Travel the Anne Beadell Highway with Grant and Linda

With the 4WD re-fuelled and final supplies packed away, it was time to pull out of the opal mining town of Coober Pedy. From here, it’s only a short run up the Stuart Highway to the start of the Anne Beadell Highway. History-wise, the Anne Beadell Highway is one of the tracks built and named by Len Beadell and his crew around 60 years ago. At that time, Len had been tasked to put in a network of roads in the outback in order to support an atomic testing program. As it turns out, the Anne Beadell (named after Len’s wife) is one of his lengthier highways, stretching more than 1,300km from Coober Pedy to Laverton in Western Australia. When you generally hear the term 'highway', it’s natural for the imagination to conjure up some fancy-pants route that is better suited to a sleek sportscar rather than a 4WD. But the Anne Beadell is far from being suited to something like that. In reality, the 'highway' is just a single lane dirt track which crosses a kaleidoscope of terrain through the Great Victoria Desert. It’s a remote area, and fair to say that traffic can be minimal on the track. In fact, it’s not uncommon to be a few days before seeing another vehicle, if not longer.

The track runs alongside the dog fence for a few kilometres on the eastern end.

The track itself is a combination of firm sand with some washouts, and there’s a likelihood you could experience a bit of boggy mud after rain. It can also be overgrown in places, so a bit of vehicle pinstriping is generally on the cards. And to top things off, there’s a bundle of corrugations. Yep, we’re talking the shake, rattle and roll type here. They can be so bad that some could easily shake teeth fillings (or perhaps chip a tooth like I did!) So take it from me when I say they’re absolute rippers. In all seriousness, it’s critical to run appropriate tyre pressures for your setup and watch your speed to help complete the track unscathed. But don’t get me wrong, not all the track is bad when there’s quite a bit of mining happening at the western end. Here you’ll find road conditions significantly improve. This section of the track is wide and generally a very good quality dirt road, so you could use a little more right foot here. But you’ll still need to keep an eye out for mining trucks which frequent this section. Other things to take into consideration about the track is the time of day you’re travelling. If you’re heading east to west and it’s late in the day, be mindful you’ll be driving into an afternoon setting sun. On the flipside, travelling from west to east and you’ll be on the receiving end of a rising sun if you’re hitting the track early.

It’s time to hit the track.

Dune crossings have a firm base.

When a track spans more than 1,300km through a variety of terrain, there’s going to be plenty to experience along the way. How long you should allow to travel the track really comes down to the time you’ve got and where your interests lie. While we’ve heard of travellers doing the crossing in as little as four days, there’s also been those who meander across the track taking two weeks. Ok, that could be us. We generally don’t need to hurry while travelling anyway, so we always allow plenty of time even if it’s just to have a lay day somewhere. So if you can allow somewhere in between 4-14 days you’ll be well covered. We say the more, the better, as it can place less demand on you and your vehicle when you can take things that bit slower. But it also pays to allow for a bit of extra time when many attractions aren’t signposted. That’s also another reason not to travel too quickly. Before leaving home, we suggest getting a detailed map and take time to do plenty of research beforehand to make the most of a trip. So what type of things can you see? If you travel the track from east to west starting at Coober Pedy, one of the first things you’ll pass through is the dog fence gate. The track continues and runs along the fence line here in a north/south direction for a few kilometres before turning

Signing the visitors’ book at Neale Junction.

westerly again. Further along, there’s also the test sites located at Emu. This is the area where atomic bombs were exploded during the early 1950s. Two obelisks stand at the detonation sites and there’s some evidence of twisted metal from the towers to be seen. While not much remains of the Emu township per sé, the landing strip located here is still in extremely good condition after all these years. Other track attractions include a number of Len Beadell markers. These are found at key locations along the track that also provide an opportunity to get out and stretch the legs. Some of these markers have visitors’ books as well so there’s somewhere you can record your visit.

One of the ground zero test sites at Emu.

Plane wreck several kilometres off the ABH.

But as we’ve seen on many outback trips, not everything makes it out of the desert. A 30 year old aeroplane wreck is located off the main track and well worth the detour. Remarkably, all on board survived the crash after the plane experienced fuel pump issues. Other than the plane wreck, there’s plenty of other wrecks along the track of the two and four wheel kind. There’s abandoned trailers, caravans and vehicles to be found in all various states of decay that now form part of the desert landscape as well. Closer to Laverton, natural attractions like Bishop Riley’s Pulpit and Point Sunday are listed on maps and worth the stop. Both were named by intrepid explorer Frank Hann more than 120 years ago. These massive outcrops are spectacular sights especially if you’ve been used to the dune desert landscape when travelling from the east. Another attraction on the western end of the track is the Yeo Homestead. It’s located a little more than 200km away from Laverton adjacent to the highway and is part of the Yeo Lake Nature Reserve. Besides these, keen eyes will find natural rockholes, soaks and trees used to make coolamons by the indigenous along the route.

This scene was quite common along the track.

A slice of history on display.

If you’re unfamiliar with desert travel, it can be a little difficult to imagine what to expect when travelling the Anne Beadell Highway. For many people, they’re pleasantly surprised when they find it’s not simply some tumbleweeds blowing across a desolate and sandy landscape. The truth is the Great Victoria Desert and the area to its east is anything but desolate. Eucalypts, acacias, mallee and saltbush can all be found along here, and hedge-like spinifex 'gardens' can dominate the landscape in parts. Wildflowers can also be out in full force after a bit of rain and provide a vibrant contrast to that rich red sand. While animal and bird numbers can fluctuate, we’ve come across all sorts of parrots, finches, fairy-wrens and robins. The crested bellbird is one of our feathered outback faves which we’ve often heard during our trips to the region. As with most desert-style tracks, larger wildlife like camels are present and love to hog the track. Passing them isn’t always easy, so you could be following them for a while. Other than these, it’s also not uncommon to come across wild dogs at some stage. If you don’t see them, there’s a strong likelihood you may hear them off in the distance.

Our lunch stop visitor was very inquisitive.

Wildflowers can be plentiful after a bit of rain.

Spinifex en masse looking quite pretty.

While you’ll find some designated spots to camp listed on maps, there really is no shortage of places to pull up stumps for the night along the track. Some of the camps we’ve had have been real crackers. However, there are a few camping restrictions which are signposted. For starters, radiation levels make camping unsuitable around the atomic detonation sites. And there’s also a 50km section within Maralinga Lands where camping is not permitted. Any other restrictions will be covered in the permits needed to travel the track. Some popular places to camp on the SA side are at Tallaringa Well, Emu airstrip, Neale Junction and at the SA/WA border. Other landmarks such as Point Sunday and Yeo Homestead are often used for camping on the WA end. The homestead here has a cold shower to help wash that red dirt away plus a fireplace and water also available. Just make sure to boil the water first. The Ilkurlka Roadhouse that’s located on the track has a large campground and provides a bit of luxury with its toilet and shower facilities. If you’re just passing through, it’s only a few dollars to use the facilities if you don’t have time for an overnighter. All these spots have plenty of space if you’re travelling with a large group, but collecting firewood elsewhere is the go.

Yeo Homestead is a good spot to take a break or camp. Having a lazy start to the day.

Ilkurlka stocks a few supplies, fuel and souvenirs.

FACILITIES

You’ve probably heard it before, but remote travel of any sort means you need to be self-sufficient. This includes travelling the Anne Beadell Highway. Carefully calculate your fuel requirements well in advance, and even then, carry some extra. Also take plenty of water and extra supplies. While you may be able to pick up some emergency

water at a couple of the rainwater tanks along the track, you can’t rely on these. And don’t leave home without some form of communication as well for travelling remotely. We always take a satellite phone with us as a precaution and for peace of mind whenever we’re hitting the tracks. Besides the facilities at Coober Pedy and Laverton, the only other place that offers fuel and basic supplies along the track is the Ilkurlka Roadhouse. Diesel is available (around $3.50 per litre) as well as opal fuel (around $4 per litre). The roadhouse also stocks a few supplies, and you can support the local Tjuntjuntjara Community if you’d like a piece or two of their unique art or artefacts.

PERMITS

You’ll need four permits in total to travel the Anne Beadell Highway in its entirety. And unfortunately, they’re not available from a one-stop shop. Be prepared and apply well in advance as they can take up to eight weeks in some instances.

There’s no hitting the tracks when Defence conducts their tests.

One of these permits provides transit through the Cosmo Newberry Reserve on the Western Australian side of the track. The other three permits are for travelling through land within South Australia. One of these permits will cover you to transit through the Tallaringa Conservation Park that’s administered by SA National Parks. Another covers the Maralinga Lands and Mumungari Conservation Park. These permits don’t necessarily cover camping fees either, so check the individual websites for further details.

You can come across more traffic on the western end as there’s plenty of mining activity.

The last of the SA permits comes from the Department of Defence which covers travel from Coober Pedy to Neale Junction. As Defence periodically conducts testing in the desert, there are exclusion periods where permits aren’t issued. You won’t want to get caught out here so check their website for these exclusion dates well in advance while planning your trip. These dates are listed well ahead of time giving travellers plenty of notice. And if you think you can get onto the track undetected, think again. The track gets blocked by Defence personnel on the eastern end by Mabel Creek Station. While this is happening, other personnel undertake vehicle sweeps as far as Neale Junction to ensure it’s clear. That’s not necessarily a bad thing when you probably wouldn’t want to find your vehicle is a moving target!

As far as outback tracks go, the Anne Beadell Highway sits towards the top of many a 4W driver’s list of tracks to tackle. And when it offers so much diversity and gets you well away from the regular blacktop touring found further south between Western Australia and South Australia, that comes as no surprise. So whether you’re a history buff, nature lover, or simply someone that relishes a bit of a remote outback adventure, the Anne Beadell Highway covers all that, plus more.

The track can be overgrown in parts.

INFORMATION BAY

DISTANCE

1,325km from Coober Pedy in South Australia to Laverton in Western Australia.

PERMITS

WA - Cosmo Newberry Reserve www.wa.gov.au/service/aboriginal-affairs/ aboriginal-heritage-conservation (No charge.) SA - Tallaringa Conservation Park This permit is needed if you’re not the current holder of a SA Desert Parks Pass parks.sa.gov.au (Payable.) SA - Maralinga Tjarutja Land & Mamungari Conservation Park www.maralingatjarutja.com Allow 4-8 weeks. (Payable.) SA - Woomera Prohibited Area www.defence.gov.au/bases-locations/ sa/woomera Allow 7 days. (No charge.) Exclusion Periods during the year may apply to certain areas and access will not be approved during these periods. FUEL & SUPPLIES

Coober Pedy and Laverton supply fuel and have a supermarket. Ilkurlka Roadhouse (552km from Laverton and 830km from Coober Pedy) has basic food supplies, a public phone, an assortment of local art, and a campground with toilet and shower facilities. Check their website for current opening times and up to date fuel prices. www.ilkurlka.org.au WHEN TO TRAVEL

Late autumn and winter are the best times to travel when daytime temperatures are mild and nights are cool to cold. However, you’ll need to check the Department of Defence website well in advance, as these times can occasionally clash with their exclusion periods. Summer desert travel is out – it’s just too hot.