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Track Care WA News
TRACK CARE WA NEWS NARLOO, NOT GNARLOO
Easter 2021 trip with multiple 4WD groups
By Graham Weber
TCWA and the 4WD Club of WA coordinated a combined trip to Narloo Station where TCWA had previously done restoration work on the homestead and installed a water pump. The original TCWA aim of the trip was to perform maintenance on the homestead over the Easter break, but with the original recci cancelled due to a wayward trailer the Easter trip became the recci with a small clean-up project to be decided while on site. The second part of the trip was to perform another recci to Woolgorong and Woolgorong Outcamp while we were in the region. The 4WD Club of WA aimed for a social trip to allow the two groups to mix and meet while enjoying and learning new things. The plan was to have sessions where people could listen and question various topics that relate to 4W driving, camping and enjoying the great outdoors. To this end, there were sessions on Body Awareness, Using Drones, Camp Oven Cooking, All things Electrical, Photography and Fault Finding (using Karl F’s vehicle as the source of faults). The President of the 4WD Club of WA (Karl F) and the Chair of TCWA (John C) had also arranged with Geoff Lewis (Seriously Series) to have an outdoor screening of his movie Road to Ruin which was hilarious because we came in to Narloo on the 'Road from Yuin' ... to Narloo! What a great movie! If you ever get the opportunity, go and see it! Some TCWA members wanted to perform maintenance on the water pump due to some reports coming in that described the water coming from the well as something very unlike water. More like a black/brown sludge really. With an early start, the team had pulled the piping out, cleaned the filter mesh at the bottom and repaired/rebuilt the pump. By 9.00am the pump was back in place and producing lighter brown sludge. Several pumps during the day got the output of the pump looking more like water but still brown. The lesson here is that when a site has non-potable water take note! It may not be drinkable in any form. Even when allowed to settle this was not what the average Joe would consider drinking.
Sunset at Narloo.
Brave 'Beach Babe'
An 'over the top' paddling pool. By the end of the day we decided to follow an old tradition of the site and attempt to fill an inflatable paddling pool to allow us to cool off (with maximums from 38-43 degrees this seemed worthwhile). The water was still brown and dirty but definitely closer to water now. After about 20 minutes of pumping and several spilled buckets we got enough ‘water’ to half fill the pool. The water was cool enough for the ‘Beach Babes of Narloo not Gnarloo!’ to get in and wet. There were many events that happened over the Easter weekend. This was a good example of why being a member of a 4WD club or a focussed association like TCWA is worthwhile. If you want to find out more, check out their web sites:
4wdclubwa.com trackcare.com.au
The old homestead.
CAN I TAKE MY DOG?
A pastoralist's point of view
One of the most frequently asked questions posed on social media by travellers intending to explore the wonderous Great Outback is … "Can I take my dog?"
The Australian Rangelands, also known as ‘The Great Outback’ as depicted in the accompanying context map, covers 80% of our nation with the geographically largest industry being pastoral station leases. More than one third of Western Australia’s area of 2,532,974 km2 is subject to pastoral leasing. As of 1st July 2015, 435 pastoral stations had their leases renewed on the same conditions and for the same terms as previously existed. Given the geographic size and ongoing economic importance of pastoral station businesses to Western Australia, Track Care WA believes it is appropriate to seek comments from engaged pastoralists about travelling with your 'best friend' when visiting our rangelands. To this end, the comments below have been generously contributed by Emma and Rossco Foulkes-Taylor who own Yuin Station, a pastoral lease in the Murchison Shire of Western Australia. According to Emma and Rossco, no phone signal, vast and clear skies, brilliant stars, campfires, fascinating country ... why wouldn’t you want to explore Australia’s vast outback? It’s a pretty amazing place! "We think it’s wonderful that people are wanting, and able, to get out of the rat race and appreciate the more remote areas of Australia, BUT it is important to remember that much of the outback is occupied by pastoral properties running livestock businesses. As pastoralists ourselves, we’ve rarely denied permission to anyone wanting to camp on our property but, of course, permission can only be given when
people have actually asked for it. One could be forgiven for thinking that, ‘they’ll never know we are here’ but, we promise you, we are keen observers of what’s happening on our patch and we nearly always notice strange tracks and gate's chains secured ‘differently’ - or worse, damaged tracks from vehicles driving on them wet and gates left open. People often ask us about bringing their pet dogs with them. We love our dogs as much as the next person but we strongly discourage people bringing them on to the property - unless they are prepared to have them tied up at all times. If you do take your dogs camping on pastoral properties be aware that there are a number of risks in doing so as some of them are fatal: Nearly all stations bait for wild dogs and there is no antidote if a bait is inadvertently eaten by a pet. Wild dog traps are strategically dotted across properties. Some dogs like chasing livestock and wildlife and, apart from potential injury or death to the stock, there is a high risk of your ‘best friend’ getting lost in the excitement of the chase. Is it really worth the risk? So, if you are planning to ‘Wander Out Yonder’ in your 4WD please take the time to educate yourself about which pastoral properties you might be wanting to camp on and seek permission from the owner/ manager. We can’t promise you will be welcome but at least you’ll know before you get there and can make alternative plans. Or, better still, support the properties that are running tourism enterprises alongside their livestock businesses and use their facilities - they would love to see you! While you need to decide how best to protect your companion animal from rangeland hazards it is nevertheless useful to reflect on the advice shared above by Emma and Rossco. As station people, they live with the almost daily challenge of
Keep your dogs on leash at all times, even in bed, as demonstrated by Isabelle.
Photos by Karen Morton
keeping their working dogs and family pets safe from the dangers associated with wild dog control programs and/or simply living in an unforgiving environment. As dog lovers themselves, they are also acutely aware of the distress that would predictably follow a pet being unintentionally injured by a wild dog trap or a death caused by poisoning. Interestingly, Emma and Rossco have also raised the station access and camping issue that is clearly vexatious for both pastoralists and rangeland recreationalists.
Regular readers of Western 4W Driver may recall that this issue was also raised and discussed by Jo Clews in her interesting Station Etiquette story published in the 117th edition. One of the concerns is that rangeland recreationalists can have difficulty accurately determining who is the actual land custodian while travelling. We have all become increasingly reliant on electronic mapping devices driven by some form or combination of global satellite systems. Unfortunately, off-theshelf navigation systems commonly used by rangeland recreationalists do not provide the level of detail needed to show station boundaries and other information relating to land custodianship. This level of detail appears limited to commercial systems used by miners, prospectors, and other special needs people such as emergency services personnel. While the necessary information is readily available, the data rarely appears on a single map sheet. Differences in projection and map scale can make it difficult to use multiple maps to accurately determine your location in relation to your chosen point of interest. To help resolve some of the concerns raised relating to appropriate rangeland access, Track Care WA has agreed to work with the Foulkes-Taylor family and the Parks and Wildlife Service who manage the neighbouring former pastoral leases of Narloo and Woolgorong to identify practical and affordable solutions. We anticipate that these solutions may be used more widely to ensure future ongoing recreational access to other stations and other rangeland destinations. Should you have comments or are inclined to assist this project initiative, please contact Track Care WA via www.trackcare.com.au In the meantime, this map will help you work out which station property is where on your travels: https://researchlibrary.
agric.wa.gov.au/gis_maps/3/
Welcome to Well 33, Kunawarritji
Halfway across the longest stock route in the world, where the Canning meets the Gary Junction Road, is a special little campground. Well 33 used to be a popular oasis on the famous Canning Stock Route until two years ago, when the windmill stopped pumping water. Now, thanks to John Collins of Track Care who put us on to the talented team of Chris and Shawn Graham, the windmill at Well 33 is once again pumping, gradually refilling this historic waterhole. Plans are being made to increase the size of the waterhole and turn our little campground into something special. It is arguably the most remote community in the country, and our water tank is about to become a member of the Australian Silo Art Trail Group as local artists and school kids decorate it with a mural. At the halfway point on the gruelling Canning Stock Route, Kunawarritji Community offers a 16-room accommodation complex for those wanting to wash off the red dust.
By Scott Burridge
Community Services Coordinator, Kunawarritji Community W.A.
After the rain (1 March 2021). Shawn servicing the windmill head.
School kids and the well starting to pump water.
The air-conditioned rooms provide access to television, kitchen facilities, hot showers and clean toilets. Or for those committed to the outdoor life, the campground offers some respite after a long day battling the sand and dust. Set up your camp around a fire, or even enjoy a beer or glass of wine if they have survived the trip. The community also offers a quality store to re-stock your supplies, as well as fuel for your thirsty vehicles. Relax by your campfire underneath the Southern Cross, watching for satellites passing overhead or shooting stars as they blaze across the clear night sky. Well 33, Kunawarritji welcomes those brave souls tackling the longest stock route in the world, travelling east or west across the Gary Junction Road to Port Hedland on the coast, or inland to Kiwirrkurra and on to Alice Springs. The community welcomes you to the land of the Martu people and wishes you a safe onward journey. Come and say “palya”!
End of the first day - tyre gone, rods pulled, ready for stage two. The Canning Stock Route is currently affected by COVID-19 restrictions. For access updates, bookings and entry permits contact Kunawarritji Aboriginal Corporation on kunawarritji@bigpond.com or phone (08) 9176 9040.
