Balladonia-Old Coach Road-Peak Charles

Yadadinia Rockhole

I decided to ‘cut the corner’ to get to the Old Coach Road via Yadadina Rockhole, rather than just return 12 kilometres south along the Balladonia Track . The decision was the start of a long and tedious drive that should have taken no more than 20 minutes but in actuality took nearly two hours.

As a result of the devastating fire of 2020 that caused the Eyre Highway to be closed for 12 days many trees had fallen across the track, necessitating numerous diversions. Nothing if not different.

Old Coach Road/Telegraph Track

After Yadadinia we turned west onto the old Coach Road/Telegraph Track. Today it still serves a vital function as the corridor for the Optus Fibre Optic Cable that connects Western Australia with the eastern states.

The 195 kilometre (Coolgardie Esperance Highway to Eyre Highway) dirt road is in reasonable condition, if a little dusty at the eastern end.

Abandoned Dundas, 21 kilometres south of Norseman, has a rich mining history that is well explained by a series of information plaques.

We pushed on south-west along the Coolgardie Esperance Highway for 33 kilometres and turned onto the Peak Charles Road.

After one false start (and a staked tyre on Jo and Andrew’s Prado) we made our way into Moir Rock and Tank for the night.

Moir Tank

This is a great campsite. Little visited, numerous sites and a good view of Peak Charles from the top of the Rock.

The next morning we drove to the top of Moir Rock. One can see Peak Charles 35 kilometres to the south-west.

Moir Tank was an important water source during the goldrush years.

Peak Charles

The weather was more friendly for climbing than what we had at Mount Ragged.

Scott, Greg and Pete climbed to within 30 metres of the peak. The last stretch requires more specialised gear and, in its absence, the risk was considered unacceptable.

On the way back from Mushroom Rock I came across some Processionary Caterpillars. Said to be dangerous. Their needle like hairs are sharp and brittle. They can easily penetrate and break off in human skin and contain an irritating protein that produces a highly allergic response in most people.

 

We departed Peak Charles through Annes Pass and along Dunn Track (actually an old shotline) to search for the ‘difficult to spot’ Lake Sharpe Track.

 

 

© Kim Epton 2021-2024
592 words, 17 photographs, three images.
Photographs
Kim Epton
Lone Neilsen
Graham Howe

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