IT'S SLOW-GOING OVER THE SAND DUNES

A recent trip to the south coast of Western Australia proved to be full of surprises for Brian and Rosanne McMahon. Here, they recall why they went and give some top tips for those who plan to follow in their footsteps.    

Starting the Telegraph Track Journey

We travelled the 700-odd kilometres of the old Telegraph Track along the South Coast of WA from the town of Esperance to the Eyre Bird Observatory (EBO), which is housed in the restored Eyre Telegraph Station. We travelled on our own in our trusty steed, 'William', our Suncamper Conqueror 4WD compact motor home.

Why Choose the Telegraph Track WA? 

We love the raw beauty of the WA South Coast and the Southern Ocean. This was the first time we had ventured east of Esperance for any distance. The story of the construction and operation of the telegraph service from Adelaide to Perth is fascinating for several reasons, and the fact that there is still an opportunity to follow the track the telegraph line took more than 100 years after it ceased to be used piqued our sense of adventure. 

The History and Challenges of the Telegraph Track

The feat of constructing the telegraph line in the 1870s was stupendous. It was built after the first colonial explorer, Edward John Eyre crossed the Nullarbor, finding a route to the west coast. The telegraph line roughly followed his journey and provided a means of rapid communication between the eastern and western colonies. Between the SA/WA border and Esperance, there were no settlements or towns or services available, and this is essentially still the case today. There are some beaches with dunes, and in some places, these dunes are 100 metres high and impenetrable. Sheer cliff faces rise from the sea for nearly 100 metres, and the passage across these is torturously slow and rocky. The hinterland is made up of extensive clay pans that become quagmires after rain, or vegetated dunes of soft, fine sand. Our job was simply to follow the track, and that was arduous and slow. We averaged 10-15 kilometres per hour. The isolation, even today, is unnerving. We spent 11 days on the track, spoke to two lots of people and saw three other vehicles.

Surprises Along the South Coast Telegraph Track

After leaving Esperance, we headed east for about 200 kilometres to Israelite Bay – and that was a surprise. It is often cited as the southern and easterly extremity of the gale force winds and rough seas, and where the Bureau of Meteorology issues Sheep Graziers Warnings to warn farmers about upcoming cold or wet conditions that could cause their livestock harm. So you can imagine our surprise to find that nobody is living in Israelite Bay to heed these warnings. We surmised that, as it is further east than the limit of farming areas, the farmers in the region would appreciate the warnings, as would boat traffic on the Southern Ocean.

Two days later, we were to get our next major surprise when we reached Wattle Camp. From here, we could stick to the slow, bone-rattling track to drive 60 kilometres to the Bilbunya Dunes Camp and Point Culver, or we could drive the same distance on the beach. We went down to the beach to check it out and were gobsmacked to see there was no beach at all that could be driven on. Brian assured me that at low tide the next morning, there would be a beach and we would drive along it. So we were back at the beach at 5.20am the next morning in the dark… and sure enough, there was our beautiful rippled beach with just a faint trace of water in the ripples. William sailed along as though he were made for this type of travel. We covered the smooth 60 kilometres in around 90 minutes and happily pulled in to our next camp just at the entrance to the Bilbunya Dunes track to have a late breakfast.

While Brian took to the beach to fish (and caught lunch), I went for a walk in the direction from which we had come. It was sobering to see that although high tide was not for another few hours, all signs of our tyre tracks had already disappeared under the incoming waves; except for the last 30 metres or so when we had driven higher on the beach looking for the turnoff.

Bilbunya Dunes and Baxter Cliffs by 4WD

Bilbunya Dunes was a brilliant surprise. We had spotted them as we drove along the beach – 100-metre high mountains of the purest, whitest, finest sand that ran for about 10 kilometres between the lower beach dunes and the low escarpment to the north that would become the Baxter Cliffs a little further along. 

They were so enchanting, we spent a full day and night there, climbing them, and capturing their changing moods in the changing light. It was here that we saw vehicles in the distance driving in for a quick look before returning the way they had come.

Our next surprise was not a pleasant one. We had driven into a plague of mice! We knew before we left for the trip that the EBO had been closed for a few weeks for accommodation because they were experiencing a mouse plague, but we had no idea that the mice were further west. One quickly turned into six! After calling in for a chat with the hosts at EBO, we headed up the escarpment to Cocklebiddy Roadhouse in a fruitless search for mouse traps. It was not surprising to find none available, as we learned the plague stretched all the way from Cocklebiddy east to Ceduna in SA.

Challenges of Driving the Telegraph Track WA

The steep ascent from sea level at Point Culver to the top of Baxter Cliffs was challenging and could have been much more so. The track twists and turns as it ascends sharply over fine sand dunes, but fortunately for today's travellers, some inventive earlier adventurers have covered the fine sand with recycled black conveyor belts that have been secured with what look like giant tent pegs. 

The belting certainly made the climb easier, but we needed to be watchful that we didn't spike our tyres on the odd broken 'tent pegs'. The descent a few days later into Twilight Cove was equally hair-raising, but again could have been worse but for several 'chicken tracks' that had been cut through to bypass the worst parts of the heavily gouged track.

Apart from dealing with the mice (which we eventually eradicated), perhaps the most challenging part of the track was the need to travel at such a slow speed for days on end over the overgrown, very rocky and uneven sections across the top of the Baxter Cliffs.

Telegraph Track Camping Tips for Travellers

Preparation is key to a successful crossing of the Track. The best time of the year to explore this area is either autumn or spring. The heat would be unbearable in summer, and the South Coast can be wild and wet in the winter season. A close watch on the weather is needed for at least a month before leaving, as heavy downpours or persistent lighter rain can make the track impassable. Accurate maps and tide charts are essential, as there is no internet connection once you leave Esperance. Some of the intersections are marked, but others aren't, and they're not always immediately identifiable. If you don't get the tides right and have any sort of delay on the beach drives, it could be disastrous. Retrieval gear and the confidence to use it are also recommended, as there is little passing traffic. Given what we now know, we would not travel the track again without mouse traps (and we will now always carry them, wherever we go).

Final Word on the Telegraph Track WA

It was a wonderful 4WD experience and put many of our earlier acquired skills to the test. After initial apprehension about driving on the disappearing beach, it proved to be a very pleasant experience. The precipitous climbs up and then down from the Baxter Cliffs were exhilarating, as were the spectacular Bilbunya Dunes and the views along the track. In particular, we would highly recommend a visit to the Toolinna Cove lookout… it is a magical view down into a quintessential 'smugglers' cove' that played a big part in supplying the track.

Category: Destinations
Written: Mon 01 Sept 2025
Printed: September, 2025
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