Anne Beadell Highway

Understand

The Anne Beadell Highway is one of the so-called Bomb Roads. Len Beadell laid the road runway in the desert areas straddling the Western/South Australian border with the Gunbarrel Construction Party in the 1950s and 1960s. They served to develop the areas for building an infrastructure for nuclear weapons tests in the Woomera area but today it is just a dirt track only for the adventurous.

Prepare

The Anne Beadell Highway runs through the outback of the Great Victoria Desert. There are no towns between Coober Pedy and Laverton but there is a roadhouse on the slope that also operates a service station (gas/petrol station). The recommended travel time is April to October as Australian summers are extremely hot, with night-time temperatures dropping well below freezing. A well-maintained and equipped all-terrain vehicle (4WD) is required for the drive. Since you can only shop for small things at the Ilkurlka Roadhouse, you will need to be completely self-sufficient of everything. For the journey, which lasts at least four to six days, you will need plenty of water - approximately 6 litres per day and person - and food including a three to four-day reserve, at least one spare wheel - two are recommended - as well as tools and small spare parts. A HiJack jack and air compressor to regulate tyre (tire) pressure may also be helpful. A first-aid kit is a must (in Australia, it is not usually part of the equipment that comes with a rental vehicle). If you don't have a satellite phone or don't want to rent one or don't have a radio with you, you should at least have an emergency radio beacon with you. You should be familiar with how to use a map and compass and a GPS is not essential. The Great Desert Tracks Central Sheet Map Hema published by Hema-Verlag can be used as a map for guidance while The Flinders Ranges & Outback map published by the RAA (Royal Automobile Association of South Australia) in Port Augusta Office is free to ADAC members and covers the South Australian portion of the Anne Beadell Highway while the Atlas Roads & Outback published by Quality Publishing Australia Tracks covers the Western Australian part. The slope is often sandy. West of the Western Australian border, it crosses some low dune crests; otherwise it runs in the dune valleys, which mostly extend in an east-west direction. Corrugated sections (corrugations) alternate with a few soft sand passages and washouts. On both sides of the border, the highway is very narrow in places. You will need five permits to drive on the track and overnight stays along the highway:

Woomera Prohibited

Get in

Coober Pedy can be reached from the north and south via the A87 Stuart Highway, from the east from William Creek via William Creek and from Oodnadatta via the Kempe Road. It is also possible to travel by the Ghan (though the train stops about 40 km west of the city) or plane from Adelaide. Coober Pedy has all the facilities needed to prepare for crossing the Great Victoria Desert - service stations, supermarkets, doctors, pharmacies and two rental car companies. Coober Pedy has a population of approximately 3500 and is often referred to as the opal capital of Australia. What's mostly known in Coober Pedy is the underground churches, mines and dwellings. The stay should be used to visit an opal mine; recommended are Tom's Working Opal Mine (German owner) and the Old Timers Mine. It is also possible to spend the night underground.

Drive

Coober Pedy to Mabel Creek Station From the town centre of Coober Pedy, the path leads to the Stuart Highway, which is followed north past the airport. After about 5 km at the sign for Mabel Creek, a gravel road branches off to the left and you follow it. First, the road leads through the scree hills of the opal seekers. These become fewer and fewer until finally a flat, sparsely overgrown desert landscape begins on both sides of the road. After 40 km (25 mi) the highway crosses the route of the Ghan. Behind the track, the road describes a 90-degree right turn and you can see Manguri station on the right of the road, which represents the station of Coober Pedy. After another 7 km (4.3 mi) the road to 1 Mabel Creek Homestead branches off to the left. The Homestead may only be entered with the permission of the owners or in an emergency. However, transit through the land belonging to the homestead is permitted without a permit, provided the instructions on the signs posted along the road are followed. Up to this point, the Anne Beadell Highway is a well-developed gravel road that is easy to drive on.

Mabel Creek Station to Tallaringa Well

From the sign, drive 1.7 km (1.1 mi) to an intersection - left for Mabel Creek Homestead, right for Mt. Clearance Homestead - cross and after another 700 m turn left. After 2 km you will come to the original route of the Anne Beadell Highway and turn right onto it. The mostly dead straight road reaches an airfield after another 17 km. Now it's 56 km (35 mi) to the dingo fence. Along the route you will repeatedly come across gates that should be left in the condition in which you found them – if you open them, you should close them, if they remain open, then leave it open. The road condition deteriorates dramatically after leaving the Mabel Creek Homestead. The corrugations are probably the most violent in Australia. Up to the dingo fence, the land belongs to Mabel Creek Station. At the dingo fence, the Anne Beadell Highway turns left and heads south 4.2 km. Then the dingo fence is crossed and it goes back three kilometres. These six kilometres are excellent to drive on; unfortunately there is a signposted speed limit. Talla

Stay safe

driving style: Even if the vehicle density only increases in the high season - in the Australian winter - up to eight vehicles per day, the speed should be reduced in blind spots in order to be able to evade or stop in good time in the event of oncoming traffic. When driving on corrugated iron, where waves are very pronounced for kilometres between Mabel Creek Station and the South Australian border, it is recommended that you deflate your tyres (tires) for a more comfortable ride. When encountering wild animals, drive with increased caution: Kangaroos and emus often walk alongside the vehicle at the same height and then cross the road directly in front of the vehicle in a suicidal manner. Camels often use the track and don't leave the track even after honking or jostling. Your only solution is patience. Snakes and lizards like to heat up on the slopes. When a vehicle approaches, they flee in any direction, including in front of the vehicle. If sighted, slow down and allow the reptiles to escape. accidents: If you are caught up in an accident, remain with your vehicle. Someone from the air is much more likely to see a car than an individual person. With a satellite phone, the problem can be described in detail and help can be provided in a targeted manner.

Go next

Laverton is a small outback town in Western Australia on the edge of the Great Victoria Desert. After 1350 km of mostly bad tracks, driving on asphalt feels like gliding on calm water. Laverton has service stations, a hotel and motel, and a campground. A supermarket is also available. There is a small hospital for medical emergencies. From Laverton, two roads lead in different directions: before reaching the city, the Great Central Road turns right, which leads via Warburton (565 km) and Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park (1167 km) to the Red Centre and Alice Springs. At the western end of the village, the paved Laverton-Leonora Road leads to Leonora (125 km) and the Goldfields Highway via Menzies (230 km) to Kalgoorlie (362 km).