TRIP to CANNING STOCK ROUTE DAY 39 - CSR

20 July 2012

STAGE 3 CSR Day 18

WATER TANK 42 – Guli Tank KULYAYI, Well 43 – BILLOAGGI, WEL 44 – JIMPIRRINKARRA (JIMBERINGGA) (114km)

The morning was warm so we expected a hot day today. The breeze was strong again. We had about 46 dunes to cross within about 56km distance. Our ‚bible‘ told us that these were the highest dunes along the track.

This section of the track does not follow the original route at all. The challenge is aways ahead – what will the next dune be like – soft or hard, mogully or with deep holes. Then as you crest each dune will it be open vistas or series of dunes as spinifex swales opened up. Only one dune was a real doozy. It wa extremely soft and fine sand and was very mogully. Oka 306 did get over it but both the other 2 Oka’s needed a helping tow to get over it. As it was a longish tow Oka 45 was towed part of the way the he winched himself up towards the stationary Oka before a final tow whilst we had a tandem tow to save mucking about.

At morning tea time one vehicle overtook us after stopping for a chat.

We came to a section that was burnt out and for once we really felt we were in the desert.

We stopped for lunch at what is referred to as Water Tank 43. The well is silted up. What looked like the native well was close by.

Routine checking of vehicles revealed loose free wheeling hub bolts on two vehicles that were immediately tightened.

We took the old track to Well 44. It was an interesting drive – very straight for about 21km but what a roller coaster ride. The track was straight as an arrow from dune to dune. As we crested each dune all you could see was the track extending in a straightline over several dunes as far as you could see.

There was nowhere to camp along the way, nor was there any firewood to be found. Well 44 is another ruin.

A small carpark around it served as our campsite for the night. A dingo was hanging around when we arrived. It moved on but we were wandering whether it would return during the night.

Our campfire tonight was small and did not last too long. However, it was nice to spend some time at it. So far there has been only one night at Well 33 that we had no campfire.