Canning Stock Route 2004

Sunday 29th August.

  Last night was awful! It blew gale forge winds and our car shook and rolled underneath us. Not much sleep happened. Colin checked the remains of our fire about 1.10 am but it was OK. A very cold, blustery southerly wind stated the day. Everone was glad to pack up and get into the vehicles and leave. First stop was Nangabbittajarra native well, which was a limestone depression.  Then it was on to Mujingerra Spring. People used to be able to climb down into it, but the entrance has now collapsed. Heading back to Well 30 (Dunda Jinnda) we found it was in ruins and looked like a wombat hole. North of here were some very rocky sections and the travelling was very slow. Many camels were sighted around here. On to Well 31 (Wullowla) which was derelict. The last member of the camel train never left here as the skull was still on the post. The track out of there was quite cccorrrugggattted again. We stopped at Well 32 which was a shallow sand filled hole and not much else. There was very little shade for lunch. This area was open spinifex plains and the cccorrrugggatttions continued.We crossed the Kidson Track and proceeded past the Kunawarritji Community turn off to Well 33). There was a working windmill pumping good clean water into a tank and the overflow going into a pool. The original well (Gunowaggi) had water about 5’ down and was located under some ti trees. While we were collecting some firewood a bearded dragon started to run up Joy’s leg but decided to scuttle off. The Oztent travellers were in camp tonight plus one southbound vehicle. There has been southerly breeze all day, which became quite cold after sunset. Joy put some drops in a guy’s eye – it had been sore since we met them at Georgia Bore. 

Monday 30^th August.

The wind lessened during last night but came up cold again after sunrise. All the winter woolies were out. We sold 20 litres of petrol to the Range Rover owner from the Oztent travellers. Cold! Cold! Cold! We refilled our water containers from the well and headed into the community. Everyone there works on community  time. We all refuelled  with fuel that came in  from  Port Hedland.  Some  groceries and souvenirs were purchased, we all had a shower ($5 each) and then made various phone calls. After arriving at the Community at 8 am and being the first three in the fuel queue, it was about 11.15 am when we finally left. The track is very cccorrrugggattted! Agggain! Well 34 (Nibil) was our next one.

There were plenty of finches, but only a little water.  Lunch stop was at Well 35 (Minjoo), which was swampy and smelled rather awful and the well area itself had been totally flooded. After leaving there we got a little bogged and lost in the desert oaks before finding the right track again. Many tracks wandered through the area. Back on track we were into the sand hills again. Most striking was a strong purple flowering bush. We found Well 36 (Wanda), which was also flooded over a large area. Some hesitation was due to map and track notes being somewhat  unclear. However, we did find  the right  way and the track later ran along  the tops of some sand dunes, which was something different. We decided on a campsite just before the next well in a valley of burnt desert oaks. The wind dropped at night and we were the only ones camped there. Today we only saw one lone camel.

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