Canning Stock Route Day 17 - Well 45 to Breaden Pool

Day 17 - Saturday 19th July
Start - Well 45
Stop - Breaden Pool

We were able to take the direct track from Well 45 - 46 even though the track was totally flooded in a massive arc as the NT travellers we had met earlier at Well 6 had advised us that they had cut a bypass around the flood. By the time we took the track, it had been used by probably another 50 or so vehicles so although it was pretty rough and slow going, it was definitely the way to go. The flood waters entice the water birds and once we made our way all the way around the flood and picked up the original track we ventured down to the water's edge and found literally scores of black swans and hundreds of ducks.

It was an unusual sight after so many days of seeing nothing but red sand and spinifex that we spent a fair bit of time down by the water's edge. Leah enjoyed putting her feet all the way down into the deep depressions left by camels that had left knee-deep footprints through the salty-crust on their way towards the water's edge.

After reaching Well 46 - a restored well with clear, good tasting water and having a lunch break under the shady white gums (good campsite) we moved on to Well 47 but this has totally caved in and is nothing but a shallow sand-filled hole in a very exposed area that has been recently burnt out. It was not a pleasant area and certainly not suitable as a campsite.





We now headed to the east to pick up the alternate track running north-south via Mt Ford in the South Esk Tablelands. We took a brief detour to the flat topped Mt Romilly so that we could all do a bit of climbing to reach the trig marker at the summit and then discovered at the base of the range what we guessed were fossilised tree stumps.



From here we had an easy run north to the Breaden Valley just on sunset.
Then turned onto the track into Breaden Pool that was full of soft bulldust and found a dusty and burnt-out campsite at the start of the walk to the Breaden Pool.

We just had enough time to explore the Breaden Pool just a few metres from our camp but unfortunately it was stagnant and putrid. The downside of visiting the CSR in a dry year!