You can pick up the Gunbarrel from either
Wiluna in the west, or Giles (
Warakurna Roadhouse) in the east and so it is usually done as an extension/beginning of a
Canning Stock Route Trek Note, West McDonald Ranges Trek Note or
The Tanami Track. However technically, the Gunbarrel Highway is the section to the east of
Carnegie Homestead through to
Yulara (via
Jackie Junction and Docker River).
The full stretch is an isolated desert track of 1400km. In general, washaways, heavy corrugations, stone, sand and flood plains are all typical elements of the drive, but the track is graded occasionally by the
Wiluna Shire Council from
Wiluna through to 180km east of
Carnegie. There are excellent bush camps, and many sites have bores with water.
At the western end of the trek,
Wiluna is a town quite unlike any other in Australia. Other than the few people who service the passing 4WD
explorers, the town is mostly aboriginal and there's just a few dusty buildings, a store, a pub and the camping ground, which is a far cry from the 1930s when this was a prospering gold mining town of 9000 people boasting the southern hemisphere's biggest mine.
At the eastern end of the trek, Giles is actually not a town at all but the homeplace of the Warakurna people and the location of a remote meteorological weather station, known as Giles. Visitors must stay at the
Warakurna Roadhouse, where modern
campground facilities, fuel and basic food supplies can be obtained as access into the aboriginal community is not allowed. Most people plan a visit to the weather station while they are here, which is little different to any other weather station around Australia. Visits are free, but you need to let them know in advance that you're coming, particularly if you want to observe the launch of a weather balloon.
Conditions vary greatly in this region, depending on how much rainfall has occurred in recent days and the volume of traffic and how long its been since the road was last graded. Please read these notes in conjunction with the detailed and updated WA Road Conditions Report.
In general, washaways, heavy corrugations, stone, sand and flood plains are all typical elements of the terrain. The major trouble spots are around Mingkili Claypan and between the
Heather Highway turnoff and
Jackie Junction (extreme washaways). The "abandoned section" from
Jackie Junction to Giles is deeply rutted and in
places quite sandy. During the peak travelling season (late June - Oct), many people make the journey across the Gunbarrel Highway so diversion tracks around major obstacles will be in place and even the abandoned section should not be overgrown unless you are the first group of the season after rains to push through the spinifex.
How to Use this Trek Note
- To download this information and the route file for offline use on a phone, tablet, headunit or laptop, go to the app store and purchase ExplorOz Traveller. This app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage and the EOTopo webpage.
History
The Gunbarrel Highway was the first road built as part of Australia's role in the weapons research facility called
Woomera. The area of land designated between
Woomera and 80 Mile Beach near
Port Hedland was chosen as the most suitable area in the world for a rocket range, but it was an uninhabited desert waste-land in the most remote part of Australia.
This weapons research project did not just involve the launching of rockets into waste-land, but complex missile tracking instruments had to be placed in position throughout this vast region and so a massive ground survey was required to determine the earth's shape.
The first task was to construct a road running east-west across the centre of Australia to provide a major service access for the construction of all other linking roads. The Gunbarrel Highway was the first of the Len Beadell roads and so is a very historical journey for people taking the trip today.
Len Beadell, the surveyor for the project, admitted he was " a surveyor who liked to draw neat lines on maps", so he decided to site his roads in areas where long straight tracks could be built. It was Len himself, who light-heartedly named his road gang the "Gunbarrel Highway Construction Party". This was done for distance, fuel and maintenance efficiencies for both his construction team and future users. Which is good for us four wheel drivers because it has meant that with a bit of preparation and a good vehicle setup, there's a whole lot of outback tracks that although are no longer maintained, are still in good condition for travelling.
TrekID: 71