Gunbarrel or Anne Beadell/Connie Sue

Clay,

I have just done a similar trip in Oct this year going across the Anne Beadell Hwy to Coober Pedy, then north to Yulara and back across the Great Central Road. The Anne Beadell Hwy is a good track all the way across to Coober Pedy - just corrugated in places - and the Great Central Rd is about 3-4 lanes wide in most places and a steady 80 kph drive most of the time.

There is no ULP between Yulara and Tjukayirla RH on the Great Central Rd which is a distance of 815 km.

Hope this helps. BTW, if you haven't already got them, Hema Great Desert Treks SW and SC have all this info and more on it - I can definately recommend this series of maps.

Cheers,

!MPG:4!

The Northern Connie Sue will take you 8 hours to do the 300kms to Neale Junction, it's a rocky road. Anne Beadell is a great Rd & Yeo home stead if fantastic great place to camp / shower.

Did them both in October. Gunbarrel has its pluses and minuses. I'd refuel at Tjukayirla, then take the Hunt Oil Rd up to the Gunbarrel, turn right, then vibrate away on the corrugations (theres no relief from these). Then you can link up with the abandoned section of the Gunbarrel - you need extra permit for this and have to satisfy their conditions - must have 2-5 vehicles. The abandoned section is a highway for the first half, then a great drive thru the desert oaks on the northern part as you head to Warakurna. I believe that you'll get Opal unleaded at these places without hassle, but worth a phone call to be sure.

We found the northern section of the Connie Sue to be a bit "average" - it was a bit rough and corrugated, but the scenery was dull. Theres a few highlights such as waterfall gorge and Hanns Tabletop - but thats just the way we found it. I enjoy the Anne Beadell Hwy, and don't forget to call into Bishop Riley's pulpit.

Another way to reach theConnie Sue is to head east from Laverton to Burtville then take the Lake Rason Rd past the lake (climb over the dune for a look), then you turn north just after the lake, on a link Rd thats takes you up to the Anne Beadell. Another option after Lake Rason, is to head south thru Plumridge Lakes Nature Reserve (sandalwood cutters camps etc) and continue east to the Connie Sue and head north. Need a fair bit of fuel if you do that, and its pretty isolated out there.

Cheers
phil

Thanks to all for the helpful comments. My main concern although I am very experienced the group I am leading are all complete novices with children as well and I did not want to put them through anything too extreme or too dull. Sounds like the Northern Connie Sue is a little bit of both.

Cheers

Clay