Thread: Israelite Bay - Cape Arid WA info sought

Michael,
At present the tracks are in fairly good nick. I had a friend travelling from SA about a month ago come down them and did so easily in a Pajero with a camper trailer.
You have a few options :
1) Balladonia track onto Gosa Rd to Israellite Bay.
2) Balladonia track through to Thomas River (Tagon Bay)
3) Balladonia track onto Prmango Rd comes out near Condingup (Alexander Bay area).
Not sure what the track from Isrellite to Thomas River area is like but usually it is very rough and corrugated and can be slow going.
Unsure of the camp site at Israellite either.
The camp site at Poison Creek-Jorndee Creek is good, but if you go down to Poison Creek on the beach take extreme care as it looks hard but has claimed a lot of vehicle. I would stay off all but the first section of the beach before the creek if you are on your own and park at the high tide mark.
Thomas River is a good campsite and the beach is usually good right around and there are several bays. If it is Abalone season Abs can be sourced off the rocks easily with a bit of snorkelling. There is a great rock outcrop about 1/2 way round the first bay. Take extreme care swimming around the large headlands (close to the rock) as the rips in this part of the country are atrocious and I had to pull out my son and wife Jan this year.
The roads from there in are good. Duke of Orleans caravan park is also a good spot. Dunns Rock is picturescue but take care on that beach from about 2kms along as it can get soft quickly, basically after the second creek.
The weather should be warm but the South Coast is unpredictable all year and you can still get cold wet nights and days.
I would ring the DEC office in Esperance and see if they can email you campsite info and also check with them track conditions before leaving Balladonia.

Esperance District
92 Dempster Street ESPERANCE
PO Box 234 ESPERANCE 6450

Phone (08) 9083 2100 Fax (08) 9071 3657
Department of Environment and Conservation - Home
Give us a yell as it gets closer and maybe we will be able to catch up for a drink.
Cheers
Craig
Edit : The tracks from Eucla are possible but fairly arduous from talking to locals that have done them and some are there some are not. From Eucla along the coast would probablly take a week as it is really slow going.
The weather that time of the year can vary from 15deg c up to 45deg c.
Also Mt Ragged about 2/3 down the Balladonia track is a good overnight camp and the climb though a long one yields fantastic views.

Originally Posted by CraigE

Edit : The tracks from Eucla are possible but fairly arduous from talking to locals that have done them and some are there some are not. From Eucla along the coast would probablly take a week as it is really slow going.
The weather that time of the year can vary from 15deg c up to 45deg c.
Also Mt Ragged about 2/3 down the Balladonia track is a good overnight camp and the climb though a long one yields fantastic views.

Thanks for that update Craig. One of my "dream trips" is to fly the family to Perth to visit family, then drive across to WA along these more remote routes with a couple of mates, then continue up to Exmouth and dive with whale sharks. (Obviously I need to wait till I get annual leave during the whale shark season). Then the guys fly back I drive back with the family. Not just a great adventure, but a fuel subsidy too (mates chip in for the fuel bill).

Anyway, what are you doing in Esperence now? I thought you were going to move on after the mine closed.

Thanks again, and I'll keep in touch if it all goes ahead, so far it's looking like 65% WA and 35% QLD as destinations.

From memory the terrain for camping at Isralite bay is fairly open a bit back from the beach, closer to the dunes just behind the beach it gets a little tight.

Got a pic of Mt Ragged taken from the Balladonia track back in 2002. I will post it up tonight when I get home. Well worth the stop and as craig says
there is a camping area.

Originally Posted by Michael2

Thanks for that update Craig. One of my "dream trips" is to fly the family to Perth to visit family, then drive across to WA along these more remote routes with a couple of mates, then continue up to Exmouth and dive with whale sharks. (Obviously I need to wait till I get annual leave during the whale shark season). Then the guys fly back I drive back with the family. Not just a great adventure, but a fuel subsidy too (mates chip in for the fuel bill).

Anyway, what are you doing in Esperence now? I thought you were going to move on after the mine closed.

Thanks again, and I'll keep in touch if it all goes ahead, so far it's looking like 65% WA and 35% QLD as destinations.

Currentlly working for ARG shunting wagons to the port.
Cheers
Craig

Im not very clever but I can push heavy things
Andrew