Along Carnavon Mullewa Road in Gascoyne Murchison

We used Carnavon Mullewa Road driving from Mount Augustus back home to Perth and we enjoyed exploring so many hidden gems along the way. The section of the road (from Glenburgh) down to Mullewa is nealy 400km. It is mostly unsealed, quite well maintained, with some occasional traffic. The best thing about this road is that it provides a true outback experience with some interesting things and places to explore, picturesque landscapes, beautiful wildflowers to admire and free camps along the way to stay for the night.

Occasionally, there are river crossings. We stopped in front of it, trying to decide how deep the water was.

There was no way to go around the water hole and we were not turning back, so the only way was to drive through! Driving in the outback on unsealed roads is a real adventure!

Bilung pool

The first place where we stopped was Bilung Pool. Located 150km north of Murchison on Carnavon Mullewa unsealed road, this place is not to be missed. We stopped by to admire the beauty of this natural water hole carved by the Wooramel River. A place of respite for drovers and their cattle in the old days, it is now a nice picnic or a free overnight camping spot. It is also rich in Aboriginal history. The Wajarri name for Bilung Pool is Birlungardi. The Warjarri people believe that Rainbow Snake (Gujida) rests here, so they throw sand into the water to show their respect. The visitors are advised to do the same. It is something kids would be happy to do! 😀

Wooramel River Gorges

We decided to drive further down for another 5km where we found another free camping spot. This was our stop for the night. This place (about 2km off the road) is very spacious and quite open, offering beautiful views and many wildflowers to admire.

Old stock wellan insight into past

Life in the old days was very different. Water was precious and required quite a bit of an effort to get. This old stock well on Wool Wagon Pathway (55 km south of Murchison on Carnavon-Mullewa Road) gives us an insight into life some 100 years ago. Built in 1895, the well was used by drovers moving their stock. Now, it is a tourist attraction. Our kids had a lot of fun exercising their arms while figuring out how the well used to work in the old days.Water is still very scarce and precious when you travel in the outback – all the more a reason to appreciate it and use wisely.

Wildflowers and weeds

As we travelled further down Carnavon Mullewa road, we stopped a few times to admire carpets of wildflowers.

Alongside with the wildflowers, there were a lot of pretty but nasty weeds Ruby Dock.

...and some other types of wildflowers.

Greenough River

Greenough River roadside stop (this is how it is called in wikicamp) was our last overnight stop for this trip. It is a nice and quiet free camping spot, just off Carnavon Mullewa Road in Nunierra, WA. We were the only ones camping there, enjoying the solitude, the tranquillity and natural beauty of the nature.

If the sunset was beautiful, the night was absolutely stunning! I stayed up late in the freezing cold (while everyone else has gone to sleep) to take the pictures of the milky way until my camera lens became too foggy from the cold and mist to continue taking pictures.

Starry starry nights in the outback

Early hours in the morning, before the sunrise, in the outback are quite magic. It was worth getting up early with only 4 degrees inside our caravan (and apparently, about the same outside too) to take these pictures of the Greenough river.

The mist just above the water was very mysterious. As I walked further along the banks of the river, I saw these huge footprints (they were at least, 30-40 cm long), and they looked even more mysterious as I didn’t know at the time whom they belonged. The nature is very creative in what it can produce 🙂.

It is amazing how quick cool blue colours changed to warm glow as the sun started to rise.

Under the warm golden colours of the sun even the grass looked amazingly pretty.

And this is us, happy and refreshed after a wonderful 9 day return journey to the biggest rock in the world!

Kennedy Ranges – camping in remote outback

For the lovers of Australian outback Kennedy Range National Park is a special place.

Kennedy Ranges

Kennedy Ranges is an elevated sandstone plateau in Upper Gascoyne region, rising about 80 meters above the valley, 75km long and 25 km wide. The nearest town to Kennedy Ranges is Gascoyne Junction, 62km away with only basic necessities, including fuel, so you need to be quite prepared when going to this remote area, carrying enough fuel, water and other provisions. 

Getting to Kennedy Ranges

Driving from Carnavon to Gascoyne Junction (for 172km), we enjoyed this sealed picturesque Carnavon-Mullewa Road with lots of claypans and stock on the road.  

The unsealed Ullawarra  road from Gascoyne Junction was in a great condition, allowing us to drive around 80km/h, towing a caravan. There were a few river crossings but all were quite shallow.

Camping at Kennedy Ranges

We camped at Temple Gorge – the only official place to camp in Kennedy Ranges. It is a bush camp nestled among rugged cliffs with magnificent views all around. The only facility it offers is a single long drop toilet, which gives you an a real feeling of camping in nature. 

This place is so remote, yet we were surprised to see the campground full (with around 25 camper families there) in July. But lovely hosts managed to accommodate every arriving vehicle.

Temple Gorge bush campground

A communal fire every day from 5pm is an opportunity to get warm during chilly nights and meet new people, many of whom we met again and again during our stay at Kennedy Ranges. 

Communal fireplace at Temple Gorge

Sunrise is very beautiful at Temple Gorge. The sun was casting its rays onto the cliffs, making everything look softly orange.

The nights in Kennedy Ranges are majestic. You can see an endless beautiful sky full of stars. 

Camping in the bush often means that we go without showers for days, ocassionally using only a small amount of water for washing. Here is Brian washing hair with his portion of 250ml of water. Water is very precious and every drop counts.

At Temple Gorge bush campground

Hiking at Kennedy Range National Park

There are 6 hiking trails to suit every level of fitness and experience, each offering a unique opportunity of enjoying nature in its pristine form.

The Escarpment Trail in Kennedy Ranges is one of the longest. It is a 3.4km return hike, Class 4, which means it is rough and steep in some places. We started at Temple Gorge campground in the morning and hiked for nearly 3 hours. It was a great exercise and an enjoyment along the way.

The view from the top of of the range was definitely worth the hike.

Honeycomb Gorge is the most picturesque in Kennedy Range National Park. A mass of holes created by wind and water spray from seasonal waterfall above the cliff face makes this unique and beautiful pattern, resembling a honeycomb, which gives this gorge its name. It is easily accessible (apparently, our camp host even cycles daily from Temple Gorge to Honeycomb Gorge) and you can spend some time there marvelling at mother nature’s creation. 

One of the shortest hikes (from the car park) is Sunrise View platform, from which you can view the sunrise (as the name suggests). We got up early and drove (then hiked) there to take these pictures.

More tracks and other experiences at Kennedy Ranges

There are a couple of rough tracks in the Kennedy Ranges (we’ve only been to the eastern side of the escarpment) but there is nothing a good 4WD can’t manage.

A couple of more pictures from Kennedy Ranges, taken by our young photographer, 9 year old Ariel.

Red sand dunes, rocky cliffs, spinifex, wattle trees, lots of pink, violet and blue mulla mulla is what truly Aussie outback is all about. Bushwalking provides an excellent opportunity to fully soak the experience. This is what we thoroughly enjoy.

We loved Kennedy Ranges! 2 days we spent there wasn’t enough. Surely, we’ll be back!

Garden Rock near Cue

Garden Granite Rock near Cue

A lot smaller in size than nearby more famous Walga Rock, Garden Rock, near a small town Cue, is hardly known. Located only 18 km east of Cue, on Cue-Wondinong dirt Road (connecting Cue and Sandstone), it is easily accessible. This granite rock rises 20 meters above the sandplain and has a circumference of 1km, so it is quite an easy and pleasant walk around.

Garden Granite Rock was once the site of market gardens established in 1894 to supply gold rush population around Cue with fruits and vegetables. This is hard to imagine today, as there are no traces of the former gardens left ☹.

There is a free bush camp around the Garden Rock (unlike the Walga Rock). While we neither camped, nor saw people there, we noticed traces of people who camped before. Maybe, one of these days we’ll be back for a camp here :).

Perfect place for camping

Back on the road. While approaching Cue, at the end of dirt Cue-Wondinong Road we saw an interesting sign, urging all vehicles to stop and brush off wheels. For the record, we couldn’t find the reason why needed to dust off wheels, but we followed the rule 😊.

All vehicles must stop and dust off wheels sign near Garden Granite Rock in Cue.
Check the road sign on the left