Day four on the Carnarvon Ranges trip, and what a way to finish! After a thoroughly wet night that had us questioning our sanity, Steve T and I pushed on towards our final destination - Well 5 on the Canning Stock Route. The Little Sandy Desert had transformed overnight from the dusty, unforgiving landscape we'd been battling to something altogether more... aquatic.
The morning started with some genuinely hairy moments. The track, normally challenging enough, had become a slippery, rutted nightmare. Water pooled in every depression, and the distinctive red earth had turned into a mud trap eager to claim any vehicle that showed the slightest hesitation. Both our 4WDs were absolutely caked in the stuff - badges of honour that told the story better than words ever could.
We called an early halt for lunch and decided to make it our overnight camp as well. Sometimes discretion really is the better part of valour, and we figured it was wiser to let the track dry out a bit before attempting the long drive home. The campsite itself was classic outback - red earth, scattered native trees providing welcome shade, and an old windmill marking the bore. After the morning's challenges, it felt like absolute luxury.
The desert delivered some spectacular surprises too. Where there's water in this country, life appears as if by magic. We spotted a mob of wild brumbies on a gentle rise, standing alert among the scrubland - magnificent animals perfectly adapted to this harsh environment.
As the afternoon wore on and we sat in our camp chairs watching the light change across the desert, I couldn't help but feel that sense of achievement you only get from tackling something genuinely challenging. Well 5 might not look like much - just another bore in the endless outback - but reaching it after four days of adventure, mechanical challenges, and now mud, made it feel like we'd conquered Everest.
We stumbled across here is a line of Processionary Caterpillars (most commonly the larvae of the Bag-shelter Moth).
It’s one of those little outback moments that makes you stop in your tracks. The vibrant red dirt, the quiet hum of the bush, and this bizarre, fuzzy little road train making its slow, determined journey nose-to-tail across the road. They link up like this when they've stripped a tree bare and are moving on to find a new feed, or when they're searching for a soft patch of soil to burrow into and pupate. It's a real marvel of nature's traffic system!
Steve’s Tip
Look but don't touch, mate! Those white hairs on the caterpillars aren't just for show—they are highly irritating and can cause a massive, nasty rash or severe allergic reaction if you brush up against them. Give the furry little road train plenty of space and let 'em pass!</p>
Tomorrow we face the long drive home, assuming the track's dried enough. But tonight? Tonight we're just two mates, cold drinks in hand, swapping stories under a desert sky that's already starting to clear.