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Track trip
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Goog's Track runs in a roughly south to north direction from just
outside Ceduna in South Australia to Malbooma where it meets the Trans
Australian Railway line and dingo fence, a distance a little short of
200 kilometers. However sightseeing along the way can add several more
kilometers.
The trip is best done from south to north due to the hundreds of sand
hills that need to be crossed, which are easier from the southern
approaches.
From
Malbooma you could turn around and travel south
again, very hard work and definitely not advisable, or head eastwards,
to Glendambo. Without deviations for sightseeing it is a distance of
around 360km. There are no fuel supplies between Ceduna and
Glendambo.
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the history and continue with the Goog's Track trip
Goog's
Track History
The
track, not then known as Goog's Track, was originally started from the
northern end, from Malbooma Station, in the mid 1950's, from
where
it headed south to Mt Finke and what is
now Drum Camp,
when it was
decided that it was all too hard abandoned.
Drum Camp got its name from the two large drums of water left on the
scene when the original track construction was abandoned.
Goog's Track, its original name was Goog's Road, goes back to the
mid 1970's when it was built by John (nicknamed Goog) and Jenny Denton.
The Dentons lived at the Lone Oak Station at the start of Goog's Track
on the southern end.
They
purchased the leasehold of the undeveloped tract of farm land
in
the mid 1960's and started the mammoth task of clearing the land for
farming as well as building their home, Lone Oak Homestead, on the
southern
fringes of the Yumbarra Conservation Park, through which the first
section of the track passes.
Jenny Denton had three children in her early years on the station,
Martin, Debbie and Jeffery.
Goog's aim was to open up a road
from Ceduna to meet the east, west railway line junction at
Tarcoola, so that there would be better access to being able to sell
local produce to wider markets with the aid of the railway.
He
received no government support or financial assistance and took some
three years, working at weekends only, to complete the task using, to
start with anyway, some very basic equipment such as an old tractor
with a blade attached to the front to act as a bulldozer. He did,
however, receive a lot of moral and financial support in the form of
fuel and equipment from property
owners in the area who could see the potential benefit of such a road.
As the
going got tougher a proper bulldozer was acquired to ease the
job as well as
three old Land Rovers that they built out of wrecks and
scrap parts found in the neighborhood, to help ferry food
and fuel to the work party by Goog's wife and children. It became a
real family affair with Jenny's brother, Denis, also joining in.
The
track was never used for its intended purpose but was used during
mining exploration and has become very popular in recent years with the
4WD community.
The Trip Along
Goog's Track
The best time to do the trip is from autumn to spring and a well
prepared vehicle is essential. The are no provisions along the way and
you are well advised to take more than adequate food and water in case
of breakdowns.
There is no fuel either and you could find
yourself doing close to 400 or more kilometers, depending on the
sightseeing you do along the way and which route you follow from
Tarcoola.
Permits are required and can be obtained by contacting the NPWS at
Ceduna on 1800 816 078.
Leaving
Ceduna head about 30 km north, through the wheat area, to the
Lone Oak Station. East of here is the Ceduna Satellite Earth Station
which was used up until the 1990's to relay all of Australia's
telephone and TV communications to and from Europe. It is now a
research
station attached to Tasmania University.
Just north of Lone Oak the track enters the Yumbarra Conservation Park
and real, very sandy, four wheel drive country.
Reduce tyre pressures if not already done.
A
little way into the park and the track passes through the Dog Fence.
The gate should be closed when you arrive and certainly should be
closed by you when you leave.
The track heads north east
towards Goog's Lakes but about half way between is a turnoff to the
east that goes to Black Oaks, about 10km away.
About 8
kilometers north of this turnoff is a turnoff to the
Aboriginal
Rockholes, a couple of km's to the west. Goog believed, and was almost
certainly correctly, that he was the first white person to set eyes on
them.
North of here are the Goog's Lakes. They are, as with
other lakes in this part of Australia, salt lakes with whatever water
that gets into them evaporating fairly quickly. The largest lake is
about 14 by 1 kilometers in size and there is good camping here, both
on the north and south banks of the lake.
As
with all salt lakes don't be tempted to drive on the dry, encrusted
salt. Many 4WD vehicles have got bogged doing so and recovery in the
remote areas is horrifically expensive.
A little past the
easterly turnoff to the lakes is the turnoff, and a short distance, to
the memorial that was set up for Goog and his eldest son, Martin, who
was nicknamed Dinger.
Once
the original Goog's Track was completed both Goog and Dinger
did a
fair amount of track work in the area for mining exploration
companies. Both lost their lives in accidents in the vicinity of the
track, and at different
times, after the track was completed.
Jenny Denton now lives at Streaky Bay, on the coast south of Ceduna.
It
was at this point, during the construction of Goog's Track, that a
shack was built and used a base for the rest of the track construction
up to Mt Finke. It was later demolished at the request of the South
Australian NPWS.
Past the memorial the track passes out of Yumbarra
Conservation Park and into the Yellabinna Regional Reserve.
Shortly
after entering Yellabinna Regional Reserve Lakes Track heads off to the
east towards Lois Rocks, about 50km, and then onto the dingo fence. At
this point the Lakes Track becomes private and skirts the southern
shores of Lake Everard before reaching Lake Everard Homestead.
It
may be of interest to the Goog's Track traveler, though, as it also
goes to View Point, on the northern shore of Goog's Lake, about 10km
off the main track. Lakes Track was also built by Goog in the 1980's
for BHP, who were doing exploration work in the area.
About 5km north of this turnoff is a westerly turnoff onto the
Jellabina Rocks track.
The
stretch from here to the 369 metre high Mt Finke will see the dunes
getting higher, in places up to 25 metres high, the sand softer, the
blowouts on the northern slopes of the dunes more blown out and the
going, in general, much harder.
The track to Mt Finke is off to
the west and is about 5km long. Returning to Goog's Track from Mt Finke
can be along the same track or one leading away in a north
easterly direction. This track joins Goog's a little north of the
other one.
Just north of Mt Finke the track leaves the
Yellabinna Regional Reserve as it starts traveling due east along the
southern border of the Malbooma Outstation. When the Dingo Fence is
reached the track again heads north towards Malbooma.
There
has been some major re-alignment work on this section of the track with
the new track to the west of the original one. Follow the signs. This
is officially the end of Goog;s Track.
From Malbooma the track
heads east as it follows the Trans Continental Rail Line to Tarcoola, a
distance of around 40 km's, which was an important rail siding in the
earlier days. However there is a pub and a few houses there today, but
no fuel.
Whilst
you could travel up the track that runs up the western boundary of
Malbooma Outstation there is little point because from Lyons, a little
west of Malbooma, to Haig in Western Australia the Trans Access Road
has been closed and no permits will granted for public access.
From
here the track continues eastwards, through Kingoonya, to the Sturt
Highway, warm showers, fresh food, water and fuel at
Glendambo.
Alternatively,
if you feel that you want a little more off road then head south at
Kingoonya and head back to civilisation via Lake Gairdner National
Park, east of Lake Everard and Lake Everard Homestead, the northern
reaches of the Gawler Ranges to Streaky Bay on the coast, a little
south of where you started.
Thanks for visiting.
