Yellowdine / Goldfields trip - Easter 2004
Members:
Pluto & Pommy Pete (in Plutp's
Nissan Patrol turbo diesel)
Skip & kids (in Hilux Turbo Diesel)
Rushy (in Hilux diesel)
Details of route travelled...
Trip Report...
Thursday Night
Yellowdine / Goldfields trip - Easter 2004
Members:
Pluto & Pommy Pete (in Plutp's
Nissan Patrol turbo diesel)
Skip & kids (in Hilux Turbo Diesel)
Rushy (in Hilux diesel)
Details of route travelled...
Trip Report...
Thursday Night
Despite various problems and delays the party met and departed from Midland at 7:00pm, and arrived at Yellowdine around 11:30. Darkness and mud ensured we did not use the proposed campsite adjacent to the Yellowdine dam, instead we decided to look further north for a site along Marvel Loch Rd. An open area on a low rise was selected and we settled down for the night.
Good Friday
After a debate about continuing along the Marvel Loch Rd, we decided to take the route to Koolyanobbing via Southern Cross, which lead to some deep and slippery mud holes. Continuing North, a poor choice of tracks found us on a challenging climb up the flanks of Bungalbin Hill to mediocre views and a similarly challenging decent. Lunch was had at a more accessible (and more scenic) lookout at the northern end of the Hellena and Aroura Range.
Progressing North East, passing the Hunt Range, progress slowed as we entered a little used and overgrown track. Encountering our first staking, ensured we did not reach our planned camp site at Yowie Rock, opting to camp at a the pleasant Curara Soak.
Saturday
Continuing past Yowie Rock, we again chose the lesser used track, progressing Eastwards towards Ularring rock. This track consisted of patches of ancient wheel ruts, weathered to near invisibility through thick regrowth from recent fires. The onerous task of track finding was handed over as each lead vehicle received yet more punctures. The four stakings encountered on this 30km stretch of wilderness varied from match stick sized splinters to about two inches in diameter. One of Rushy’s wheels looked like it had been mistaken for a vampire!
Forward progress was very slow, made more difficult by thick scrub that forced us to leave the track and making our lunch stop nearly 1km off route. We reached the Davyhurst-Mulline Road in Mid afternoon and took a break at Ullaring rock, before deciding to make our way to Ora Banda and finally making camp at Rowles Lagoon just after sunset.
Easter Sunday
A late start was made after making much needed repairs to tyres the divvying up of the chocolate booty. The girls got the lion’s share, of course.
A quick tour of Rowles Lagoon, revealed the Goldfield’s premiere water-skiing venue to be little more than a crusty clay pan, waiting for enough rain to return it to its watery splendor.
Morning tea was held at Jaurdi Hills, amongst old mine workings and Lunch was held in the park, in Coolgardie, after a much needed fuel stop. Not wanting to double back, we attempted to follow a Woodline track, Eastwards from the Coolgardie North Road, to be thwarted by thick bush and confused shooters tracks, none of which headed East. Time was catching up with us and a decision was made to follow the road around past Dunsville and Jaurdi Hills (again), before rejoining the woodline track and heading for Wallaroo Rock. Again, our progress was slower than anticipated and we made camp on the track.
Monday
We reached Wallaroo Rock and had a brief swim in the dam and walked to the summit. Inspecting the campsite at the dam revealed a grotty and unpleasant site. Definitely not recommended.
Heading South from the rock, we reached the Trans Australia railway. Encountering more mud, we turned West along it until reaching Jaurdi Siding, again heading south along a muddy and in places, severely washed out track to the Highway. After a brief visit to Karalee Rock, we continued to Yellowdine and turned South, making Camp in the ruins of Palmers Find.
Very night we had camped, believing that one of the many thunderstorms we observed would wash out our camp. Every evening Rushy would announce that it would be raining in an hour and a half. Sure enough it was… somewhere else. It became a chant for warding off the expected dousing and it worked until about four in the morning on this last night out. A tremendous crashing of thunder and flashes of lightning all around joined a heavy, but brief downpour. By daybreak no evidence of the storm existed, except for a lack of footprints and tyre tracks around camp.
Tuesday
We broke camp and continued along the track to the mine site. Palmers find was a very rich mine during its short, ten year history and the remains told of a once huge operation.
We followed the track around the lake adjacent to the mine, crossing the clay pan twice and stopping for a short walk up High Rock, before returning to Yellowdine and turning towards Perth. A quick lunch was had at Merredin and the convoy went its separate ways from Midland.
The trip covered 1670 km in six days and encountered a wide variety of terrain, along routes that have seen no traffic for a very long time. To say this was an adventure is understating the feelings expressed by all, during the homeward leg of the journey.
NOTE - More than 200 More Photos are online at Skip's 4x4... Click Here
Pluto's Pics...
2503.JPG (71KB) |
2504.JPG (49.2KB) |
2505.JPG (83.1KB) |
2506.JPG (57.7KB) |
2507.JPG (43.2KB) |
2508.JPG (66.6KB) |
2509.JPG (96KB) |
2510.JPG (93.1KB) |
2511.JPG (111KB) |
2512.JPG (108KB) |
2513.JPG (108KB) |
2514.JPG (109KB) |
2515.JPG (101KB) |
2516.JPG (104KB) |
2517.JPG (106KB) |
2518.JPG (105KB) |
2519.JPG (109KB) |
2520.JPG (116KB) |
2521.JPG (113KB) |
2522.JPG (113KB) |
2523.JPG (113KB) |
2524.JPG (111KB) |
2525.JPG (45.9KB) |
2526.JPG (56.2KB) |
2527.JPG (63.4KB) |
2528.JPG (59.2KB) |
2529.JPG (62.8KB) |
2530.JPG (93KB) |
2531.JPG (95.3KB) |
2532.JPG (91.7KB) |
2533.JPG (105KB) |
2534.JPG (94.2KB) |
2535.JPG (86.3KB) |
2536.JPG (179KB) |
2537.JPG (187KB) |
2538.JPG (168KB) |
2539.JPG (94.8KB) |
2540.JPG (75KB) |
2541.JPG (24.9KB) |
2542.JPG (103KB) |
2543.JPG (125KB) |
2544.JPG (71.6KB) |
2545.JPG (80.9KB) |
2546.JPG (107KB) |
2547.JPG (72.1KB) |
2548.JPG (36.1KB) |
2549.JPG (91KB) |
2550.JPG (112KB) |
2551.JPG (74.1KB) |
2552.JPG (71.4KB) |
2553.JPG (85.9KB) |
2554.JPG (74.9KB) |
2555.JPG (166KB) |
2556.JPG (101KB) |
2557.JPG (101KB) |
2558.JPG (111KB) |
2559.JPG (211KB) |
2560.JPG (196KB) |
2561.JPG (125KB) |
2562.JPG (102KB) |
2563.JPG (58.8KB) |
2564.JPG (87.4KB) |
2565.JPG (153KB) |
2566.JPG (157KB) |
2567.JPG (168KB) |
2568.JPG (54.2KB) |
2569.JPG (70.7KB) |
2570.JPG (65.2KB) |
2571.JPG (43.1KB) |
2572.JPG (45.4KB) |
2573.JPG (55.2KB) |
2574.JPG (73.6KB) |
2575.JPG (70.7KB) |
2576.JPG (122KB) |
2577.JPG (119KB) |
2578.JPG (193KB) |
2579.JPG (108KB) |
2580.JPG (87.6KB) |
2581.JPG (101KB) |
2582.JPG (126KB) |
2583.JPG (113KB) |
2584.JPG (105KB) |
2585.JPG (113KB) |
2586.JPG (97.3KB) |
2587.JPG (93.9KB) |
2588.JPG (122KB) |
2589.JPG (102KB) |
2590.JPG (110KB) |
2591.JPG (185KB) |
2592.JPG (156KB) |
2593.JPG (58.9KB) |
2594.JPG (48.8KB) |
2595.JPG (73KB) |
2596.JPG (84.1KB) |
2597.JPG (69.4KB) |
2598.JPG (63.8KB) |
2599.JPG (71.3KB) |
2600.JPG (180KB) |
2601.JPG (182KB) |
2602.JPG (183KB) |
2606.JPG (159KB) |
2607.JPG (163KB) |
2608.JPG (166KB) |
2609.JPG (167KB) |
2610.JPG (159KB) |
2611.JPG (160KB) |
2612.JPG (160KB) |
2613.JPG (151KB) |
2614.JPG (153KB) |
2615.JPG (153KB) |
2616.JPG (156KB) |
2617.JPG (155KB) |
2618.JPG (158KB) |
2619.JPG (157KB) |
2620.JPG (168KB) |
2621.JPG (108KB) |
2622.JPG (105KB) |
2623.JPG (80.9KB) |
2624.JPG (105KB) |
2625.JPG (82.2KB) |
2626.JPG (80.2KB) |
2627.JPG (89.7KB) |
2628.JPG (93.3KB) |
2629.JPG (71.8KB) |
2630.JPG (92.3KB) |
2631.JPG (105KB) |
2632.JPG (105KB) |
2633.JPG (110KB) |
2634.JPG (135KB) |
2635.JPG (198KB) |
2636.JPG (105KB) |
2637.JPG (73.9KB) |
2638.JPG (94.1KB) |
2639.JPG (91.7KB) |
2640.JPG (232KB) |
2641.JPG (217KB) |
2642.JPG (112KB) |
2643.JPG (102KB) |
2644.JPG (88.8KB) |
2645.JPG (137KB) |
2646.JPG (239KB) |
2647.JPG (100KB) |
2648.JPG (117KB) |
2649.JPG (125KB) |
2650.JPG (84.3KB) |
2651.JPG (89KB) |
2652.JPG (87.1KB) |
2653.JPG (79.9KB) |
2654.JPG (85.4KB) |
2655.JPG (100KB) |
2656.JPG (105KB) |
2657.JPG (108KB) |
2658.JPG (109KB) |
2659.JPG (83.7KB) |
2660.JPG (157KB) |
2661.JPG (113KB) |
2662.JPG (87.8KB) |
2663.JPG (60.9KB) |
2664.JPG (62.6KB) |
2665.JPG (49.5KB) |
2666.JPG (74.2KB) |
2667.JPG (110KB) |
2670.JPG (106KB) |
2671.JPG (114KB) |
2672.JPG (122KB) |
2673.JPG (143KB) |
2674.JPG (107KB) |
2675.JPG (60.8KB) |
2676.JPG (81.4KB) |
2677.JPG (82.6KB) |
2678.JPG (88.6KB) |
2679.JPG (89KB) |
NOTE - More than 200 More Photos are online at Skip's 4x4... Click Here