Work and Play – The Track Care way.

By Lyn Hemsly.

After more than two years of planning and preparation, the trailers were finally loaded, the vehicles serviced, fuelled up and packed and everyone was ready to go install the signage shelter at Newman and the toilet and BBQ’s at Georgia Bore, on the Canning Stock Route.

As arranged, during Sunday, Capricorn Roadhouse was invaded by the 30 volunteers coming along for this journey. After setting up camp and getting to know each other, a brief meeting was called to outline the events for the next two days.

Early Monday, with a borrowed 44 gallon drum full of water already loaded, the convoy moved out to the truck bay on the Marble Bar Road to begin construction. The frames were dropped off before collecting the rapid set concrete, which the East Pilbara Shire had kindly donated, from their depot. While the women took photos, provided drinks and offered encouragement, the men set about constructing the shelter and digging the required holes – thank goodness for the jack hammer. Around midday the shelter was complete, moved into its permanent position at the back of the truck bay and concreted in before the information boards donated by Hema Maps were attached. After the site was raked and cleaned and the final photos were taken, the group broke up for lunch, with half moving out to Kalgan Pool to camp overnight. One vehicle, loaded with the majority of the remaining concrete, headed for Georgia Bore, while others contemplated an afternoon sightseeing around Newman.

Early Tuesday morning had both groups moving out to Ethel Creek Road and onto the Talawana Track via Balfour Downs, lunching at the Len Beadell marker along with a herd of cattle and many cockatoos. After a long day on the road we finally arrived at Georgia Bore around sunset, guided into camp by a magnificent full moon low in a glorious evening sky – certainly took our minds off the corrugations. The road out from Newman was very good except for the last 60 km before the Bore. The group had one tyre change, one vehicle with an electrical problem and several vehicles that missed the turn off to the rough last section of the Talawana and ended up visiting Cotton Creek earlier than they had previously planned. The men with the tandem trailer carrying the concrete suffered the most, losing the rear wheels about 40km out of Georgia Bore and, as a consequence, spent most of the day ferrying the concrete into camp on their tray top.  However, as they enjoyed a well deserved ‘outdoor’ shower, they became aware that they had company at the campsite and more surprised to see that it was the rest of the group as they hadn’t expected us until the next day.

Wednesday morning dawned a beautiful day. The first project was to repair the trailer as they were heading off – originally down the CSR but now home via Newman. The angle iron and soldering iron that had been put in ‘just in case’ were invaluable. With the wheels back on and the wires rejoined the trailer was righted and ready to move out, as strong or stronger than it was before.

In the middle of the campsite the toilet started to grow. Sheets of cladding and the framework were being painted. The holes required for the collection pit, ‘the black box’, at the rear of the toilet were huge and the jack hammer came into its own again. The temperature reached about 34 degrees, so it was a massive effort shovelling all that soil, when on the outside you could hardly see the heads of those down in the hole.

The 3 BBQ’s had been made from 800mm pipe with a swing plate and billy hook. Holes were dug for these and they were then concreted in. By evening they were all in full use.

The History of Georgia Bore sign was installed behind the hand pump while the directional ones were placed out on the track. A post was also installed to carry a book for travellers to sign while they rested and rewatered from the bore.

By the end of the first day we could contemplate with satisfaction that the toilet building was complete, the holes were all dug, the BBQ’s installed and being used, all the signs were in, the pump had been assessed and in good order, (but some alterations to the handle would have to  be carried out) and the concrete in front of the bore had been repaired.

Another beautiful morning and the toilet is carried into position, levelled and concreted in. The floor was cut and placed in position, and then Des worked his magic and installed all the working parts. This toilet has a conveyor belt and a handle to move ‘deposits’ along to a converted ‘wheelie’ bin at the back in the ‘black box’. While many of the women walked up the surrounding hills, the men installed the hoist, the whirly gig and other vents, and constructed a path leading to the door. Morning tea was a real treat with savoury and sweet damper cooked on the open fire.

The pump was refurbished on Friday morning with one arm being removed and installed as a bollard at the front of the bore, and the mechanism strengthened. As this was a rest day some travelled up or down the CSR to check it out – no fuel dump at Well 23, burnt vehicle just south of Georgia Bore and still plenty of corrugations but the scenery was enjoyable. Others did washing, enjoyed the ‘swimming pool’ or just enjoyed the company.

Saturday brought the next phase of the trip as we left the Bore, and the dingoes that were becoming a little too friendly, and headed for Parnngurr (Cotton Creek) for restocking at the shop - $3 per litre for diesel. We already knew that the fuel was going to cost more, so that was factored in. The vehicles that didn’t go into the Community travelled ahead into Rudall River National Park. They missed seeing us miscalculate a sweeping bend and head for the bush on the way in and get a blow out on the way out. We didn’t even need to go in, but the ice cream was nice and the road was in very good condition.

The majority of us lunched in the shade of gums at the White Gum bore, 8km into the National Park. On finding that there was no water, the pump was hauled out and the buckets replaced with spare ones brought for the Georgia Bore pump. After being repaired, the pump was lowered again and the water flowed.

The forward party indicated that there were already groups camped at Tjingkulatjatjarra Pool and as we had 14 vehicles in our convoy there would not be enough room for us all. Therefore, we continued on to Minti Waterhole where we camped for two nights. This is a very beautiful area with plenty of water for swimming if required. The road in Rudall River NP is being upgraded at present with lots of loose sand being removed and firmer soil being dropped in to give a more solid base. All day I had been thinking that things happen in threes after our earlier mishaps – well, when I opened up our food container there was an unusual smell. One of my UHT milk containers had leaked and for the first time I had not isolated them in plastic bags, so I now had a bad smell and 7 containers with very soft bottoms. Thank you to everyone who came up with plastic bottles that I was able to use.

Retracing our tracks in the morning we journeyed into the Desert Queen Baths after stopping at a large claypan. This area has been extensively burnt and is very devoid of shrubbery – moonscape really, but still beautiful in it own way. The baths were very picturesque, and after having a dip and a bite to eat we made the slow trek back to the main road and on to camp.

Monday found us moving on again as we headed north toward Telfer with Christmas Pool our morning tea destination. We arrived at Carawine Gorge early afternoon and we set our camp amongst the stones while others camped on the grassy, dusty lower areas. There are still many good size trees available even though a lot were lost in the floods a few years back.

After two wonderful days relaxing, enjoying the surroundings and the company, we moved on to Nullagine, stopping at Eel Pool and Skull Springs. Both are well worth a visit, with some of the largest Melaleucas I have seen and beautiful fresh water. From Carawine, the group split, with some heading home, others moving across to Karajini as we did, or just staying put for a few more days of relaxation.

In closing I would firstly like to thank the wonderful group of people who volunteered to assist in this project. As well as making it a successful venture, you also made it very enjoyable.

The major sponsors for these projects were:

The East Pilbara Shire donated all the rapid setting concrete for both projects.

Hema Maps provided the information maps for the signage shelter.

Des and Jan Bunter provided the toilet.

Jeff and Lyn Hemsley provided the toilet hoist and bbq’s.

I would also like to thank Ray Carter and Merv & Elizabeth Bradshaw for offering to use their trailers to carry materials from Perth to Newman and out to Georgia Bore.

Thanks also go to those who supplied the jack hammer, welder, generator, drills, teck screws and pop rivets, bore repair materials, soldering iron and all the other materials, we thought we wouldn’t need, but did.