Tjukaruru Road

Leaving Kata Tjuta we turned off the bitumen at the start of unsealed section of the Tjukaruru Road. Some deflated tyres slightly for the dirt road.

The Tjukaruru Road was in good condition although there were numerous mudholes for many kilometres – the bloke I spoke with half way down Uluru wasn’t lying.

Lunch was under some desert oaks at Puta Puta, in the Petermann Ranges, near Chirnside Creek.

Lasseters Cave

Next stop was Lasseters Cave at Tjunti, not far from Docker River. It was here that prospector Harold Bell Lasseter sheltered for 25 days in January 1931 after his camels deserted him. He was later found dead by Bob Buck, well-known bush man of central Australia. More information.

WA/NT Border

From Tjunti it is only a short run to the NT/WA border.

The convoy had spread out a bit by Warrakurna and it was clear that the pace of the trip was a little too fast for the guys towing.

Giles/Warrakurna

Giles Weather Station is about a kilometre north of the roadhouse/settlement so we took the opportunity to see one of the Gunbarrel Road Construction Party’s graders. A part of the Blue Streak rocket launched on 5 June 1964 from Woomera found 50 kilometres south-east of Giles in 1980 is on display at the Weather Station.

Kerry topped up at Warakurna roadhouse (diesel $2.45/litre). Cheapest fuel in town. We left Warakurna looking for a camp for the night, deciding on Yarla Kutjarra.

Yarla Kutjarra Campsite

Minutes after we set up camp we were joined by Sebastian and Marion, a young French couple in Australia for a year travelling in a Mitsubishi Challenger 4WD wagon. They were to stay with us for the rest of the trip.

John and Lesley and Ken and Estela decided to head home at a slower pace. Scott, Kerry, Dan, Seb and Marion, and I departed from our overnight camp spot in a new convoy.

Great Central Road

From Warburton to Heather Highway turnoff the Great Central Road (GCR) is bitumenised. I’m sure the locals appreciate it but is somewhat detracts from the ‘Outback Experience’.

While waiting for the service station to open at Warburton (9.00 a.m.) I changed the fuel filter on the Rodeo. This is better done on a hoist rather than lying on one’s back in the gravel forecourt of an outback servo.

Empress Springs

After refuelling and lunch at Tjukayirla we headed west on the GCR and discussed over the radio whether we should visit Empress Springs. It had long been an interest of mine. Fifteen kilometres west of ‘Chooka’ the David Carnegie Highway leads off to the north – to Breaden Bluff and Empress Springs – before eventually intersecting with the Gunbarrel Highway. The track continues north of the Gunbarrel from where is is known as the Eagle Highway – but often the entire track from the GCR is termed Eagle Highway.

Empress Springs was revealed to the wider world in 1896 by David Carnegie.

Minor Drama on Return to Great Central Road

On the return to the GCR we stopped to collect wood and noticed that Seb’s vehicle was leaking fuel. Scott was carrying some metal sealant that solved the problem.

The aim was to reach a campsite 95 kilometres to the west but as darkness fell I swung into a earlier parking bay and drove through to the tracks beyond. It opened into a very large gravel pit with masses of wood for our campfire.

The rain blew in horizontally overnight. Not pleasant.