Burringurrah (Mt Augustus) 8 – 10 April 2013
While the trailer was getting repaired
we made the 500 km trek out to Burringurrah.
It was an absolute hoot!
We stayed at Cobra Bangemall
Inn/Station with Jim (the owner) and Rob (the ex-dogger). These two blokes made our trip out here
really memorable. We followed them in their 4WD that had no doors and roo blood
on the floor, to their own private lookout.
At one stage, Jim drove with his head out the door as his windscreen was
so dirty he couldn’t see out of it while driving into the western sun.
The view was amazing. We looked over Burringurrah and it’s
neighbouring hills, the Barlee ranges and the so-called centipede ranges (not
sure what they’re really called) that disappeared into the distance heading off
towards the Pilbara and the southern end of the Kennedy Ranges. The sunset was
spectacular, the snags were edible, and the company was fun. That night they taught the kids how to divine
for water and we enjoyed another beer with them in the backyard while it was
still a balmy 30 degrees or so (the kids all scored a free icecream from Jim
who was a real gentleman).
But what about Burringurrah? Touted as Australia’s biggest rock, it was
well worth the 500km return drive. The drive was fun and the mountain was very
impressive. It is not a rock, like Uluru, but a monocline – a bit of the
earth’s crusts jutting out from the surface.
We climbed to Edney’s lookout and the view was impressive and the
silence and solitude something really special. It was hot so the kids stayed in
the car for the remainder of the sight-seeing that day which consisted of
Aboriginal rock art, water holes and a natural cattle pound. It was so beautiful and our photos just don’t
do it justice.
On the way back to Carnarvon we drove
at least 300 km and it was when we reached the Kennedy Ranges National Park we
struck our first car for the day. The
Kennedy Ranges were equally as impressive and we could see them off in the
distance for some time (as the NP entrance is in the southern end of it and we
approached them from the north). It’s a
150km escarpment with a sheer edge along it’s length – again our photos don’t
do it justice.
We stopped at one of the gorges for lunch
but the heat was radiating off the rocks so we decided not to attempt the walk
into it. Next time.
Hi Simon
ReplyDeleteThere is a sad postscript to your story. Ex dogger Rob, became a dogger again for a brief period of time towards the end of 2014. In recent years dogging has always been his passion. At the beginning of 2015 he traveled south to his other home as our sister Sheryl lost her 17 year old son. It was incredible to have him home with us for those two weeks albeit due to a tragedy. Little did we know (thankfully) that they would be the last times we would know his physical presence. Ex dogger Rob slipped away in his camp somewhere between the 2nd/3rd and 5th March 2015.
I'm so glad you got to meet the character and personality, that I knew as my colourful brother.
Kind Regards
Sue (sister of ex dogger Rob)