These are our Tours & Expeditions for 2009 as we advertised them. Please click on the links below each for a trip summary.
Click here to see maps of the 2009 trips described below
Post season tyre & tube report 2009
OFF-ROAD TOUR
Anne Beadell Hwy, Emu, Vokes Hill Corner, Cook, Nullabor, Ceduna, "Googs Track", Tarcoola, & Glendambo
This is a shorter Tour designed for those with not much time, and falls into the school holiday period for some States.
Swinging onto the famous Anne Beadell Highway we enter the Great Victoria Desert, visiting Tallaringa Well, Emu Atomic Sites & Anne's Corner.
Turning south at Vokes Hill Corner we meander through the Mallee and sandhills finally petering out into the Nullarbor Plain. The laid back village of Cook and the Transcontinental Railway Line are next on the list.
Returning to the Eyre Highway we travel east to Ceduna and civilisation. Getting back into the desert we follow "Googs Track" through the Yellabinna Regional Reserve to the Trans-Con Railway then onto Glendambo.
This Tour covers some extraordinary changes in landscape; sandhills, claypans & sweeping plains of Saltbush. Marble Gums, Black Oaks, Mallees, Spinifex & Mulga the best the Great Victoria Desert and the Nullarbor have to offer.
Our relaxed pace is a great opportunity to learn more about the plants, animals & early Explorers. Connie Beadell adds greatly to the experience detailing her father's participation in the projects that shaped the western deserts of Australia.
** Please read our post-trip summary ( for summary click here ) **
OFF-ROAD TOUR
Gary Junction Rd, Sandy Blight Junction Road, Old Gunbarrel Highway, Connie Sue Hwy, Laverton, Plumridge Lakes, Neale Junction, Anne Beadell Hwy, Emu Atomic Test Sites & Mabel Creek
Connie Sue Beadell & Mick Hutton follow the desert road network constructed by Len Beadell, Connie's father, from Papunya N.T. to Coober Pedy S.A. Leaving Alice Springs we move west along the Gary Junction Road to Sandy Blight Junction. Turning to the south we travel Len's "showpiece" road, the Sandy Blight Junction Road. This is beautiful country, red sandhills and forests of Desert Oaks. Dotted along this track are 10 of Len Beadell's famous aluminium road signs.
Visiting Giles Weather Station and the Rawlinson Range, we then continue on the Old Gunbarrel Highway skirting more of the Rawlinson Range to the west to reach Warburton. With Connie Beadell as your guide we travel south along the Connie Sue Highway, visiting many areas of interest not detailed on most maps. Leaving Gibson's Desert behind the Great Victoria Desert country becomes prominent with Marble Gums replacing numerous varieties of Mulga. From Laverton we wander south east to Plumridge Lakes then up to Neale Junction. From there east along the Anne Beadell Highway passing rockholes, varied flora and historical sites until we reach Coober Pedy.
Connie relates the history of the road constructions as we travel, from copies of Len's diaries and family anecdotes from the 1950s, 60s & 70s. Connie also refers to the desert Flora as we travel. Mick goes into the details of various Explorers who traversed the country we travel through. Names such as Gosse, Tietkens, Giles, Terry, McKay, Forrest & Hann will feature heavily throughout the trip.
** Please read our post-trip summary ( for summary click here ) **
OFF-ROAD TOUR
The full length of the famous Gunbarrel Highway with detours - Gunbarrel Highway, Amata & Blackstone Communities, Warakurna Roadhouse, Rawlinson Range, Old Gunbarrel, Warburton, Gunbarrel Hwy, Mt Beadell & "Carnegie Station"
From "Victory Downs" we travel west on Len's most famous road detouring to places of significance along the way. The Gunbarrel passes through some stunning landscapes, with multiple coloured ranges. Explorers such as Giles, Gosse & Forrest named these beautiful features more than 130 years ago.
We also visit several Aboriginal Communities in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra Lands who express their culture and stories through unique artwork, a good opportunity to see and speak to the locals.
The Rawlinson Range brings us to Giles Weather Station, the most remote weather facility in Australia, set-up originally for weather forecasts for the atomic testing to the south. Picking up the Gunbarrel Highway and continuing west we slowly pass through the sandhills and Desert Oaks that hold the 135 year old secret of Alfred Gibson.
Warburton facilities are a chance to refresh before heading further into Gibson's Desert. Aboriginal rockholes, Beadell plaques and more history are paramount as the Gunbarrel Highway brings us back into cattle country at "Carnegie Station".
** Please read our post-trip summary ( for summary click here ) **
OFF-TRACK & OFF-ROAD EXPEDITION
Carnegie Station, Fame Range, Ida Range, Blaxland Range, Ernest Giles Range, Tjukayirla Roadhouse, Pt Sunday, Lake Rason, Plumridge Lakes, Queen Victoria Spring & Kalgoorlie
Over the past few years we have successfully undertaken quite a few expeditions to follow various explorer routes through our western deserts. These trips have been very well received and a great deal has been learnt about country that almost nobody visits or even knows about. In most cases these trips have only been done by one other group years beforehand, in some cases we were the first. Careful planning and navigation has carried all of these trips through. The Unknown Ranges expedition is not an explorer route but continues on the theme of looking at new country. Our intention is to visit geographical features in several remote areas, off-track travel being the only way to do this. This will be a true expedition as we will be exploring.
Swinging to the south east we'll leave the Gunbarrel Highway and follow down the length of the Fame Range, Ida Range and onto the Blaxland & Ernest Giles Ranges. This route will cross quite a few of the famous exploration routes such as Forrest, Hann, Carnegie, Mills, Hubbe, Giles & the Elder Expedition. All will add to our journey immensely.
Coming into Tjukayirla Roadhouse we'll freshen up then continue by various roads to the Anne Beadell Highway. Plumridge Lakes & Queen Victoria Spring will be visited making use of the many tracks in the far south west of the Great Victoria Desert.
Extra time will be needed to bushwalk around the various ranges, so our intention is to have several extended camps of more than one night's duration. Anyone with an interest in flora, birds or the desert country would do well to consider this trip.
** Please read our post-trip summary ( for summary click here ) **
OFF-ROAD TOUR
This trip of 70 kms per day is for anyone with a specific interest in arid area flora. The trip has been designed to allow for close scrutiny of the Great Victoria Desert plants, hence the very low daily travel rate.
Laverton, Anne Beadell Hwy, Lake Yeo, Neale Junction, Ilkurlka Roadhouse, Serpentine Lakes, Voakes Hill, Emu Claypan & Atomic Site, Dog Fence & Coober Pedy
This Tour is timed for the wildflowers and the warmer weather of early Spring. Connie Beadell & Mick Hutton will be visiting areas not normally on Tour itineraries.
The Great Victoria Desert is full of features both natural and man-made, large Lakes, Springs and Breakaways dot the landscape, Eucalypts, Mallee and Acacias turn the desert into a forest unlike any other.
Explorers such as Giles, Carnegie, Lindsay and Hann travelled through this region, it has changed little from their time.
Travelling further east we visit Emu, site of the first atomic tests on Australian soil. This is an intriguing area and anyone who has read Len's books will find it a fascinating place.
We complete the Anne Beadell Highway after passing "Mabel Creek" Homestead and finish the Tour in Coober Pedy, where all facilities are available.
** Please read our post-trip summary ( for summary click here ) **
BEADELL TOURS
Mobile : 0408 841 447
Email : Beadell Tours
ABN : 40 947 959 130