Newcastle and Districts Four Wheel Drive Club Inc.

Participants: Gerry & Deirdre Eastwood (trip leaders), Barry& Sue Casson,Bruce Harris & Lynn Brock,Terry & Barbara Gannon,Owen & Jill Scott, Peter & Jenny Reid.
We are setting off from Newcastle on 7 June to the National 4x4 clubs gathering in Pomona Qld. From there we will have six vehicles heading West to Innamincka, down the Streszlecki Track, up the Oodnadatta Track and out to Dalhousie Springs. Deviating from the formal Binns Track we intend to travel via Mt Dare to Finke, Lambert Centre, Chambers Pillar, Rainbow Valley to Alice Springs. Then out to Arltunga and follow the Binns Track to Halls Creek. We will then spend about 3 weeks in various parts of the Kimberley. Down the Tanami to Alice Springs where we will have a change of personnel. Terry & Barbara will take over as trip leaders and hopefully head across the Simpson to Birdsville, in company with Bruce and Lynn, Peter and Jenny and also Kevin and Cathy Thomas and Bob Alexander and Donna Baker who are meeting up in Alice Springs from the second group doing the Binns Track. If the conditions permit we will travel Down the Cordillo Downs Road to Innamincka and back to Newcastle via the Bore Track to Tibooburra, White Cliffs and Cobar. We hope to be home on 21 August. At this stage a lot of the details are in limbo because of the water situation in the Outback, but we will make decisions on routes etc when the time comes
4.6.10 Only a couple of days before we head off and the weather has closed in. We will be heading up the coast in the rain unfortunately. Some good news has come through!!! The Burke And Wills Bridge outside Innamincka has been opened so we will be able to go as per our original plans through that stretch at least.

14.6 WELL, that was Pomona. The National 4x4 Gathering. There were over 600 people in about 300 vehicles in attendance.There were five vehicles from our club. We all took part in varied forms of trips over the long weekend. From the sands of Fraser Island to mountain climbing in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Everyone enjoyed themselves. 3 of our couples were party to an interesting recovery in the Mountains. One of the participants (not from our club) tried his hardest to tip over his heavily laden troopy. ..We then discovered that he had been unable to engage 4WD. Having rescued him from his earlier predicament he then became the subject of a very complicated 2 car, 5 snatch strap recovery. All of this under the supervision of a trip leader who admitted that he had only done his Driver Awareness Course 2 weeks ago. His knowledge did not extend to being able to attach 2 snatch straps together. Fortunately there were some experienced 4wd’ers on the trip who assisted him. A 4 hour trip took 6 hours. Incidentally, one of our members was able to engage 4wd on the offending troopy when we stopped for lunchToday has been a rest day for those of us heading West to do the Binns Track. Packing and re-packing, checking fluid levels etc. We said farewell to some of our crew who are not going West with us. We hope to be away early in the morning heading for St. George – about 600k’s away. From there to Nardoo Station the following day to meet up with the other three vehicles.

15.6 Just arrived in St George after a long tiring drive. Not a lot to see, the country is obviously in good shape after the rain. We got a bit of a shock to find that the caravan park in the town was almost booked out. 2 of our couples had to book in to cabins instead of being able to camp. No internet access – when will the world wake up?

20.6 We are now in Leigh Creek South Australia. Having had overnight stops at Nardoo Station(just North of Cunnamulla), Noccundra, Culyamurra Waterhole(Innamincka) and Montecollina Bore. Nardoo is a working cattle station with a caravan park attached. Its main claim to fame is it’s hot springs which were very welcome when we got there. The remaining 3 cars in the convoy joine us there and we now have six cars, three of which have camper trailers in tow.
Noccundra consists of a pub, a tennis court and a community hall. We camped there by the Williams River, about 500 metres from the pub. Had dinner there, and the showers and toilets were very welcome.
Leaving there we continued West towards Innamincka. Eventually reaching the unsealed road that we will be on for some time to come. The road is in excellent condition and there are occasional stretches of bitumen. It appears that the various State and Federal Governments have got together with the plan being to seal the road all the way to Innamincka. We called in to the Dig Tree and it was interesting to find that the caretaker??? had removed the boardwalk from around the tree before the recent floods to stop the water from swirling around the base of the tree and exposing its fragile root system. A local council grader had discovered how soft the roads can become after rain. Having been to the Dig Tree three times before we were amazed to see how much greenery there was.
That greenery continued till well past the Steszlecki creek crossing as we proceeded South...

We had been told that Culyamurra Waterhole was closed. However when we reached the turnoff the sign said it was open so went in there and camped the night. The coldest night of the trip so far, 2.8 degrees. Next morning up and in to Innamincka. The causeway was dry but there was a lot of water flowing underneath. The flood marks on the nearby trees indicated a flood height there of probably 7-8 metres. We visited Burke’s and Wills’ memorial sites and the King marker. The Old Streszlecki Track was closed so we returned to Innamicka and turned down the Steszlecki Track. It was like a highway!!! Fabulous unsealed road and unbelievable greenery everywhere you looked. Stopped for a picture shot at Moomba and also at the Streszlecki Creek crossing.
Overnight camp was at Montecollina Bore. There were more campers there than there were birds around the bore.
This morning we drove to Leigh Creek, with a short stopover to see and be re-educated by “Talc Alf” at Lyndhurst. Just North of the town he is an icon of the Aussie bush and must be seen.

29.6 We have just arrived in Alice Springs. Time for a shower!!! We have travelled from Leigh Creek to here via The Oodnadatta Track, past Hamilton Station to Bloods Creek, out to Dalhousie Springs, up to Mt Dare, Finke, The Lambert Centre, Chambers Pillar and Rainbow Valley.
The Oodnadatta Track is in very good condition. We stopped a night at Marree to allow most of our group to take fixed wing or rotary winged flights over Lake Eyre and the Birdsville Track. Everyone was appropriately delighted at seeing the extent of the water in these areas. Some of them flew over the Birdsville Track ferry. On the way there we called in to Farina, the owners of Farina have established a very nice camping area there with flush toilets and hot showers. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to stay there, but have put it in the memory bank for future trips.Our next overnight stop was at Coward Springs. We travelled there via Curdimurka and the Mound Springs. Curdimurka was of interest to us because our trip leaders Gerry and Deirdre have been to a number of the Curdimurka Balls over the years. It was amazing to see the amount of water under the Old Ghan bridge at the adjacent Stuart Creek. The Mound Springs are a must for any one travelling this road – but the corrugations on the road in were the worst we had faced so far. Coward Springs continues to improve and is a credit to the people who own it. Their amenities, for such a remote location, are amazing. We had booked ahead and arrived to find a whole section of the camping area set aside for us.
Leaving there we travelled on to William Creek and had a beer or a coffee in the pub. Our next stopover was at Algebuckina Bridge. We inspected the bridge and then crossed the road to the designated camping area. We had it to ourselves. The only problem there was the yabbies in the waterhole were all babies and literally fell back out of the nets when we retrieved them. Apart from that we had a great camp fire and a comfortable night’s sleep.
Up the next day we travelled the short distance in to Oodnadatta and refuelled at the Pink Roadhouse. Spent a little time inspecting the town and set off for Hamilton Station. The owners there are friends of ours and our whole group was met warmly. Wayne, the owner showed us the start of new accommodation blocks he is putting in. His plan is to provide tourist accommodation and cattle station adventure tours. We hope to return to see it up and running after the opening next Easter. By the way, the last 30 or so kilometres into Hamilton Station has just been rebuilt and is in excellent condition. But be wary of the blind crests and curves.. Leaving Hamilton Station we proceeded to Dalhousie Springs where we stayed 2 nights to relax and recharge. The water was refreshingly warm, but the cold winds made the walk back to the campsite a challenge. The dust was also very annoying.
From there we headed for Mt Dare. Rather than go back out to Bloods Creek we took the short cut straight through to Mt Dare. This was the worst stretch of road we had encountered. Arriving at Mt Dare we had morning tea, one of our members had a tyre repair done and I introduced myself to Geoff with whom I had previously communicated on the Exploroz website. From there we went up to Finke and out to the Lambert Centre. The road to Finke was very corrugated. The road out to the Lambert Centre is a maze of alternatives through the bush, all of which eventually arrive at the same location...

A wonderful display of red, blue, purple and yellow wildflowers along the track. From there back into Finke and drove North towards Maryvale Station before we found a convenient location for a bush camp. This stretch of road was quite difficult – lots of corrugations, humps and hollows like moguls, and everywhere there were dog spikes from the Old Ghan either sticking up or laying on the road. The road out to Chambers Pillar is in excellent condition, and apart from having to negotiate the jump-up about halfway could probably be achieved in a 2wd vehicle. Leaving there we returned to Titjikala Aboriginal Community where we went to the Arts and Crafts Centre. We spent some time, watching the artists and examining their works. Most of our group purchased some sort of memento of our visit. It was a real eye opener to see the work that is being done to get these people involved in prolonging their culture.
From there we headed to Rainbow Valley. Stopping at the Hugh River rail crossing for morning tea we were really impressed that out trip leader had arranged for the New Ghan train to pass by. Its driver greeted us with much whistle blowing and his passengers waving frantically. It was as though they had been out of contact for days, rather than us. For our part the cameras were madly clicking as we waved back..
We arrived at Rainbow Valley early afternoon and set up camp waiting for the sunset. Unfortunately, another fizzer!!! Too much cloud cover. Next morning up and onto the blacktop and in to Alice Springs. The various trades have made some money out of us here. Between us, we have had to buy 3 new tyres, a VHF aerial, a rear windscreen, and have repairs done to a fuel tank, a trailer electrical coupling, a diesel pump and an exhaust system. Most of that has been achieved today, with one of our members having to wait behind till Friday for his repair. The washing is all done, the first showers enjoyed and we are all starting to unwind.
We have done 4900 k’s since we left home. Everywhere we have been in the Outback we have been amazed at the greenery and the new growth.
16.7 We are finally back in civilization – Kununurra!!! The Binns Track has been a bit of a non-event. We have been rained off most of it. We had some rain while in Alice Springs but it was only a portent of what was to come. From Alice we headed east to Ross River Resort.. Put up our tents in the rain and adjourned to the fireplace in the homestead for some afternoon refreshments. The weather cleared enough for us to cook tea and enjoy some fireworks to celebrate “Territory Day”...

The next day we travelled to Arltunga and inspected some of the old mine workings. There were a few patches of mud on the road and on our return we were surprised to see a family walking beside the road about 8 km’s from Arltunga at 4.30pm. They had been in a 2wd vehicle and had decided to walk the last bit into Arltunga rather than attempt the worst of the mud patches. When we left them, they had apparently decided to walk back to their vehicle and abandon Arltunga for the day. One wonders what would have become of them if we hadn’t stopped...

We camped at Ross River Resort for three nights, and while it might be stretching the use of the word “Resort” we certainly enjoyed our stay there. Most of the group enjoyed the bush walks there. The camping area is about 400m from the homestead and the cabins, but has clean amenities, hot showers and plenty of good water. On the third day the group drove to N’Dhala Gorge and did the bush walk there.

On 4 July we followed the Binns Track back through Arltunga, inspecting the Information Centre and historic buildings on the way...
We then continued north to Gemtree on the Plenty Highway. This was to be our last sight of the Binns Track for quite a while. The rain returned during the night and we were all packing up assorted items of wet canvas the next morning. The Binns Track was to take us up to the Davenport National Park, where we had planned to bush camp for a number of nights and do some exploration of the park. We were already aware that the track north was difficult because of earlier rains, and the fresh fall had made that road impassable. So, a decision was made to make a dash up the Stuart Highway to see if we could get above the weather front. We headed for Wycliffe Wells, which has a BIG 4 caravan park and would allow those of us who wanted one the opportunity to sleep in a cabin. There was also reasonably easy access to Davenport NP from there if the weather hadn’t got that far north.

On the way we stopped at Aileron Roadhouse where some of our group had their first opportunity to see a Wedge Tailed Eagle up close. The poor bird sustained a major injury years ago and can’t return to the wild. From there we headed up to Red Centre Farm for a taste of their fabulous mango wine and liqueur and mango topping...
When we arrived at Wycliffe Well, we were a bit disappointed at the “Big 4” park. They refused to accept Big 4 cards for the use of motel rooms and cabins, the camp kitchen was a joke – 2 electric cooking rings, neither of which worked, the only cooking facility was a wood fired barbeque without wood AND, it was still raining!!! The next morning everyone packed up again in the rain. It was obvious that we were not going to get into the Davenport NP. So, off we went again, on the blacktop. Hopeful of getting above the weather we headed for morning tea at Tennant Creek. Still raining when we got there so after a short break we continued on. We reached Renner Springs Roadhouse and decided to take the opportunity to camp there while they still had vacancies. Still raining!!! By about 5.00pm the van park was filled to overflowing with caravans and campers occupying every conceivable piece of space. And still it rained!!! Some of our campsites were under as much as 100mm of water...
Fortunately the two couples relying on tents had booked into the motel rooms.

We woke up to overcast but DRY skies. Our itinerary was telling us that we were supposed to be in the Davenport Ranges. But that was now completely forgotten. We headed north again, still on the blacktop, heading for Daly Waters. Along the way we called in to Newcastle Waters to inspect the historic buildings. Also stopped at the lagoon and observed the wonderful array of birdlife. Pelicans, jabirus, ducks, geese, herons, egrets etc, all in great abundance, then on to Daly Waters. The camping there is still chaotic, and the amenities very ordinary, but the atmosphere in the pub makes up for those shortcomings. .. Daly Waters pub
The SUN SHONE and everybody managed to get all their camping gear dry. We all partook of the “Beef & Barra” dinner and had a good relaxing night.

We awoke to a fine day and drove south to Dunmarra to finally resume our trek along the Binns Track. Back on the dirt. We followed the Buchanan Highway to Top Springs, then heading towards Victoria Downs Station. We stopped for morning tea at Waterbag Creek. While there, 6 road trains, loaded with cattle drove past on their way to Alice Springs. We were glad we hadn’t been confronted by them on the dry, narrow, dusty road...

At the Dashwood Crossing of the Victoria River there was water over the causeway, but did not present any problems...
We bush camped for the night at the Southern end of Jasper Gorge. There was an abundance of birdlife which kept our amateur birdwatchers busy. Up the next morning we drove on through the gorge and were in awe at the vibrant colours and amazing scenery. We had decided to spend the next four nights at Gregory National Park.
We stopped at Timber Creek for fuel and supplies. Having been told that Limestone Gorge camping area is closed we headed straight to Bullita camping ground
On arrival there we managed to squeeze all our group in – but the campground was definitely full then. This park is very popular and the small number of available campsites and only one toilet is really ridiculous.

We certainly enjoyed our time at Gregory.
Among other things, we did the all day drive around the Bullita Stock Route.
Definitely 4wd only, but absolutely spectacular. We did a number of other shorter drives and also a number of bush walks. We celebrated Christmas in July and were visited by Santa Claus and his little Elf. Everyone had a wonderful night, highlighted by a sat phone conversation with 2 members of our party who were forced to withdraw from the trip at the last minute. By the end of the night everyone was glowing from having such a good time.

13 July. Still 2 days to go before we were due in Kununurra where we had bookings in a caravan park. We headed today to Keep River NP. Almost on the border with WA this park doesn’t get a lot of publicity, but we really enjoyed it. The 2 bushwalks that we did – Jarrnem and Gurrandalng were very interesting. A lot of the rock formations in this park are similar to those of the Bungle Bungles.
The flora is also interesting and varies greatly throughout the two walks. We also did the Gingers Hill walk which is only 200 metres each way but culminates in an aboriginal hawk trap which had us all wondering at its efficiency.

So here we are now in Kununurra. We are all disappointed that we have only been able to do a small percentage of the Binns Track. But that is the reality of outback travel. What we have done has been wonderful. All we can do is look forward to the Kimberley. We arrived here early yesterday and spent the day washing, shopping, cleaning or resting. Today we did a boat cruise on Lake Kununurra down to the Ord River dam.
A wonderful day with a visit to the Durack homestead on the way back.
Tomorrow is a rest day before we venture off into the Kimberley in 2 days time.

1 August. We have begun our downhill run. We are currently camped in Charnley Station, a working cattle station of about 750,000 acres. It is situated about 40 kms North of the Gibb River Road between Imintji and Mt Barnett road houses. We have been here for 2 days and have done a few nice drives and had some time to swim in the local waterhole. Mustering is under way, and we have unfortunately been getting in their way a little bit on our travels around the station. But it has been very interesting to see the helicopters, horsemen and women and the bull wagons working together to bring in the stock – some of which have not seen a human being for years. We leave here tomorrow to go to Windjana Gorge and start to head South.

.Kununurra was a good break for all of us and we were able to recharge all the batteries – mechanical and personal!!! From there we travelled West and turned on to the infamous Gibb River Road. In one respect it was a giant disappointment, and in others a great relief. The road is in excellent condition and even has stretches of bitumen. The corrugations we had been led to expect were few and far between. We turned off the GRR into El Questro and that road was also very good. On arrival at El Questro we were immediately taken by the warm welcome from the staff. Some of our group elected to camp in a private camp site about 8 km’s from the main camp. The rest of us camped in the main camp. The next three days were spent 4 wheel driving, walking the gorges and swimming in the wonderful rock pools We drove the Kurunji Track to Wyndham which was a good 4wd track, some challenging places and spectacular scenery. The 5 Rivers lookout at Wyndham is one of the most scenic views in this part of the world – photographs just do not do it justice. On the way back to EQ we called in to Parry’s Lagoon and were enthralled by the quantity and variety of birdlife
. On 22 July we left EQ and travelled further West on the GRR before turning right to head North to Drysdale River Station. We elected to camp at Miners Pool rather than the station proper. This was probably a mistake. Although there was a swimming hole there, the campsite is really only a glorified bush camp and does not justify the imposition of camping fees.

The next morning we continued on to King Edward River. The National Park campsite was very well maintained and right next to a wonderful swimming hole. While here we were able to locate some wonderful aboriginal art sites. Surprisingly most of these are untouched and unprotected by bureaucracy.

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From King Edward River we drove to Mitchell River National Park. This stretch of road was the worst we had encountered on the trip. Heavily corrugated, it was difficult for some of the group to maintain appropriate speeds to be reasonably comfortable. Upon our arrival we headed for one of the waterholes and cooled down. The following day we made the trek out to Mitchell Falls (3.5 kms).Waterholes on the way repeatedly invited us in for a swim..

What a wonderful walk and what a treat greeted us on our arrival at the Falls. No wonder they are the objective of so many travellers in this part of the country. We all managed to reach the lookout opposite the falls and took our pictures. From there we helicoptered back to the campsite. Some of us taking a short sightseeing flight on the way, and others a longer one

The next morning we were up bright and early and off to the Mission town of Kalumburu. The Northernmost community in Western Australia. The road once again was in very good condition and we made good time until about 30kms out of town when the corrugations and rough rocky surface re-appeared. 400 people live in Kalumburu and it is the hub for fishing camps at Honeymoon Bay and McGowans Island. ..We travelled out to see these places, as well as the original site of the mission at Pago. Having seen them we were unanimous in our support of the decision to camp in town rather that at one of the fishing camps. ..
Pago was, so far,the furthermost point of our trip from home. The GPS telling us that we were 4519 kms, by road, from home. Whilst in Kalumburu we again found a number of interesting aboriginal art sites – some of which have aroused huge interest
We left Kalumburu mid morning of 28 July after visiting the local museum and being told the history of the area by Father Anscar of the mission.

We bush camped the next night and then travelled West on the GRR to Manning Gorge. Access to the gorge is from Mt Barnett roadhouse. Most of us had decided to refuel there. Unfortunately the roadhouse was almost out of diesel, and completely out of unleaded. The worst part was the uncertainty about the date of arrival of the tanker. This led to a re-think and two of the group, ourselves included, had to stay back and just wait. The rest of the group went on and arrived at Charnley Station, where we were fortunate enough to arrive the following day with a full tank of petrol.

The damage bill continues to mount up and at the last count we had suffered 14 punctures within the group. The rear eye level brake light in our vehicle has fallen off and others have suffered some form or other of breakage.

3 Aug. We have now arrived in Fitzroy Crossing. Time to refuel, recharge and get ready for the Bungle Bungles. Most of the group have gone for a cruise on Geikie Gorge this afternoon. But we have stayed back for a bit of R & R and a chance to update the blog. After the Bungles we have to make a charge down to Alice Springs via the Tanami Road to prepare for our crossing of the Simpson Desert. We have now done 10,000kms since we left home.

9 August. Back in Alice Springs. Whilst at Charnley we said farewell to two of our group who were departing the next day for Broome. Our farewell diner was highlighted by a presentation to our trip leaders Gerry and Deirdre from the group in appreciation for all they had done. From Charnley Station we returned to the Gibb River Road and headed West. A short stop at Bell Gorge preceded a fuel stop and morning tea at Imintji where we said goodbye to Barry and Sue.

Shortly after, we left the GRR and headed South to Windjana Gorge, arriving there in the early afternoon. After setting up camp we all took the opportunity to investigate the Gorge. Proclaimed to be “The premier location in Australia to see freshwater crocodiles”, we were not disappointed. Although the numbers seemed to be down on our previous visit, we were still able to get up close and personal with some of these amazing creatures. Lazing on the sandy bank they allowed us to get up to within a metre of them without so much as batting an eye. This is truly an amazing place. The sunset on the limestone cliffs is awesome and compares well with sunset at other Australian icons, such as Uluru and Ubirr.

Up bright and early the next day we took off for Fitzroy Crossing. After a visit to Tunnel Creek we soon found ourselves back on the blacktop and heading for Fitzroy River Lodge – an absolute oasis after the places we had been camping. The rest of the group took the Geikie Gorge cruise while we stayed back and attended to shopping etc.

We only allowed ourselves one night of luxury and the next day were off again, through Halls Creek and into Purnululu N.P. (The Bungle Bungles). On the way we were particularly impressed with the effort that has obviously gone into improving the towns of Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek. They are both now a credit to their communities. Heading into the Bungles we got a pleasant shock at the condition of the access road. While still only suitable for 4wd vehicles, the road is a lot wider and less corrugated than on our previous visit 6 years ago. There are still a number of blind crests and bends that require utmost caution. Unfortunately the improvement in road conditions allows the yahoos to strut their stuff. We struck a number of vehicles coming the other way, whose drivers had no respect for other road users and who seemed hell bent on setting a new record for the trip out of the Bungles. At least when the road is difficult these guys are forced to take their time and cannot become the statistic that seems to be their destiny.

We stayed at Kurrajong camp in the Bungles and by nightfall it was extremely crowded. In fact, it reminded me of a few caravan parks I have stayed in. The next morning we walked Echidna Gorge and then drove to the Southern end of the park and did the Cathedral Gorge walk and walked out to the Piccaninny Creek lookout. Most of the group did a helicopter flight in the afternoon. The next morning the group split up and those of us planning to cross the Simpson Desert on the way home departed. The others stayed another day in the Bungles.

For us that concluded the "Binns Track and into the Kimberly" portion of our trip. The remainder of the trip is reported in the blog "The Tanami and Simpson Desert"