Anne Beadell Highway
Found by Hann, 1 June 1903
Gunbarrel Highway
Confirmed for 2025
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WHAT ARE TOURS?
Oxford Dictionary : Tour - a journey through a country, town or building etc visiting various places or things of interest
Tours for example would include travel along the Beadell roads and include most of the sites and features along the route as well as the history of the area. Sensible preparation is required and basic facilities such as fuel, water, showers and food items will be available from the various Roadhouses several times during the tour. We normally average about 150 kms per day with a day-off from travelling mostly included.
One of Beadell Tours main aims is to make sure you return home after the trip knowing far more about the Australian western deserts than when you left. To do that we offer smaller groups more points of interest and historical information at a slower pace.
Tag-a-long vehicles & camper trailers are welcome to join our tours.
Vehicle & Tyre choice is an important consideration for all tours and expeditions. Please click the links to Mick's articles explaining what to look for, as well as what to expect in regard to road conditions -:
Vehicle Suitability for Long Range Desert Work
Tyre Choices for Normal and Heavy Work
Road Conditions in the Western Deserts
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| Anne Beadell at Anne's Corner Anne Beadell Highway |
Dinner Gnamma Found by Hann, 1 June 1903 |
Len's 100 miles west Warburton plaque Gunbarrel Highway |
We had been looking at reducing our numbers of trips for some years, even before the Covid Response wiped sanity away. Accordingly, Connie & Mick will be offering only one or two short trips per year for the foreseeable future.
The bright side is that we’ll be able to schedule these tours much further in advance which should make it somewhat easier for folks to plan. We’ll do our best to make sure the timing remains the same as the proposed, or very close to it, which is why initially we’ll nominate a month for the trip to occur in and finalise the details as other responsibilities come to light.
Please note -: the tours are dependant on permit approvals and other possible restrictions.
OFF-ROAD TOUR
Beadell Tours make a concerted effort to give people the opportunity to see the desert at its best. To do that effectively we offer slower paced trips with more points of interest.
From the S.A. Dog Fence we use the Anne Beadell Hwy to enter the Great Victoria Desert. We visit Tallaringa Well then Emu. Time is required to see everything at the Atomic Test sites, it was a far larger operation than most imagine. During the trip, road sign Plaques put in place by pioneer road-builder Len Beadell will be seen. His daughter Connie Beadell is now in charge of the Plaque maintenance. Explorers are also a focus, men such as Giles, Tietkens, Lindsay, Forrest, Maurice & Terry.
From Neale Junction we turn north up the Connie Sue Hwy before heading west from Pt Lillian along the route used several times by explorer Frank Hann from 1903. This set of wheel tracks passes through a number of ranges and connects water sources used by the local Aboriginal mobs, explorers & prospectors. These days Hanns Track is becoming more popular with remote area enthusiasts as it is packed with history, has sweeping desert scenes & very few if any other travellers around. Hanns Track is a real journey through wilderness, such a rare opportunity in these modern times.
Back on the Anne Beadell Highway near Lake Yeo we follow Len Beadell’s famous highway to "Yamarna" Station and onto the small desert edge town of Laverton. All the while still passing landmarks noted by that hardy old explorer Frank Hann.
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| Saunders Range, Hann's Track, 2018 |
OFF-ROAD TOUR
It is 100 years since Len was born. We believe he’d be happy that his tracks are still being used & enjoyed by so many dedicated Australians.
From the remote cattle station of Carnegie to the sprawling ridgeline of the Rawlinson Range & beyond, Len’s Gunbarrel Highway cuts through the heart of Gibson’s Desert and the hidden Central Ranges, but apart from Len & his party there have been many other explorers passing through that country. Forrest, Carnegie, Giles & Hann are best known but we’ll throw in a few others while sitting around the fire at night.
Eastward along the red brown ribbon of road put in during the 1950s we’ll pass by plaques & landmarks all spaced along the dead straight sections of roadway that make the Gunbarrel label obvious. The trip will go into Warburton Roadhouse to refuel and use a few amenities. From there back into the bush as we begin the loop north & east that’s referred to as the "Old Gunbarrel". This section encompasses the area explorer Gibson vanished without trace in 1874. Wandering out of the red sandhills & Desert Oaks the country changes, sand gives way to gravel & the Rawlinson Range becomes our travel companion for some distance. At the end of our little adventure we come into the area of Giles Weather Station & Warakurna Roadhouse where there are a few things to see plus the comforts of modern day outback Roadhouses.
The Gunbarrel has a reputation for being a rough road and there is cause for this. However we have noticed over the decades that the Gunbarrel has settled down as the Great Central Road has taken the burden of the Ayers Rock traffic with the popularity of the 4WD. We have found it much like all the other desert tracks that don’t get any maintenance. If you are not used to these conditions we’ll help you settle in.
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| Gunbarrel 100 miles west Warburton plaque, 2024 |
(Require a pdf reader)
| Travel Information - general guide to touring with us |
| Vehicle Preparation - important basics |
| Road Conditions - what to expect |
| Tyre Information - detailed help regarding tyres, tubes and repairs |
| Vehicle, Koni & Communications - choices and help with common problems |
| Interest Pages - includes Len, Anne, Desert Articles & Updates plus Handy Links |
BEADELL TOURS
"Lynwood"
35 Watsons Creek-Tilmunda Road
Watsons Creek, NSW, 2355
Home : 02 6764 0199
Mobile : 0408 841 447
Email : Beadell Tours
ABN : 40 947 959 130