Googs Track

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

I am heading up to Googs track next month if anyone is interested in joining.

So far there are two others (1x Surf + 1x Pootrol). Nothing set in stone yet but expect to be gone 4 days ex Adelaide. 1 day Adel to Ceduna, 2 days on Googs and 1 day back.

No hoons or bush bashers.... we tread lightly....

Mick.

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

A brief trip report.....

Of the original 4 cars going only 2 actually made the trip. The Patrol driver having other commitments and the Mazda Bravo driver chickening out.. So only us and a Surf, an all Toyota party

Meeting point was at the Ceduna Big 4 caravan park with the morning of day one spent on a quick look around Ceduna (very quick, effall there)





Great :roll: ...2 days in the bush with a smart ass


After a quick stop to get camping permits ($5 night per vehicle) we were off... 5min out of town we hit the dirt road and half an hour after that the gate in the dog fence and the official start to Googs.




A quick stop at the gate to drop the tyres down and put flags up.


The memorials to Goog and Digger and just a few km's to go to Googs lake...




Land speed record attempt anyone?....







After driving the track that follows the northen shore (Don't do this if you hate scatches...very over grown in places.) we doubled back to find a camp spot.




The following day it was on to Mt Finke...good easy dune driving (400 odd I think) However the track condition is terrible the further north you go. Very rutted and chopped up due to people not lowering tyre pressures.






What lives under the bonnet of a Smurf... 1kz without an intercooler.




End of the track and time to air up..


We got into Tarcoola quite late and just camped at the end of one of the old streets....


Pub with no beer ....



Last day was just a straight run back to Adelaide, with just a quick lunch stop at Woomera.

Great few days away.

[Chippy Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chippy]

Great stuff Mick

Luv the pic of the Prado with the rocket launchers on the roof - reckon I could go a set of them for freeway traffic :twisted: :lol:

Looks like a great trip.

Cheers
Chippy

[HGMonaro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close HGMonaro]

or use them to clean the landscape of that smurf!

thinking of doing that run one day, so thanks for the report and pics.

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

Looks like a great couple of days away... thanks for sharing

[jeff s Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close jeff s]

Great trip report.
Thanks.

We went on an across OZ trip early this year.
Wanted to do the googs track but were in a rush going from east to west.
Thought we could fit it n our way back and do it north to south.
After reading that, allthough not law, the track is one way we decided against it.
Didnt want to upset anyone and look like drongos if we did bump into some one going the right way. Did you see anyone else on the track?

Want to go back and doit someday, Heard its like a little simpson crossing.

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Did you see anyone else on the track?

Not on the track, but at the lake there was another group (of three) breaking camp as we arrived. I can't be sure which direction they where going.
Right at the end we had one one vehicle come against us, this idiot had no sand flag and no uhf, glady it was on a flat section after the dunes about 10ks from the end.

We went on the wed/thur/fri after a long weekend but during SA school holidays. The park rangers we spoke to (in Ceduna) said that over the long weekend it was very busy.

After reading that, allthough not law, the track is one way we decided against it.

It would be much more comfortable north to south as the dunes are very rutted on south side and its hard to keep momentum up. North to south you could just cruise up the north face and idle down the south (rough) side.
The track is sign posted two way, you can see one of the signs in the pics of us airing down. (one way is recommended by the rangers but not law).
If you stay on the uhf (Ch18) and have a flag you'd be fine. If you pause on top of the dune you can see several dunes ahead to keep an eye out for on coming traffic.

Mick

[Timmay Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Timmay]

Hi mick,
Great Trip report thanks,
Can you give me an idea of how long this took you and how long you would suggest comfortable? Wanting to incorporate this track into a trip and want to figure out how long we need.
Thanks

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Can you give me an idea of how long this took you and how long you would suggest comfortable? Wanting to incorporate this track into a trip and want to figure out how long we need.

We did it over two days (One night camping at Googs lake) To be honest you could push through and do it in a day. But I would suggest two days/one night minimum. This gives you time to look around the lake area and climb Mt Finke (we didn't as it was 38 degrees with showers :shock: )
Our average speed on the track was maybe 30kph up to the lake and 20-30kph from the lake to the northern exit of the track. This was for comfort due to track condition. The actual park speed limit is posted as 40kph. From the exit through to Tarcoola and onto Glendambo is good to average dirt road which we drove at 80kph.

I have the GPS track log for this trip if you want it.