![Scott and Gaby with a view over Bee Gorge]()
Scott and Gaby with a view over Bee Gorge
"Take this as a warning, you are more likely to die doing these catwalks than of asbestos related diseases!!!! The
Bee Gorge route is via the western catwalk. This is still fairly hairy and the track may not last many more wet seasons. Extreme care and caution is required. The Eastern catwalk should not be undertaken. This is bloody dangerous and the risk of death here is high!"
From the
Mudmaps WA - Website ;
(I wish I'd seen this BEFORE we went!)
Authors Note; The two new videos were added on 16/01/2013.
Monday 5th July, 2010
Roadside
camp near Wodgina
Great Northern Hwy
(21° 7'0.19"S 118°42'42.45"E)
![Masterful bush chef preparing a hearty Hamersley breakfast]()
Masterful bush chef preparing a hearty Hamersley breakfast
This morning bought a cool day with broken clouds and a blue sky peeking through. After an extremely hearty cooked breakfast, we unloaded the quads from their trailers after decided on some ATV exploration of the surrounding
gorge country. Once fuelled and prepared, we headed out following the
![Breakfast of champions]()
Breakfast of champions
creek bed south across the stony expanse of the wide
gorge floor. Scott had the trusty computer running TrackRanger mounted up front of his quad. At 3 kilometres or so south of
camp we located a side track that zigzagged its way up the western wall of
the gorge. It was more "goat track" like than a proper road and we determined it to be “The western catwalk” in that it zigzagged up the western side of
the gorge. The track had not been maintained for many decades now and as a result, erosion has occurred in many
places. Some areas are also choked with vegetation. The
views became more impressive as we wound our way ever higher up
the gorge wall. The temptation as always to stop and have a look but a flat and safe place to park was often very hard to come by on the steep goat track. We were able to make our way to the top where once into the spinifex clad high country, the track conditions improved no end.
![Michael J left at camp catching up on the journal]()
Michael J left at camp catching up on the journal
![The start of the Western Catwalk]()
The start of the Western Catwalk
Initially our path skirted the
cliff tops to the south. On several occasions we had to pull off the track and proceed cautiously over to
the gorge edge to take in the astonishing vistas to the north and east. At times we were atop sheer cliffs of 100 metres or more in height providing spectacular
views of the rugged gorges and the scalloped hills and mountains of the high country. In other inland areas, the wind had carved the loose conglomerate iron stone into weird and wonderful shapes. Fire had swept through much of the upper tableland in the recent past so much of the eucalypt trees and flora were just beginning to regenerate.
![Bee Gorge From half way up the Western Catwalk]()
Bee Gorge From half way up the Western Catwalk
Our path took us on a wide, circular route, often meeting intersections with other tracks that were signposted with cryptic letters and numbers painted onto markers and arrows. Again this country has seen little use since the closure of the mining operations but the NatMap 250K maps still showed what had been the original roads. As a result we were able to navigate ourselves in a circuitacueous route to the very (southern) end of
Bee Gorge.
![Resting after reaching the tablelands - on top of the Western Catwalk]()
Resting after reaching the tablelands - on top of the Western Catwalk
Here the track continued south to eventually meet Karijini in the vicinity of
Weano Gorge. We were just beginning to make our turn to the north when we came across a couple of vehicles heading cautiously down a steeply eroded section of the Weano-Wittenoom Road. They had indeed come through from the National Park and had been hoping to get through to Wittenoom. We advised them that there was no way a vehicle would be able to descend the western catwalk. As they had UHF communications, we offered to provide them with information regarding the “Eastern Catwalk” once we had located and assessed it for which they were very grateful.
![Resting up on the tablelands]()
Resting up on the tablelands
Heading south, we encountered the main track leading back down to the east and
Wittenoom Gorge.
![Bee Gorge]()
Bee Gorge
It was locked and plastered with warning sings outlining the danger of vehicle access. This was the western end of the track that had defeated us on our vehicular expedition to the west yesterday. Continuing on, our track eventually began to closely skirt the eastern wall of
Bee Gorge. Again we stopped to marvel at spectacular
views along the length of
the gorge. The southern end is nothing more than a vicious slash into the surrounding
rock a hundred metres wide and equally that or more in depth.
![Big Red and Bee Gorge]()
Big Red and Bee Gorge
Well it didn’t take us long to realise that the Eastern Catwalk was not going to be a cake walk! Once the track began to angle downwards, the erosion began and it was significant let me assure you.
![The quads and crew atop the gorge]()
The quads and crew atop the gorge
It almost immediately precluded any large vehicle from using the track, a fact we radioed back to our new friends. They were advised to return the way they had come. Just how quickly the road deteriorated from track to walking path to Goat track was astonishing. There was not even sufficient room to turn the ATV’s around forcing us to cautiously pick our way down. There was one particularly precarious crossing where we were forced to mount the edge of the hillside and ride on an angle with the noses pointing upwards and all four wheels clawing the loose shale upwards as
well as along. Only centimetres to our left being a precipitous drop into the abyss. It had a high “Sphincter factor” associated with it for sure.
![Man of action ha ha ha!]()
Man of action ha ha ha!
This more or less set the tone for the descent to the valley floor. Precarious crossings and cautious negotiation. We used every trick in the book including using passengers as counter weights to provide extra stability. I also managed to rub Scotty through a few bushes as he hung sailor like off the right hand corner of the quad. I was that nervous on some tranches that I unplugged my communications cable from my helmet not wanting anything to catch should I be forced to hastily abandon the quad!
![Indecipherable signs]()
Indecipherable signs
The last third of the track saw us negotiating a steep decent where erosion had reduced the track to a giant stone staircase. Again the 4 wheel drive, low ratio and diff locks of the Arctic Cat machines came into their element. We simply idled down. It was hard work though as the diff locks do make the steering harder. We stopped for a break here and there to spell both man and machine. Eventually after a good hour or more we reached the wide rocky floor of
Bee Gorge to high fives all round. The grins at completing the descent alive were as wide as our bums had been tight on the trip down! Wow. As very experienced quad riders, Scott and Gaby still maintain that this days ride had been the best they had ever done. Me I was just glad to survive!
![View from the southern end of Bee Gorge looking north.]()
View from the southern end of Bee Gorge looking north.
![Having some fun - Jaydub and Suzette]()
Having some fun - Jaydub and Suzette
The trip back along
the gorge took no time at all and we were soon passing
camp and Michael J who rocketed to attention and provided the GDEC salute to the returning quads. In our absence he’d done a bit of cleaning, showered and generally made himself presentable. On filling him in about our journey, he alluded by being startled by a large metallic “clang” that had echoed down
the gorge over an hour ago. It seems as it might have been the thunderclap of backsides slamming shut in fear lol.
![Bashing the undergrowth of the Eastern Catwalk]()
Bashing the undergrowth of the Eastern Catwalk
It took a little while to get the quads and gear stowed back onto the trailers before we negotiated our way out of
the gorge and back onto the main road for the 45 kilometre haul east to the
Auski Roadhouse. Here we grabbed an ice cream before hitting the bitumen north on the Northern Highway.
![The sound of clackers clanging shut! - Fear on the descent of the Eastern Catwalk]()
The sound of clackers clanging shut! - Fear on the descent of the Eastern Catwalk
Late in the day saw us about 160 km closer to Hedland. We managed to locate a small
campsite some distance off the road in the general vicinity of the Wodgina
Mine. The order of the evening was showers and a hearty feed of devilled snags and mash accompanied by a lusty glass of red. The rumbling of huge trucks and trains passing just a few kilometres away (the train line is two kilometres east, the Northern Highway a kilometre west and a hall road to a satellite
mine camp 300 metres south) provided an interesting aside. Michael J had some bad news from
home and must return south. He’ll leave in the morning. A very sad evening for our little team.