Talawanna Tk

Lake Disappointment to Rudall River via Talawanna Tk 8.00 Departed bush Casuarina camp. 8.20 Crossed a small salt lake. Dave and Kay had scouted this the previous evening to see if it would be a good camp site, but it was too open and too few trees for shelter. We all agreed the Casuarina camp was a better option when we saw the terrain. 8.45 Feels like coastal terrain in this part of the Canning. Dunes, grass-like vegetation on the dunes, low scrub and clay pans. We were still tracking lots of salt lakes on our right, all part of the shallow Lake Disappointment system, once a great shallow drainage basin for the area. If the rain patterns change over the next few hundred years it could again be filled and act as a settling pond for monsoonal rains. It certainly looks like a large fresh water lake from a distance. A nice comfortable drive for all of us too. 9am Well 21, sometimes known as the putrid well, but we certainly didn't notice any smells. It was however, ruined and the campsite small and unsuitable. Avoid stopping here. Departed 9.07. We took the 1988 diversion track around to the right and closest to the lake with some dunes. It finishes 4km short of well 22. 10.10 Morning tea. Had a great run around the lake over the last hour even though some corrugations on the track and two tall sand dunes with great views from their tops. Departed 10.30. 10.50 Well 22. It's a dangerous uncovered hole in the ground. Departed 10.55. 11.12 Lots of washaways but lovely green swales with yellow flowers. Harbutt Range ahead in the distance with the Cronin Hills on right. All are eroded terraces. 11.15 Arrived Georgia Bore. Good water in bore, large campground, but a bit exposed, and a composting loo. Departed 11.30. On our return we would meet & camp overnight here. We turned west onto the Talawanna Track after leaving the bore and the CSR. This is a diversion into one of the most remote national parks, Rudall River NP. The Talawanna Track runs west to Newman and is one of the few escape routes from the CSR. Between the bore and the turnoff to the Parrngurr Aboriginal Community, about 70Km , the track is even rougher than the CSR. Excessively corrugated and untouched by grader for a long time. From the Parrngurr turnoff to Newman , almost 300 km, it's a well graded track and good to drive on. We broke our radio antenna in the first 10km or so on the track. It vibrated and shook so much that the ruberised section snapped and left us having to use our hand held emergency radios to communicate with the other cars, for the rest of the trip. Good views of the Harbutt and MacKay ranges on the early stretch of the track. 11.20 Met east bound party of three vehicles on the Talwanna. We had been picking up their radio chatter for the last two hours or so as we breasted the dunes on the CSR. David and their leader spoke. They are trying to drive out to Windy Corner , a Beadell track east of the CSR through Georgia Bore and east. It’s still called the Talwanna Tk right out to Windy Corner. 12.15 Arrived at Parrngurr turnoff but elected to visit it on the way back and deliver the jumpers that Annie took from Bendigo knitters to distribute to Aboriginal community health centre for babies and toddlers. Talawana Tk rough and rather boring. Not a lot to see. Flat with vegetation. 1pm All had to pull off the track into the scrub to let a truck past. Driver was delivering drums of fuel to the Georgia Bore fuel drop, which is several km off the CSR away from the bore. 1.30 Spotted masses of tall stems with blue flowers. Beautiful. Could replace Delphiniums and be feature in native gardens.(1-4 spikes per plant) No idea what they are. Will try to track them down in books. 1.40 Coming abreast of the Harbutt range as it is visible from the track. It's a series of eroded jump-ups with fans that are treed with green grasses and shrubs. Most of the fans have been thus covered with mists of green (dry brush this in pics). But it's a bit of a moon scape the closer you get to the Harbutts with gibbers and green shrubs. 2.00. Passed two camper trailers east bound on Talawana We pulled over for them. We turned off into the Rudall River NP near White Gums Bore. Apart from 20 km of good road near Cotton Creek and the Parrngurr the rest was truly bad. We were quite tired and running low on fuel. Another 80 rugged km to get us to our camp site at No. 11 Pool. This was late in the day, we stopped for wood and to top up from our fuel supplies. 5pm Arrived at the camp site. It was great and we camped in the dry river bed leading to the pool. Lots of bird life. Warm golden afternoon. Fabulous scenery of ranges and jump ups in the last 20-30Km of the road in. This is a two night stop so we are all ready to relax, shower, put up the loo tent and sleep in. meg was looking forward to getting some sketching done next