The Eagle Hwy is a very isolated track in the
Gibson Desert. At the northern end it can take you to the Gary Highway or the Talawanna Track and the southern end finishes at the Gunbarrel Hwy.
Leaving the Eagle Hwy
track junction with tracks to
Gary Hwy or the Talawanna Track, an abandoned 2040 metres deep oil
well, Eagle Dragon No 1, drilled in late 1982 is the first stop.
Further south of Eagle Dragon No 1 is an abandoned 1.34 km long
airstrip and further south again is a turn off to the right to what is known as the
Warri Site. It was at this site the Eagle Oil Company had its
camp. The remains of a shed,
water tank and windmill in a picturesque grove of trees are still evident.
Further south is the turn off to the
Karrarinarri Claypan. It was at this site that the last two aboriginal nomads in this part of
the desert were found and then relocated. There is a cairn and
plaque commemorating the event.
Next stop is
Eagle Hussar No 1 oil well (abandoned) and a nearby, another abandoned oil company shed and
airstrip.
The track improves as you head south, allowing speeds of 10 to 45 kph and occasionally higher.
Mungilli outstation, (abandoned), is an interesting stopping place with the remains of many buildings, sheds and concrete pads.
Upon reaching the end of the Eagle Hwy turn left to
Mungilli Claypan. When we visited it had a large sheet of water that attracted camels and birds.
Once at the bottom end of the Hwy the options are to travel east along the Gunbarrel Hwy to
Warburton, south on the
David Carnegie Road to Tjukayirla Road House or west along the Gunbarrel to
Carnegie Station/
Wiluna.
On the track there was the odd washaway and rocky outcrop; however it was mainly low scrub with belts of mulga and spinifex flats and very few sand hills.
How to Use this Trek Note
- To download this information and the route file for offline use on a phone, tablet, headunit or laptop, go to the app store and purchase ExplorOz Traveller. This app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage and the EOTopo webpage.
Environment
The desert environment is pristine except for the remains of oil exploration camps, wells and airstrips. Recent rains had promoted a very green look to the spinifex. Although spinifex is the main vegetation, belts of mulga and low scrub are frequently encountered. It is very likely that Camels will be seen; they often frequent this part of the desert.
History
In the early 1980’s the Eagle Oil Company carried out a significant exploration and drilling programme in the area. The Eagle Hwy, as it has since become known, was put in by them.
Karrarinarri Claypan is the site at which the last two aboriginal nomads in this part of
the desert, Warri and Yatungka, were found and then relocated to
Wiluna in 1977. There is a cairn and
plaque at this site commemorating the event.
TrekID: 122