Way out West 2025. 27th of July.  Day ten.

Trackside camp between dunes on the Sandy Blight Junction Track, WA to a Desert Oaks Camp on the SBJT about 57 kms from Great Central Road.

The normal morning routine, except body clock and time are at odds. (Given we are now 90mins behind our Vic time) Quite cool but not freezing.

We left camp at 8:30am heading for Giles today. (We diverted from Giles as we didn’t have any reason to be there.)

The track alternates between corrugated (yuk) and some lovely flowy sand stretches. Still the odd wet puddle, which can catch us out when gazing around at the scenery. The scenery changes constantly – open grasses and spinifex, desert oaks , then other more squat Gumtree some sort of blue gummy type thing.
Then there are glades of brushy woosh Bush.
Many beautiful stands of desert oaks and they just shiver in the wind.
Steve was in the lead and spotted a camel on the track. Steve pulled over to let Brian and Ann past to look, the camel took off before others could see, but she did come back to be a road runner and kept trotting in front of the lead vehicle. I tried unsuccessfully to steer her off the track. She was able to go faster than us over the rocks and corrugations. She broke into a gallop. Eventually Brian went back to the front and managed to steer her off the track. Poor thing had been really moving and chose not to get off the track.

We stopped at the signpost to Sir Frederick Range Summit and the challenge was on – we had to drive up it. The signpost indicated very steep grades. This meant turning in and dropping the two camper trailers at the base. It was a very rocky and steep ascent and descent. I had some helpful coaching and despite being rather nervous made my way to the top with everyone else. I have to learn to trust the car and not be too heavy footed.

After a posed shot for Mary on our way down, we headed a bit further along Sandy Blight Junction Track for lunch at Len Beadell’s blaze tree marker signalling the 100mile point from The Gunbarrell Highway and 132miles from the Sandy Blight Junction.

Then it was me in the lead, I saw another camel and a dingo who took off to opposite sides of the road. There were more rough patches, rocky corrugations, sandy corrugations, and then some smooth bits in between. We drove over many red dunes and the beautiful swales in between- more Desert Oaks, Hakea, sculptural spinifex and views left and right.

We were not going to make it to the Great Central Rd today so we found a lovely campsite (well Stef did!) under a stand of desert oaks. 

The moon made a brief and slim appearance before setting early and we enjoyed a night around the fire. The stars weren’t as visible due to the oaks surrounding the camp, however there were satellites spotted and shooting stars admired as well.