Julian & Ali Travels


Neale Junction and Neale Breakaways		August 4 - 5 2025

		We continue to benefit from the recent track grading as we head east. Recovery from last years flood. Which prevented fuel deliveries to Ilkurka.

		It doesn't take long for corrugations to appear. But they are relatively small and soft.

		The vegetation continues to change.

		Including open areas. Being incapable of distinguishing between various grasses, including the many varieties of spinifex, I've adopted the approach I read of in a research paper - its all hummock grass.

		Memorial to Anne Beadell. After whom the highway is named. The highway is one of Len Beadell's roads. Anne his wife.

		Large gum trees. And a sand dune. We will see more dunes as we travel east.

		The Spackman Track leads south, to the trans continental railway line, across the Nullarbor.

		Burned some time ago. The epicormic growth a bit eerie - at least odd rather than frightening.

		Couldn't resist.

		Neale Junction, we camp for the night. A native bee entertained us as we tried desperately to take its picture. Details to follow.

		A couple of grey fronted honeyeaters near the junction.

		A trig point, a reproduction Beadell marker, and a visitor's book. The junction is between the east-west Anne Beadell Highway (Serpentine Lakes Road) and the north-south Connie Sue Highway (Rawlinna Warburton Road).

		Camped.

		Near the junction an Oaldea Mallee tree in flower.

		Fascinating. Visited by a miner (bird) and the honeyeaters.

		We leave Peter and Margaret at the junction for a night. Traveling south on the Connie Sue Highway (Rawlinna Warburton Road). Where they are present the corrugations are of Canning Stock Route standard. Slow. But not for long. When we look the difference between the graded Anne Beadell and the ungraded Connie Sue is obvious in the edges.

		There are long stretches of relatively smooth track. About 12km south of the junction is where the Elder Expedition of 1891 crossed. The expedition traveled from Warrina, south of Oodnadatta to Wiluna and beyond. While we are headed towards the Oodnadatta Track, a few weeks away, we join south of Warrina and turn south. We will miss the monument to the Elder Expedition.

		Yesterday we thought it was a banksia. Today we know its a grass leafed hakea.

		Another mallee in flower.

		A close up hakea.

		Not as steep as it looks. Sand dune in the distance. We are looking for the Neale Breakaways to the east (our left).

		More Oalda Mallee.

		After 50km we find the turnoff to the breakaways. After a few km we cross an ephemoral lake. Rather than a hill the breakaways are the edge of a depression. About 30m below the surrounding plain.

		We find a suitable camp near the entrance to an amphitheatre.

		And go for a walk round. About 1.5km circumference. About 500m across.

		Looking back at the truck.

		The northern wall.

		The southern wall. The water is very salty.

		Look back at the entrance again. Established tracks for camels. Signs of emu. A dead camel with bones spread far and wide. And occasional marsupial tracks. But we see none.

		And the truck is invisible.

		Out past the entrance. An Australian Pipit. Just the one. We often see similar birds, but rarely quick enough to take a pic. The camera is behaving well.

		The east wall.

		Someone's camp. Some drums rusted through. One labeled Cereclor A42. Which is 42% chlorine in parafin. I suspect emptied, cleaned, and filled with fuel. I can't imagine a use for Cereclor here. Its high viscosity, low volatility. Useful as an extreme pressure additive in metal working fluids, as a flame retardant additive and as a plasticiser in paint, sealants and adhesives.

		After lunch another walk round.

		Climb the nearest hill as the sun goes down.

		Watched by the nearest bird of prey on its usual perch.

		Time for dinner.

Gateway

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