested. To make the most of Durba Springs plan to explore the gorge on foot. Last time I visited the area I walked right up the gorge marvelling at the colours and the overhanging rock ledges, stumbled and climbed over, under and round huge house-sized boulders and watched birds sip at the cool waters of the permanent swimming holes further up the gorge. The return journey was along the cliff face on the top of the escarpment and it was one of those journeys that will stay with me to the day I die. Heaven in the midst of one of the most remote locations in Australia.
In the next part, our journey continues into this hostile land, we encounter sand dunes like never before and trash expensive shock absorbers.
YOUR VEHICLE
Any vehicle undertaking a trip as rigorous as the CSR needs to be meticulously prepared. The route is littered with examples of poorly conceived safaris and equipment. Your vehicle preparation needs to commence several weeks before you depart with any known faults attended. It is almost certain that you will need to upgrade your suspension with aftermarket springs and shocks. This is no place for wild six inch lifts, though a standard 50mm is all that is required with a top quality shock absorber. But you will need to carry spare shock absorbers as they take a pounding and many will fail. Spare wheel bearings, centre bolts for leaf springs and the usual fuel filters, hoses and fan belts are all mandatory. A well thought out storage system especially for the carriage of the extra fuel and water is essential, and a cargo barrier to keep it off your head should be compulsory. Good tyres such as Cooper STs rather than your standard highway issue are mandatory and an additional spare and the equipment and knowledge to change tyres on the track and re-inflate them. An essential item is your communications, as a minimum you must carry either a satellite telephone or a HF radio. Of course the ability to be self sufficient, fix things, perform bush welding and improvise are all necessary and if you don't have these qualities, then join Great Divide Tours on its next Canning Stock Route trip in June 2006. Visit www.4wd.net.au
FUEL & SUPPLIES
The Canning is like no other place when it comes down to the need to carry fuel and water. Once you leave Wiluna there are no roadhouses until you reach either Halls Creek or Tilmouth Well on the Tanami Road over 2000km away and 20 plus days distant. Don't fool yourself about fuel consumption - the consequences are dire. If you take all the diversions to the scenic points and visit each of the wells then the following fuel requirements should be mandatory.
*Straight 6 and V8 petrol powered 4WDs need to be able to carry 350 litres.
*4 cylinder and V6 petrol engines will need 300 litres of unleaded.
*Diesels should carry at least 250 litres of fuel.
These figures are based on picking up 200 litres of fuel at Well 23 and are the quantities you should carry to Well 23 and from Well 23.
Fuel drops at Well 23 are arranged by contacting the Capricorn Roadhouse in Newman on (08) 9175 1535 and must be ordered and paid for six weeks in advance of your trip. It is delivered in 200 litre drums so you need to have the means of transferring the fuel from the drum into your fuel tank/jerry cans. Electric or rotary pumps are best for this.
Fuel is also available from the aboriginal community at Well 33 known as Kunawarritji, ph (08) 9176 9040, (some very basic supplies and showers are also available here). Fuel needs to be ordered at least two weeks in advance but can be unreliable and it is closed on public holidays, Sunday and Saturday after 12 noon.
As for water, allow at least 80 litres per couple, this needs to include all of your drinking, washing and cooking. It is based on the fact that you should be able to replenish your water on a regular basis along the route from the wells. We allow five days of travel without being able to collect fresh quantities. You will become quite adept at showering in just 2 litres of water.
WHEN TO GO
This is inhospitable country, traversing nearly 2000km of desert lands where no human habitation as we know it exists. The reason for this lack of population is the climate. In the period from September through to May the land bakes under a relentless heat; our own editor and his mate Ian Glover experienced the heat of the Great Sandy Desert in September and found it unbelievable. The best time to travel the Canning is in the dead of winter, June through to August. During a recent trip in July I experienced minus 5 degrees near Well 4 and temperatures of 35 degrees for days on end from Well 33 onwards. Rain at this time should be non existent but the wind is ever present and can be very cold before you reach the Tropic of Capricorn.
MAPS & BOOKS
Hema Maps have excellent maps in its Great Desert Tracks series covering the entire Canning Stock Route.
A must-have book for the area is Craig Lewis and Cathy Savage's Explore Australia by 4WD, this is an excellent reference with up-to-date information, distances and GPS recordings.
For a long time the 4WDer's bible for the area was Ronele and Eric Gard's Canning Stock Route. It carries detailed history on the CSR and the work performed by Alfred Canning. Some info is a little dated these days, but it should accompany everyone who dares to venture up the route.
THE CALVERT RANGE
Situated 38km east of Well 16, the Calvert Range is one of those places missed by most although it should be included on every visit to the Canning. Its stunning red ochre cliff face and jumbled rocks that have been torn away from the plateau make for a dramatic backdrop, especially at sunset. Make sure you pick a campsite on the western side to ensure that you catch these wonderful colours at the end of the day.
The track leads past Sunday Well (no reliable water) and over numerous soft sand hills, which will catch you out if you don't have the correct tyre pressures and driving technique. In 2005 this whole area was burnt out by a massive wildfire. Expect it to be bursting with new growth in 2006 providing a variety of colours in the vegetation. The access track leads directly to the escarpment with a shaded campsite found where the track intersects with the trail that circumnavigates the range.
There are several secluded campsites around the base of the range and on the northern side where the country is relatively flat, camping is also quite good, if not a little open. Take time to explore the range as you follow the track around its base. On the eastern side there is a track that follows a rough gorge for a little way and then by exploring the range on foot you will be rewarded with amazing rock formations and ancient rock art sites. The track crosses over the top of the escarpment at its southern end and drops down to the western side where the best art sites are found. Make sure that you explore every small gorge running off the western side and you will see some huge areas of aboriginal rock art, but please respect it and do not touch. You should allow at least two days to properly explore Calvert Range.
