A
Journey From Iron Knob To Wirrulla via The Gawler Ranges
With
John Pav and Simon Clark
Many
travellers head to Western Australia by the shortest
possible route. For myself and my friend Simon this was all
too easy - especially given that on many previous occasions
we had aleady both travelled from Iron Knob in South
Australia's Iron Triangle westwards to Wirrulla, Ceduna and
points beyond via Highway One. With two female companions in
the back of Rocky the Daihatsu we made the collective
decision to take the "Great Northern Route" to
Wirrulla travelling probably 350 to 380 kilometres of dirt
roads through South Australia's vast outback. Along the way
our intention was to take a detour north west from Iron Knob
to pass through the sheep grazing country and National Parks
that are a feature of the rugged Gawler Ranges. Our intended
route was to pass Mount Nonning, and a number of sheep
stations including Siam, Mount Ives, Moonaree and Yardea
before finally exiting onto the Wirrulla to Kingoonya Road.
From the Kingoonya Road it was an easy 40 to 50 kilometres
south to Wirrulla where we could rejoin the main westward
traffic flow to Western Australia.
That
night we camped out on the Mount Ives Road about 25
kilometeres north west of Iron Knob. We truly felt we were
in the middle of the outback even though we were only 25
kilometres from the bitumen. For our two female travelling
companions this was a blessedly peaceful existence after the
hurly burly pace of life that they experienced in Canberra
and Gundaroo in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales.
In the morning we two men made breakfast, and drank some
strong black before giving the girls a feed of dog biscuits.
This certainly pepped them up and we proceeded down the road
with Phoebe and Mingah wagging their tales side to side.
Mingah's eyes were peeled on the road ahead. Phoebe however
had a little more difficulty doing this as she has been
totally blind for the past 8 years. Nevertheless she did try
to act the part!
Now
that's a Bush Mail Box! |
The
road to Mount Ives was a most interesting one at
a pace of about 50 to 60 kilometres an hour.
Along the way we saw a number of personally
moving memorials which paid tribute to people
who had lost their lives and loved ones on these
potentially treacherous roads. For us this was a
salutary reminder that this area of the Gawler
Ranges is something not be taken lightly. The
day augured well with us moving along at a
steady pace. As the kilometres passed we
gradually became aware that ahead of us lay
areas that had been inundated with rain. Just to
the West of Siam station we met Gordon who was
heading the other way to Iron Knob to meet a
visiting daughter.
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We
expressed our surprise to Gordon that anyone could actually
make a living in the harshness of this dry salt bush and
Myall country. Gordon agreed with me that it was indeed
difficult and that there wasn't exactly a lot money to be
made. He said this with a smile and remarked that the Gawler
Ranges area usually received about 7 inches of rain a year
and that to date his station had received 3 inches for the
first 7 months of this year. Such was our luck. We noted
that it was raining and Gordon added "There's not much
money to be made here but there is more money in mud than
dust!"
Gordon
offered us some useful advice about the road conditions
ahead and offered us work as station hands on Moonaree
station. We gladly accepted his advice about the roads and
reluctantly declined his offers of work.
![](images/rocky%20on%20a%20hill.jpg)
After
a couple of cigarettes we bid Gordon farewell and continued
our way into ever worsening road conditions. About an hour
or so later we passed Mount Ive station and on Gordon's
recommendation we pulled into the Mount Ive homestead and
bought a half dozen beers which we intended to consume at a
later date. Along the way we were continually leapfrogging
the local Gawler Ranges Mail Truck which we presumed was on
its weekly mail run. As the day wore on the roads turned to
mud, and the mud turned into rivers - and I'm not joking
when I say this. Time was now beginning to go against us,
the day was beginning to wear on, and we were afraid that we
might become stranded and forced to lay up in one of the
local homesteads.
Luck
was on our side however and we pushed on past Yardea
homestead. The main Wirrulla to Kingoonya road was almost
within reach. All it took was a bit more persistence and a
couple of extreme scares when we went into four wheel skids
with the Rocky the Daihatsu's tyres pointing at 90 degrees
to the edge of the flooded roadside. Within the next hour or
so we began to enter Mallee country and I was amazed to
think that so close to our home base in Ceduna we could
travel through such magnificent countryside and actually see
rivers flowing through what is normally a semi desert.
Just
past Yardea station we let Phoebe and Mingah out of the
vehicle to stretch their legs. With that completed we then
continued the next short leg of our journey to intersect
with the main Wirrulla to Kingoonya Road. Within a half hour
we had reached the junction of the road and headed south to
Wirrulla for another 50 kilometres or so. This part of the
journey was made on a well maintained dirt road. After what
we had experienced however it seemed very much like a major
highway. Upon reaching Wirrulla our Odyssey had come to an
end and we felt well satisfied at having travelled through
some of South Australia's most interesting Wilderness areas
and having met Gordon who for us was something of a local
hero. By the way, just for the record we didn't drink our
six pack of beers until we arrived in Ceduna another hour
later.
![](images/gawler%20ranges%201.jpg)
Gawler
Ranges - a wet wilderness.
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