Travelling the Gunbarrell Highway

[loose cannon]

Plenty to see and do




No, the vehicle is not stationary in the next image. The Gunbarrell has a well earned reputation as having the worst corrugations of any track in this country. Hours and hours of crawling along at idle wishing all the time you could go slower. A good test of patience and vehicle suspension. In all the excitement I found a moment to spare and took a snap of the speedo as I was travelling.

It's kinda funny. After cruising for what felt like hours I'd make a decision to stop and put the billy on. Glance at the odometer and realise I'd only covered say 7km since the last coffee stop

There may have been some colourful language used on occasions

On the really bad sections, ie: most of it, 40 to 60kms covered was a good day

[Alan]

at least you had plenty of fuel and time to appreciate the ever changing scenery

sounds like so much fun.n.n.n.n n nnnnnn...

[loose cannon]

Actually the scenery was ever changing, just big gaps between the changes or as Donny would say..."Yuuuuuuge gaps.

[Alan]

I agree about the subtle landscape changes - and large gaps

So... who is Donny and where can I find his thoughts on "Yuuuuuuge gaps"

[loose cannon]

It's a USA thing. A Trumpism if you like.

"I'm gunna build a wall, a yuuuuuge wall"

[HansE]

Is the Tanami just as bad?

[loose cannon]

I haven't driven much of the Tanami, just a couple of hundred kms at the northern end but two major differences stand out.

First, the Tanami is actually a maintained road and The Gunbarrell is no more than a track through the scrub untouched for fifty years.

Earlier this year when I was on the Tanami I travelled effortlessly at 60km and the only thing stopping me from going faster were the numerous washouts that run across the road. They are small, maybe 4 to 6 inches across but deep, hit one at speed and front end damage is a risk. Considering there were hundreds to negotiate and most ran at least half way across the road concentration levels needed to be high.

But they could have been graded out of existence by now.

The corrugations on the Gunbarrell are like nothing I've seen anywhere in this country. It is not possible to increase speed and float over the top of them as many people do with 'normal' corrugations. They look innocuuos enough, hell the ones I come across around Broome look far more challenging, but the Gunbarrell corrugations can be almost undrivable.

I was down to 18/20psi and was still struggling to get up to 20km for long stretches, I rarely have my tyre pressures that low when I'm driving on beaches. It's crazy stuff.

The Tanami can be a bad road at times but the Gunbarrell is in a class of its own. Chalk and cheese.

[HansE]

Sounds like I will give the Gunbarrell a miss.

[Toddyh]

Sounds like paradise to me. But maybe I'm a glutton for punishment. Whatever it takes to get that isolation hey.

[loose cannon]

Of all the desert tracks I covered last year this was my absolute favourite and when I return to the desert it will be the first I revisit.

The Simpson is fantastic but it's just a cruise in a well equipped 4wd, a few challenges but mainly just damn good fun with the occasional scary bit on some of the big dunes.

The Gunbarrell is mental torture, physically uncomfortable and can smash your vehicle to bits in a kilometre. So yeah, great track And it's the only track that officially begins in the middle of nowhere and ends the same.

Just getting to the western end of it is a hoot, especially from Broome A gorgeous run down through the eastern Pilbara via Newman to Meekathara, then a 180km run east to Wiluna then a further 350km run east to Carnegie Station and you're there and the real fun begins. Best road trip of my life bar none.

And I had the place to myself once past Wiluna for the first week, then saw a convoy of three vehicles then nothing till Warburton. Kinda mind blowing being out there on your own, very humbling.

[Toddyh]

Sounds amazing. Hopefully I'll get to do it in the not too distant future.