TAKE A TRIP OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

GAWLER RANGES NATIONAL PARK IS PACKED WITH SPECTACULAR SITES

- GLENN MARSHALL

HAVE YOU spent time at Kingoonya? For a remote one-pub town, it punches well above its weight. The caravan park is quaint and well-run, it’s also where you can fuel up before or after tackling Googs Track.

The Kingoonya Hotel is a friendly spot to hang out with the owners, locals and happy-to-chat fellow travellers; the beer is icy cold and the tucker is top-notch. Kingoonya is also a great spot to kick off a Lake Gairdner and Gawler Ranges adventure.

As we headed south along the Gawler Ranges Road, there was still plenty of pooled water but thankfully it could be bypassed so there was no damage to the road, while the open saltbush plains were home to more emus than sheep. The sandy track was in good condition, except on corners and cattle grids, where the corrugations were harsh.

A small western grey kangaroo tried to play chicken, eventually bounding away when we got too close. The sheep that we did see looked healthy, and a small flock crossed the road in front of us making their way to the shade offered by a clump of gidgee. A patch of Sturt Desert Pea caught my eye, so we stopped to take a few photos.

As the road led us across a low range, we spotted our first goats as they darted away once they’d heard the rattle of our vehicles. The track soon became sandy again with desert oaks, spinifex and gidgee dominating. After crossing a few dunes, we reached the turnoff at Skull Camp Tanks Road. After checking out the old wells at the junction and filling the Travel Buddy with pies and sausage rolls, we made our way along the side road.