TRIP to CANNING STOCK ROUTE DAY 26

7 July 2012

STAGE 3 CSR Day 5

WellS 10 to 15 (114km)

Nice morning – no ice in the bucket. We no longer talk about the wind. Instead we comment on ‚moving air‘.

With some shake, rattle and roll we were on our way along a fairly flat section of countryside. Not far along the track we came across a group of dark, tall emus.

We nearly missed well 11 Goodwin Soak. It was not considered a successful well and was the shallowest of the wells. There is not much remaining of it.

We were appalled to find someone had camped here and not put out their fire or bothered to bury their waste and toilet paper. The lack of responsibility by some spoils it for everyone else and results in restrictions on access to places.

We were now in claypan and sand dune country interspersed with rocky outcrops.

We caught a view of White Lake through the break in the sand dunes.

As we went over the first bigger dune Oka 45 couldn’t lock in its 4WD. So a temporary fix to lock it in was made and all was well.

We started to refer to them as sand moguls as they were just like the moguls in the snow.

We really bounced over some dunes due to the dips left by those towing trailers.  

As we topped one dune a beautiful vista of Aerodrome Lake opened up. It was a beautiful drive along the edges of the lake.

In places it looked like water in the lake but it was only a mirage.

One dune beat us initially. Went up in third low but didn’t make it. So we dropped our tyres even further and all was right.

Well 12 amongst desert oaks is another well that has collapsed.

After having a good look at it we continued on crossing a number of dunes (13 according to our ‚bible‘) before the turn off to well 13.

The burnt out shell of a landrover was on the side of the track.

We gave well 13 a miss as we skirted around sand dunes.  There are just so many honey grevilleas, native fuchia, acacia and other wild flowers. The honey grevillea is looking spctacular with its yellow flowers. When touched – oh so sticky. It makes a nice sweet drink.

Ward Hills on both sides of the track provided another landscape through which we travelled as more sand dunes were crossed. They are not big but it is always with anticipation that I wait for us to reach the crest to see what lays ahead.

Sometimes open vistas, other times only the narrow track with vegetation on either side. This sure is spinifex country. There are so many varieties of it.

There is little left of Well 14.

We continued on to Well 15 to camp for the night. There is a lot of history associated with the track. As we drive we recap the stories associated with the places.

It was like Pitt St at Well 15. There were another 5 vehicles with trailers here for the night.

There were stunning low white flowers everywhere. Very little firewood here but the white gums and flowering shrubs provided a meadow effect.