Well 3 and North Pool to Wiluna August 11 - 14 2024
 
  Well 4A, like Windich Spring is beside Kennedy Creek.
     
  The ground somewhat barren.
     
  The sign is pointing towards us.

Feeling adventurous, we take the left fork.
     
  Which leads to an old, impassable to us, creek crossing.

We chose poorly.
     
  A hasty retreat, and across the real, dry, creek crossing.
     
  Into fairly dense mulga.
     
  The colours today are helped by a different light in the sky, later clouds developed.
     
  We haven't seen many cattle. We wonder what their contribution to the lack of ground cover is.
     
  Just delightful colours.
     
  We slow, as instructed.

We stop, as instructed.

From 20 km/hr to .....

There is no traffic on a well graded haul road crossing our track.
     
  Definitely a different sort of a day.

Some track descriptions have 2m high spinifex.

We missed that bit ....
     
  We have been seeing more flowers.

As we proceed west after completing the stock route we expect to see more.
     
  Well 3. Wakunpu.

On the west side of a creek. We camp in the campsite on the east side.
     
  A couple of red mulga trees. Acacia cyperophylla, or Minni Richi.

Now I know mulga is acacia!
     
  Time to take the warning flag down. We haven't seen dunes for a couple of days.
     
  Lighter sand, and gum trees.
     
  Though soon back to hard, stony, rock.

With a hint of rain in the distance.
     
  Wide, open, flat, plain.

With a new (to us) plant to excite us.
     
  We are approaching "The Granite".
     
  Past another divide in the track, this time we chose well.

The left fork took us across the granite, looping back to well 2A.
     
  I think it knows I'm watching it ....
     
  Definitely granite.

Inside its pinkish, crystalline.
     
  Well 2A. Explosives used to create a hole in the granite. The rocks removed form a wall.
     
  We suspect people may have become bored with this bit of the track. We've passed various cairns and names outlined in stones.

This caught us a bit by surprise.

Someone with a serious sense of humour.
     
  Ever onward, across the plain.

Flowers to left, flowers to right ....
     
  Really?
     
  Well 2, Kalkalong.

The last well before we reach the Wiluna North Road.
     
  At the road we put some air back in the tyres.

In anticipation of smoother traveling at higher speeds.

Faster than 30 km/hr may be nice.
     
  The obligatory "we wuz here" at the entrance to the stock route from Wiluna North Road.

Peter and Margaret have a similar pic.

We are seemingly incapable of making the camera take a pic with a timer....
     
  It is indeed smooth.

80 km/hr took a bit of getting used to. But we persevered.
     
  North Pool.

A 10km detour off the main road. We camped for two nights. Winding down, relaxing.

North Pool and well 1 are where the drovers and the market met.

Perhaps spare a thought for the cattle. Walk 2,000 km then become someone's dinner?

The pool is formed by a creek through a low granite range.
     
  Towards Wiluna we are driving on very smooth sealed road.
     
  The residents sought to congratulate us ....
     
  But wait ....

What about well 1. A 3km detour.
     
  Then finally Wiluna.

Houses.
     
  We buy food, fill up the fuel tanks, fill with water at the Discovery Centre, have a quick tour, and depart our separate ways. The Oka and Canter haven't been this far apart since we met north of Alice Springs a month ago.

We've had the usual mixed feelings about finishing something good for a few days. But it seems all good things must come to an end. I have no idea why.

Before saying farewell we compare fuel consumption. The Canter averaged 19 litres/100km. Surprisingly low. Two tanks similar. Distance from Kunawarritji was 1085km. We had more than 100km left in the tank.

Then, finally, after a lot of dithering, fond farewells.

We are headed towards Mt Augustus. Peter and Margaret have been there previously, have been traveling longer than we have, and decide to take a slow road home to Adelaide.

The north of the Canning Stock Route still beckons. Another time.
     
  The red teardrop below leads to a google maps version of our route.

Peter made a track map. With number of days and campsite names.
     
Mt Augustus August 14 - 18 2024
     
Gateway
CommentsHome
Tim Sat, 17 Aug 24 00:48:36 +1000
I have enjoyed looking over your epic journey
Laurie H Sat, 17 Aug 24 15:04:14 +1000
Love those Aussie meerkats!
Laurie H Sat, 17 Aug 24 15:04:14 +1000
Love those Aussie meerkats!

 
 
 
Sorry, comments closed.