ROAD CONDITIONS
Road conditions vary widely along the Anne Beadell Highway.
For the most part, the section west of Ilkurlka towards Neale Junction and Laverton or south from Neale Junction along the Connie Sue Highway to the Transcontinental railway is in fair condition.
There are a small number of sand dune crossing just west of Ilkurlka but other than that the going is good.
Going east of Ilkurlka towards the South Australian border, the road is a little rougher with a band of sand dunes about 50 to 60km away. In South Australia the track deteriorates - it is slow going with corrugations and close scrub.
It is obviously essential that a 4WD in good condition is used and that enough spares are carried to do running repairs along the way - there are no mechanics available along the length of the journey.
We would strongly advise against towing a caravan although many people successfully tow a heavy duty offroad camping trailer.
Natural hazards include rain, bush fires, fallen trees and wildlife. If there has been rain, postpone your trip! There are a number of swampy areas along the way.
Night time driving is not advised - camels can be a hazard.
Don't forget to check with the local Shire on road weather closures!
City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Road Conditions (Trans access road from Kalgoorlie along the railway to the south end of the Connie Sue Highway)
Laverton road conditions (western end of the Anne Beadell highway)
Ilkurlka (local area) - phone 08 9037 1147
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Click here to read an excellent blog by Sharkcaver written in April 2017. It gives an excellent rundown of road conditions and has some good photographs.
Call (08) 90371147
Welcome to Ilkurlka Visitor Centre!
ILKURLKA
Welcome to Ilkurlka!
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Urgent travel update 20 April 2024
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There was very high rainfall between Ilkurlka and Laverton in the first half of March.
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The latest advice is that the Anne Beadell and Connie Sue Highways west of Ilkurlka will remain closed until at least the end of May. The estimated regional damage is between $20 to $100 million within Laverton shire, only about 30% of roads in the area have been assessed so far as there is a lot of water still around. A possible timeframe is late May for the reopening of the Great Central Road and it is very unlikely that the Anne Beadell will open before that.
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We do not know if the track through Serpentine Lakes on the Anne Beadell Highway on the SA/WA border is passable.
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Please check Laverton and Kalgoorlie-Boulder shire road reports for road closures. These closures are for public safety!
Laverton road reports can be found at https://www.laverton.wa.gov.au/services/roads/road-condition-reports.aspx.
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We are located approximately 770km west of Coober Pedy and 550km east of Laverton on the Anne Beadell Highway.
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As well as offering roadhouse facilities (diesel, limited supplies of opal/petrol, basic groceries and a campground) we have an excellent display of artwork created by the Spinifex people.
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We look forward to welcoming you!
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Please feel free to contact us for travel updates.
If you need opal/petrol, please call in advance to check availability. Diesel is always available.
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