Gosses Road (Bon Bon to Wirrulla) conditions
Submitted: Wednesday, Apr 02, 2025 at 21:13
ThreadID: 150103
Views:465
Replies:2
FollowUps:5
Kai Wu
Hi all, Kai here
new here, so please bear with me if i did not find the answer in the Blog myself (I did search for it - promise)
I am currently on the road from
Melbourne (where we picked up our 2 dogs from Quarantine (we just arrived back from having lived in Germany for 5 years)) and are travelling to
Perth where
my home base is.
As i have never been to
Coober Pedy, we will do the "quick dip up" from
Port Augusta. Rather than coming back the same way before heading towards the Nullabore, we are thinking about taking the "short cut" of the Gosses Rd (Bon Bon to
Wirrulla). Has anyone been there recently and can comment on road conditions?
Thanks heaps in advance
Cheers
Pinky, Frieda, Steffie and Kai
Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Wednesday, Apr 02, 2025 at 22:28
Wednesday, Apr 02, 2025 at 22:28
Hi Kai.
The first part of that road, from the Stuart Highway south to
Kingoonya is within the
Woomera Prohibited Area and you can not drive it without a permit from
Woomera (although I suspect some do). There are only specific
places where you can leave the Stuart Highway without permission.
The easy solution is to stay on the Stuart Highway until Glendambo and then go west to
Kingoonya.
That road and anywhere south you are out of the
Woomera Prohibited Area.
All of these roads are gravel and their condition varies from day to day and according to the timing of the last
grader. When we have driven it, it can be a bit corrugated and a bit stoney, but always trafficable with care.
Keep a watch on this link...... It is all open now but more rain could change that.
SA Outback Roads.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
ps... good meals and camping at the
Kingoonya Pub.
AnswerID:
647728
Reply By: Member - McLaren3030 - Thursday, Apr 03, 2025 at 08:15
Thursday, Apr 03, 2025 at 08:15
Hi Pinky,
As Peter has suggested, your best alternative is the Trans Australian Railway Maintenance Road that heads west from Glendambo through
Kingoonya. This is a private road west of
Kingoonya, and whilst you will not get a permit to drive it, many people do take this road. It is a road that I myself am looking forward to driving some time in the future.
You need to be aware that if you block this road, or impede the progress of both maintenance crews or any trains, you will be held accountable. There are no designated camping areas, and I don’t believe there are any fuel stops between
Kingoonya and
Rawlinna, although someone else may be able to confirm this. You will need to be fully self sufficient for this section with fuel, water and food. Mobile phone reception is not available as
well, so if you become stranded, and with almost no passing “traffic”, you might want to consider some form of Satellite Communication.
Good luck with your trip, as I stated earlier, it is a road that I am looking forward to travelling in the future.
Macca.
AnswerID:
647729
Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Thursday, Apr 03, 2025 at 09:07
Thursday, Apr 03, 2025 at 09:07
Macca, I was definitely not suggesting they go west of
Kingoonya (although the Trans road is open to tourists as far as the
Googs Track turn-off, about 120-130km west of
Kingoonya).
Also, there is Telastra mobile reception virtually all the way along the rail line.
They should go south from
Kingoonya, via
Lake Everard.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
FollowupID:
928825
Follow Up By: Member - Duncan2H - Thursday, Apr 03, 2025 at 09:46
Thursday, Apr 03, 2025 at 09:46
I thoroughly enjoyed my drive west from
Kingoonya, onto the Trans Access Road and all the way to Kalgoorlie in 2022.
FollowupID:
928826
Follow Up By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Thursday, Apr 03, 2025 at 10:01
Thursday, Apr 03, 2025 at 10:01
.
Ah, the sweet taste of forbidden fruit. :)
FollowupID:
928827
Follow Up By: Member - Wildmax - Thursday, Apr 03, 2025 at 16:05
Thursday, Apr 03, 2025 at 16:05
Brilliant drive on the trans access road all the way from Kalgoorlie - but as Allan says, forbidden fruit :-)
| Wildmax
2018 Hilux and Black Wolf 210 tent - for the outback tracks less travelled
Formerly an AOR Eclipse and a TVanMember My Profile Send Message |
FollowupID:
928828