Hicks Gap track ( old Wittenoom Robourne track)

Submitted: Monday, May 27, 2019 at 15:29

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Craig M1

Hi
I am wondering if anyone has done the Hicks Gap Track recently.
I am not sure if this is the correct name but is a track in the Pilbara south of Roebourne.
It turns off the Rio Tinto Rail Access Road just south of the Harding River Dam.
It then heads in a south, south east direction and exits just north east of Python Pool on the Wittenoom /Roebourne road.
I am in a Landcruiser 200 series towing a Kimberley Camper trailer.
As the area received quite a lot of rain from a cyclone in (I think) February this year I am concerned about the Harding River crossing and possible wash outs.
Cheers Craig

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Reply By: ExplorOz Team - Michelle - Monday, May 27, 2019 at 16:20

Monday, May 27, 2019 at 16:20

I noticed you haven't had a reply yet so I've posted it up onto our Facebook page in case people there haven't seen it here.

Michelle Martin
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Follow Up By: Craig M1 - Monday, May 27, 2019 at 21:33

Monday, May 27, 2019 at 21:33

Thanks Michelle.
Cheers Craig

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Reply By: Member - Tiersman - Monday, May 27, 2019 at 20:12

Monday, May 27, 2019 at 20:12

The water has long vanished now but left everything very green, just came back from there, you should be ok as long as you drive to the conditions.

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Reply By: Ron N - Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 11:08

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 11:08

Harding Dam is only 30.8% full, as at the 23rd May (5 days ago). This indicates that the water flows into the dam from the cyclone on 23rd to 26th March were negligible.

The Harding Dam weather station actually recorded no rainfall during the cyclone.

The main area of rainfall was around Port Hedland and inland just SW of PH, and along the coast - and it was a pretty narrow band of rainfall area, but very intense where it did fall.

Indee Station recorded 648mm over the period from 20th to the 26th of March - but other stations not far away, only recorded much lighter levels of rainfall, in the region of 20 to 60mm.

BOM climate data

BOM - 3 mth rainfall map - WA

Cheers, Ron.

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Follow Up By: Craig M1 - Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 11:55

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 11:55

Hi Ron thanks for that info.
I actually did check the BOM data for Roebourne and it showed rainfall on 24 and 25 of March of 106mm and 43mm and yet Harding River Dam nil. Pretty isolated eh.
Always enjoy reading your advice on other threads.
BTW have you ever done this track?
Cheers Craig

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Follow Up By: Ron N - Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 15:35

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 15:35

Hi Craig - No, I've never done that particular track, it's been a few years since I was in that neck of the woods.
Nice country though, I first went through the Wittenoom Rd in 1969 in a HK Holden ute! The tourists were almost non-existent!
4WD's were few and far between back then, everyone in those days, regarded every road or track as just "regular 2WD" or "rough 2WD"! LOL
Spent some time around Marble Bar in 1988, we were re-treating the Marble Bar State Battery tailings over about 6 mths back then, and we had progressed to LN106 Hiluxes by that stage!
Went through the area in 1994 in my HDJ80 wagon, and it had been a very wet year, and the Sturt Desert Pea bushes were a metre tall, like rose bushes!
I've been through the area several times since '94, I think the last time was 2012.
Enjoy your trip!

Cheers, Ron.

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