Travel: Great Central Road Part II

By Colin Kerr

On reaching Laverton, WA, 124km east of Leonora, you’ll learn the story of Laverton’s local hero.

Dr Charles Laver (after whom the town was named) tended victims of a typhoid epidemic by riding his bicycle hundreds of kilometres to and from remote mining camps, treating the sick.

Today a bronze statue of him and his bicycle stands proudly in the centre of town. Laverton is the last real town before heading off on the Great Central Road. Here is a chance to grab any last-minute supplies, top up with water and fuel, and take your last look at a bitumen road for well over 1000km.

From here the gravel and sand trail – used by an estimated 10,000 vehicles a year through parts of the Gibson and Great Victoria deserts to Uluru (Ayers Rock), 1132km away – is usually a well-graded road. If you are in a bit of a hurry, it can be traversed in two days.

The road is now also known as the Outback Highway, mostly in anticipation of a long-talked about upgrade to an all-weather road, eventually connecting through to Winton in Central Qld. It is still an outback adventure road not be taken lightly.

Although a 4WD vehicle is not strictly required for this trip, many people wouldn’t think of subjecting their family sedan to the long stretches of corrugations often encountered along the way. In the event of rain, a 4WD is almost essential. It is also advisable to carry plenty of water and vehicle spares, including two spare tyres.

Not far up the track, the road passes through Cosmo Newberry Aboriginal Reserve. The main community is a couple of kilometres off the road. As this is a private community, visiting here is not generally encouraged.

Just outside of the reserve, approximately 230km out of Laverton, look out for a signposted turn into Peagull Waterhole and Caves, 100m or so off the road. This small section of breakaway country is a pleasant spot to stop for a cuppa and do a little bit of exploring, along the cliffs, gnamma holes and caves, around the rocky outcrop.

There is Aboriginal rock art to be seen here as well as a large ‘reconciliation cross’ on the breakaway outcrop.

About 65km further up the road, the David Carnegie Road leads off to the north and 60km away is an interesting spot to check out: Empress Springs.

A freshwater spring is found here at the bottom of a 7m-deep cave, accessible by a chain ladder. Outback explorer David Carnegie named the waterhole in honour of Queen Victoria in 1896 after finding it with the help of a local Aborigine.

From here northward, the basically unmaintained Carnegie Road eventually joins up with the original Gunbarrel Highway, east of Carnegie Station.

Returning south from Empress Springs, 15km further along the Great Central Road is the welcome sight of Tjukayirla Roadhouse.

Named after some nearby rock holes, this fairly new roadhouse has fuel, a workshop for tyre and minor mechanical repairs, a shop stocking basic supplies and, of real interest to some travellers, there is a selection of local Aboriginal art at reasonable prices.

There is also a well-maintained campground next to the Tjukayirla Roadhouse with clean amenities, including hot showers, which are most welcome after a dusty day’s travel. There are also self-contained units available.

As well as the occasional sight of wild camels, a dingo or two, and flocks of wild green budgerigars along this outback trail, one of the things you can’t help notice is the number of abandoned vehicles, mostly old Holdens, Falcons and Valiants, on the side of the road: no doubt testament to earlier advice on leaving the family sedan at home!

On the trip we counted 400-plus wrecks. This place would be a scrap-metal yard operator’s dream.

Another thing to remember before heading out into desert country is to come prepared, not only for warm to hot days most of the year – don’t travel through this region in summer when temperatures can reach 50°C – but also expect cold nights when the mercury can often fall to 0°C.

Also at night in various places, it is likely that you’ll hear the eerie sound of howling dingoes, at some times away in the distance and at others a lot closer than you think. Paw prints in the sand around your campsite in the morning often prove how close they will approach in the quiet of night.

While away from the lights of cities or towns, check out the stars in the sky, they really are magnificent. If you have keen eyesight, also try spotting satellites.

Onwards from here, 215km east, is the junction at the Heather Highway, which heads away north-west to Steptoe’s Camp and the original Gunbarrel Highway.

Another 40km further along the Great Central Road, civilisation once again comes into view at the remote Western Desert Aboriginal community at Warburton. A fairly well-stocked roadhouse provides fuel and general supplies as well as camping and accommodation facilities and warm showers. Visitors are asked through various signs displayed not to take photographs in the community.

In Warburton there is also a general store, police station and a cultural and civic centre where local artists display a range of works.

From Warburton the road heads 231km north-east toward Giles, while 25km out of town is a turn-off to the north, to a 262km abandoned section of the original Gunbarrel Highway. 

This track heads through attractive desert country, displaying groves of tall whispering desert oak trees and colourful grevilleas, and though it is not officially open, a number of travellers still make their way along this appealing outback trail.

Several of Great Central Road builder Len Beadell’s plaques and blazed trees lie along this section of the track.

Back on the main road, Warakurna Roadhouse near Giles has fuel and limited supplies, as well as campsites and cabins. From the roadhouse, 2km off the main road heading north, is the Giles Weather Station, set at the foot of the Rawlinson Range.

Built in 1956, this weather station was originally set up to monitor prevailing weather conditions during atomic testing in the south-east at Maralinga and Emu Junction.

Regularly featuring on evening weather reports back at home, the Giles base is Australia’s most isolated land-based weather station. It is named after explorer Ernest Giles, who extensively explored central regions of Australia in the 1870s, and is a really pleasant surprise out in this remote desert country.

On display outside the base is a Caterpillar grader used by Len Beadell and his Gunbarrel Construction Team. It has been preserved here since it finished its working life on 2 November 1963, as well as the crumpled remains of a Blue Streak rocket fired from the Woomera base in SA.

The staff based at this remote meteorological station are extremely friendly, offering tours of the base for visitors. Also of interest to many is a wall mural display of some of Len Beadell’s amusing character artworks, which is well worth checking out. Beadell, as well as being an outback road maker, was also an accomplished artist and author.

With prior arrangement, visitors can witness the release of a hydrogen-filled weather balloon each morning, into the upper atmosphere, which via a computer link, transmits weather information to Australia’s meteorological network in Melbourne.

The Great Central Road then passes the striking Petermann Range, a lovely white-barked eucalypt on the northern side of the road known as Beadell’s Tree, and then with little fanfare apart from a couple of large state boundary signs, the road crosses the WA/NT border before the next sign of civilisation: the Aboriginal community of Docker River.

Apart from some sections of corrugations depending on how long it was since the last grader went through, the road conditions to this point aren’t too bad. But around Docker River, on several past trips, the corrugations have always been noticeably more severe, and while a 4WD is not normally needed, sand drifts and sections of bull dust across some sections of the road can slow you down.

You should also take care at numerous creek crossings and wash-aways encountered along the way.

While the Docker River settlement is also a closed community, there is a shop and fuel is generally available – diesel and opal, no ULP – if needed. The settlement also has one of the biggest wrecked vehicle dumps you’re likely to see anywhere. Again, no photographs are allowed within the community area.

Not far up the road another must-see is Lasseter’s Cave. A couple of hundred metres off the main road, this is where gold prospector Lewis Harold Bell Lasseter sheltered in a small cave for 25 days without food in the heat of summer in January 1931, waiting to be rescued.

When no-one came, he pushed on into the desert, where he perished within a few days.

Lasseter’s Reef, a supposedly rich mountain of gold reported by the prospector when he returned from a previous trip, has never been found, despite numerous expeditions.

Whether or not it actually existed, the story of it and Lasseter himself is now well entrenched in Australian folklore and history. A plaque at the cave site briefly tells Lasseter’s story and that of his demise.

Within a two-hour drive of Lasseter’s Cave, you begin to see the outline of Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) on the horizon. If you time this stage of your trip for mid-to-late afternoon, this sight is truly amazing.

You could even stop to climb one of many sand dunes along this section for a better view. Only a couple of kilometres west of Kata Tjuta you enter Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, and once again, civilisation.

No camping is allowed within the park boundary.

Ahead, a T-intersection heralds the end of the gravel-and-sand-road adventure at Kata Tjuta.

From Kata Tjuta you are well and truly among the tourist throngs, all heading out to the official sunset-viewing spot to enjoy the wonderful colours on the western side of Mount Olga and several other huge domes.

This site was once colourfully described by the explorer Giles as “like many pink elephant bottoms”.

The peace and quiet of the desert travel experience over, settle back in a camp chair in the late afternoon at the Kata Tjuta viewing area with hundreds of others, maybe open a cold beer or two, enjoy the spectacular view and celebrate the end of what is one of Australia’s best desert-experience trails.

Uluru (Ayers Rock) can be seen on the horizon, as well as the modern township of Yulara (Ayers Rock Resort). Both are about 50km away, to the east.

The Great Central Road – would we do it again? Too right, we can’t wait. Next time we’ll do even more exploring along the way.

Great Central Road Fast Facts

Best time to travel is April to October. Always carry two spare tyres and vehicle spares on any remote route such as the Great Central Road. Also carry plenty of water and food.

Only strictly offroad, sturdily built trailers and caravans should attempt the Great Central Road. Normal caravans are not recommended.

Unleaded or, in most cases Opal (ULP replacement) and diesel are available at all roadhouses. Unleaded fuel is no longer available in many central regions of WA, NT, Qld and SA.

Camping on Aboriginal land is not permitted. As the Great Central Road passes through Aboriginal communities in both WA and the NT, permits from each authority are required before travelling this road. A minimum of three weeks should be allowed when applying .

National Park entry fees apply to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Aboriginal Lands Trust WA, Cloisters Square, PO Box 7770, Perth, WA 6850, (08) 9235 8000, (fax) (08) 9235 8088, www.aad.wa.gov.au/alt

Central Lands Council NT, 33 Stuart Highway, PO Box 3321, Alice Springs, NT 0871, (08) 8951 6320, (fax) (08)8953.4345, www.clc.org.au

Giles Weather Station, (08) 8956 7358.

Tjukayirla Roadhouse, (08) 9037 1108.

Warakurna Roadhouse, (08) 8956 7344.

Warburton Cultural and Civic Centre, (08) 8956 7959, www.tjulyuru.com