You can get a taste of Canning Stock Route by taking a drive from Wiluna. This small town lies 966km north east of Perth. It lies on the edge of the Little Sandy Desert, on the Goldfields Highway. Wiluna is the gateway to the Canning Stock Route which runs north to Halls Creek. It is also the starting point of the Gunbarrel Highway that runs east to Alice Springs.
The Last of the Nomads
The town of Wiluna greets you with “the Last of the Nomads” statue. Having heard the songs about them sung by Greg from Morapoi Station , I was keen to learn more.
Warri and Yatungka from Martu tribe are believed to have been Australia’s last desert nomads. They met in 1930s and fell in love. Unfortunately, traditional tribal law forbade them from marrying because they were the wrong match according to “skin group” law. As a result, they decided to run away.
They lived in isolation, hunting traditionally and eating what nature provided them with. Warri and Yatungka remained in exile for many years, finding joy in their two sons. But never stopped missing their land and people. Eventually, Martu elders forgave them and Warri and Yatungka returned to Wiluna. There they spent their last days, passing away within three weeks of each other in 1979. This marked the end of a tribal lifestyle lasting for more than 40000 years. The story of Warri and Yatungka still lives though through many aboriginal songs, poems and a bronze statue in Wiluna.
Beginning of Caning Stock Route
After filling up fuel at Wiluna, we decided it was time to settle for the night. I planned to stay at a farm station 12km off Wiluna and travel on Canning Stock Route the day after. However, what can be done today, must be done today – must have been God’s will for us that day😊. So, off we went on Canning Stock Route. It is one of the most challenging and isolating roads, that connects Wiluna to Halls Creek. Canning Stock Route was originally proposed by Kimberley pastoralists after east Kimberley cattle got infected with ticks. This incident resulted in a ban of cattle from shipping to southern markets. Canning Stock Route got its name from Alfred Canning, who was commissioned to survey and build a stock route in 1906. Canning Stock Route is around 1850km and is the longest historic stock route in the world.
To be honest, I was worried traveling there at dusk but the road was good and we only travelled 20km before stopping for the night.
Camping at North Pool
Our stop for the night was North Pool. It is between Well 1 and Well 2, 10km off Canning Stock Route. The place is quite a pretty rock hole, surrounded with river gums, offering nice shade. With only one other camper trailer tucked at the corner of the camp spot, this place was all to ourselves.
Collecting wood for the fire and preparing meal was our priority before it got too dark. It was a cold and starry night and we kept ourselves warm around the fire. We exchanged stories and tested kids’ knowledge of constellations.
Getting up just after the sun got up, I set off for a walk around the area. The surface at times looked like what I imagined the surface of the planet Mars would look like. It was red with big rocks scattered around and occasional weird looking plants.
After breakfast kids find themselves an entertainment. Someone who has stayed there before us, has tied a rope to the tree. Our kids fixed a plastic crate to it and made it fly out into the water, like a flying fox. Nature provides everything you need to learn and play.
Tjukurba Aboriginal Art Gallery
Getting a taste of Canning Stock Route was not the only agenda I had in Wiluna. There is a wonderful Tjukurba Aboriginal Art Gallery that I was eager to visit.
Australian Aboriginal people do not have written language. They use art and drawings to convey their cultural stories and pass them on to the next generations. Indigenous art is centered on storytelling. Their stories convey knowledge of the land, events and beliefs of Aboriginal people. I always find Aboriginal art fascinating. Maybe because Aboriginal artists use symbols, such as dots, curved and straight lines, which makes their paintings look very mysterious. It is through their oral stories and drawings that their children learn lessons of behaviour, survival and use of land.
“Dreaming“
“Tjukurba” means “Dreaming” in the Aboriginal language. Dreaming or Dreamtime is Australian Aboriginal religio-cultural view of the world. It is based on inter-relation and inter-connectedness of all people and things. Aboriginal people believe that ancestral spirits descended on the land and created life and all geographical formations and sites. The Dreaming stories explain the origin of the universe. It illustrates the deep connection Aboriginal people have with the land and relationships with animals and plants. In Indigenous culture, the health of the country and animals depends on the health of people who protect that landscape. Dreaming stories are also moral guides to behaviour and actions and form the basis for the children’s upbringing.
The pictures at the Tjukurba Gallery mostly depict beautiful landscapes along the Canning Stock Route and the Gunbarrel Highway. Some pictures portray bush food and flowers, including bush bananas (Gunkula), bush tomatoes (Gungili), kangaroo and quandongs. Nearly half of the pictures at the Gallery are named Bush Tucker.
To conclude, I must admit that we really satisfied our thirst for knowledge and senses at Wiluna Canning-Gunbarrel Discovery Centre. To add to this, you can get free coffee at that friendly place. Now it was time to move on.
