Recent Journeys - 2024

In 2024, we travelled north from Perth, partly because many of our major access roads to the desert east of Laverton were still closed following the heavy rains that swept through the inland areas of the state in February/March, associated with a cyclone. The journey took us first to Mt Magnet where we spent a wonderful day with artists and staff from the Wirnda Barna Aboriginal Art Gallery, learning about aboriginal art techniques and painting our own mini-canvas scenes and sharing the stories behind the painted images. From there we travelled to Nallan Station and camped in the breakaway country east of the main station complex. After a full day exploring the caves and breakaways, we drove north to Meekatharra then west through Wiluna and south to a small nature reserve near Lake Wells. We camped in more stunning breakaway country and returned to Perth via Laverton and Kalgoorlie. The weather was perfect and with 3 scheduled non-travel days, there was plenty of time for immersing ourselves in the stillness and silence of the desert - refreshment for those weary from a busy life in the city! The journey included 12 travellers, 5 of whom were first-timers! The 2025 journey looks to be following a similar itinerary - if interested, be quick to complete and submit an expression of interest form (see Upcoming Journeys).

Recent Journeys - 2023

Our 2023 journey mirrored the previous year’s journey in only one respect - the route was almost identical. In contrast, we spent a whole day immersed in aboriginal culture, travelling on country with a local elder, learning about Mallee Fowl nesting behaviour, how to find your direction using the Kurrajong tree (which is also a source of water in an emergency), and contemplating the customs and lifestyle of generations past who travelled across the land, stopping at different places at different times of the year. The group consisted of 12 people, 8 first-timers and a leadership team of 4 experienced desert travellers. The age range was late 20’s to late 70’s. The learning experiences from each other almost matched the deep learning from our aboriginal host and we returned enriched individually and collectively by our desert experience.

Recent Journeys - 2022

Once again we headed east through Laverton and out into the Great Victoria Desert, leaving on July 20 from Perth. A Native Title Determination had been awarded to the Nangaanya-Ku people in late 2021 and we successfully applied to the Board of the managing body for an entry permit. We enjoyed a cultural immersion experience with an aboriginal elder on our second day, and then travelled through Laverton to camp at Rason Lake before heading further east via the Anne Beadell Highway to camp east of Neale Junction. We completed our loop by returning once again to the Hanns Track, camping at Millar Range before returning to Laverton and then Perth. The journey took 10 days and covered over 3,000 km.

Perhaps not surprisingly, this journey was more impacted by the pandemic than the two previous journeys due to the WA border opening in February. At one stage we had 12 participants but due to a variety of factors the final group numbered only 7 - one of our smallest groups for some time. The group included a father and his 28 year-old-son who enjoyed sharing a unique experience of desert immersion, while the remaining members of the group appreciated the depth of their relationship!

Once again the weather was kind to us, and the stars were brilliant under moonless skies. Helen’s testimony about her experiences on the 2021 and 2022 journeys provides you with her personal perspective.

Recent Journeys - 2021 

The Pilbara again beckoned for the 2021 Spirit Journey but restrictions on access to various parts of the east Pilbara again prevented us heading north. Instead we headed north to Mount Magnet and then east to Sandstone, Wiluna, onto the Gunbarrel Highway to Warburton, then south on the Connie Sue Highway and returned to Laverton via our favourite Hann’s Track, and Anne Beadell Highway.

The journey departed Perth in early July in the pouring rain, but by the evening of day 1 we had out-run the rain and we had only one wet morning in the entire 12 day journey, despite Perth receiving record rainfall for the month of July, with rain almost every day of the month. The 12 participants spanned a 50 year age gap, with 3 people experiencing their first journey and 5 only their second journey.

The dates were chosen partly to ensure we had many moonless nights, which made the night sky viewing stunning, and also pleased the camera enthusiasts. The 12 journeyers formed a great team, and a number of people returning with memories of deep and meaningful experiences from conversations, quietly sitting and listening to the desert, and observing the stunning environment.

For more details of these experiences, see the testimonies from Gill and Alice above.

Recent Journeys - 2020

2020 was of course a year full of uncertainty and interrupted plans for many businesses and individuals as the world population dealt with the first true global pandemic in a century.

Our initial plan was to undertake a journey to the Eastern Pilbara and we had a large group signed up and deposits paid before the pandemic started to seriously impact Australia in March. Although the virus was well-controlled in WA, sufficient uncertainty over the presence of the virus in the community even in June forced a change in plans to stay closer to medical help if a situation arose that required urgent medical evacuation.

So instead we had a delightful 10 day journey to the Manning and Helena and Aurora Ranges, part of the banded ironstone country to the north of Southern Cross. The weather was very kind and travelling in August (around 4-6 weeks later than our usual time of year for Spirit Journeys) gave us the added benefit of longer daylight hours so more time to explore in the daytime. The Helena and Aurora Ranges are stunningly beautiful and remarkable in their vegetation remaining undamaged by the grazing of cattle and sheep due to the lack of permanent water sources.

Six people enjoyed their first Desert Spirit Journey with us in 2020.

 Recent Journeys - 2019

In 2019, our three journeys were conducted sequentially involving three vehicles and a total of 23 spirit journeyers, 9 of them ‘first timers’ enjoying a totally new experience. The weather was superb for all three journeys. The lack of rain over the previous months was very evident, with many rockholes dry and evidence of recent bushfires in many areas.

Highlights of the first journey from Perth to Alice Springs were camping in a grove of whispering desert oaks on the Sandy Blight Junction track for two nights, and spectacular views of both sunset and sunrise from our campsite near Haasts Bluff, just south of Papunya.

The second journey immersed us in the Simpson Desert with rest days spent on the Colson Track and camped in the Finke Riverbed just north of Mt Dare Station. Return to Alice was again via the Finke River Gorge, a spectacular and challenging 4WD track.

The return journey from Alice Springs to Perth saw us retrace our route from the first journey down the Sandy Blight Junction track, and included a unique experience of a flock of Zebra finches gathering to drink at one of the few remaining watering spots in Bungabiddy Rockhole, only to be hunted out by a pair of athletic and acrobatic Peregrine Falcons as they zoomed overhead. Return to Perth included a rest day in the beautiful Millar Range on the Hann’s Track.