Nuytsland Nature Reserve?
Submitted: Wednesday, Dec 06, 2023 at 11:43
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ExplorOz - David & Michelle
I'm looking for a bit of local/recent track advise around Israelite Bay/Toolina Cove/
Esperance please. We're about to drive from
Perth to
Sydney and while we only have 13 days, I'm looking at the possibility of finding a way to avoid going via
Norseman....ie. not going the usual ways (not via
Hyden-
Norseman Rd and not via the Great Eastern Hwy).
My rough plan was to head directly to
Esperance then to
Israelite Bay and then Toolina Cove, where we can take the Toolina Cove Track north that meets up with the Eyre Hwy to the east of
Norseman.... BUT....
I can't get my head around how long the section from
Esperance to Eyre Hwy will take (due to conditions and towing) and if that whole bit will just be too slow... Obviously, we can pick up the pace a bit once we get onto the Eyre Hwy but we can't really manage driving much over 700km/day on highways so maybe this is a dumb idea - the main part of the route that bothers me is I just don't know what to expect east of
Israelite Bay on that coastal track so if anyone can comment that would help me a lot thanks. I'm not so concerned about our ability but the impact on timing - how long would it take? It could be a stupid idea....
Looking at alternatives - officially the Balladonia Track is closed but does anyone know if there are alternative ways up to the Eyre Hwy that might be quicker than going via Wylie Bay - Toolina Cove? With our limited time frame I can't risk just "winging it" this time so need to be pretty sure its doable. Otherwise, we may be forced to accept going via
Norseman...but the
Hyden-
Norseman Rd is actually closed at the moment too so that would mean the Great Eastern Hwy is the only option if we need to guarantee our timings... boo. If you have a solution or can comment on the
Israelite Bay to Toolina section that would be great thanks so much.
Thanks, Michelle
PS: clarification of our rig: high clearance, compact heavy duty offroad camper trailer (Ultimate) & 200 series cruiser.
Reply By: GG7777 - Thursday, Dec 07, 2023 at 17:19
Thursday, Dec 07, 2023 at 17:19
Michele
For off the blacktop - a suggestion is
Lake King then via
Lake King/
Norseman Rd,
camp at
Peak Charles NP, continue on to Coolgardie/
Esperance Hwy, then north and turning east 19 kms south of
Norseman onto the Old Coach-Telgraph Rd. This will bring you out at Balladonia
Do not have recent conditions but did it with absolute ease in 2021 in a GU ute w/- slide-on camper
Another off blacktop diversion on transAus trip is turn south 16km east of Cocklebiddy, at top of escarpment ensure no traffic then proceed down , do not turn right to EBO (without uncoupling trailer) but turn left and follow around past Burnabbie
ruins and across the Roe Plains to Madura
EBO -
Eyre Bird Observatory - restored telegraph station simular to
Israelite Bay and
Eucla, now used as a bird observatory and weather station . An unusual spot to visit BUT please no trailers or other towing.
The Roe Plains track is below the inland portion of the “Baxter Cliffs” and gives uniquely different aspect of them. This portion had had a new Optus cable pulled though it in 2021 and was a bit chopped up but very doable
However you get there enjoy the trip and our vast country
Murray
AnswerID:
644865
Follow Up By: ExplorOz - David & Michelle - Thursday, Dec 07, 2023 at 17:29
Thursday, Dec 07, 2023 at 17:29
Thanks Murray
Lake King option good idea. Thankyou for this suggestion. We have actually done Tele track twice yes ( 2004 and 2019) and EBO
well known to us but as yet unvisited!
Cheers Michelle
FollowupID:
925049
Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Thursday, Dec 07, 2023 at 18:36
Thursday, Dec 07, 2023 at 18:36
David & Michelle,
A group of us travelled from
Twilight Cove to
Israelite Bay, then
Esperance, back in 2018. Travelled along the telegraph line, which made for very slow going until Baxter Cliffs turnoff. From there, the going may have improved, I don’t recall, but still took us a day to travel to the
camp below Wylie Scarp.
Great travelling along
the beach past
Bilbunya Dunes, and with more arse than class, we struck low tide for the journey. Saw dolphins but no “men in
grey suits.”
Departed
the beach further west & followed tracks into
Israelite Bay & old Telegraph Station & made
Esperance after dark that night.
Below is our track for last day of the above:

Track down Wylie Scarp & beyond. 2018.
Bob
AnswerID:
644866