Canning 2010
By: Australian Geographic / Red Desert Tours
| November-30-2009
Join the AG Society as we take on one of Australia’s most formidable tracks – the Canning Stock Route.
10 – 29 MayCost: $3950 incl. GST, per vehicle of two occupants
Who: Australian Geographic in conjunction with Red Desert Tours
Contact: Odyssey Travel for bookings 1300 888 225
Further information: Download the brochure (PDF 809 KB)
See article: The Canning Stock Route Australian Geographic Jul - Sep 2007
The 2010 expedition will gather in Kalgoorlie, still the richest goldmining town in Australia. While much has changed in Kalgoorlie since Canning first arrived, there are many old grand buildings still standing in this exciting goldrush town.
From Kalgoorlie we’ll head north on good roads to the goldrush town of Leinster, but not before visiting the ghost town of Gwalia. Next day we pass through Wiluna and begin our Canning Stock Route (CSR) adventure by visiting the first couple of wells along the stock route before camping at Well 3.
Over the next two days we enter very remote country and travel as far north as Well 16 – and the famous Durba Springs where we will take a day's break to explore the area. On leaving the magical Durba Hills we’ll be seven days on the track, passing the salt expanse of Lake Disappointment (so named by the explorer Frank Hann) and briefly stopping at the isolated Aboriginal community of Kunawarritji for a hot shower.
We then pass by the desert oak forests of central CSR and the historic graves of early pioneers – who died of thirst, or were killed by Aborigines protecting their meagre water supply – before arriving at the mesa-like Breaden Hills.
The last few days of the expedition will be spent around the wetlands of Lake Gregory before reaching Old Halls Creek – the original starting point of the CSR, just south of present-day Halls Creek. Our expedition comes to an end here, on the headwaters of the Elvire River and in the foothills of the Albert Edward Range.
It’s a fitting finale to an exciting and rewarding expedition.