page_title: Canning Stock Route
section_title: Tourism
hierarchical_section_title: Canning Stock Route / Present / Tourism
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: La Canning stock route en Australie English: Little Sandy Desert as seen from the Canning Stock Route, Sept 2004
context_page_description: The Canning Stock Route is a track that runs from Halls Creek in the Kimberley region of Western Australia to Wiluna in the mid-west region. With a total distance of around 1,850 km it is the longest historic stock route in the world.
  The stock route was proposed as a way of breaking a monopoly that west Kimberley cattlemen had on the beef trade at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1906, the Government of Western Australia appointed Alfred Canning to survey the route. When the survey party returned to Perth, Canning's treatment of Aboriginal guides came under scrutiny leading to a Royal Commission. Canning had been organising Aboriginal hunts to show the explorer where the waterholes were. Despite condemning Canning's methods, the Royal Commission, after the Lord Mayor of Perth, Alexander Forrest had appeared as a witness for Canning, exonerated Canning and his men of all charges. The cook who made the complaints was dismissed and Canning was sent back to finish the job.
  Canning was appointed to lead a construction party and between March 1908 and April 1910, 48 wells were completed along the route.
context_section_description: The Canning Stock route is considered one of the world's great four-wheel drive adventures. Apart from keeping the track open, the route is not maintained. Some wells have been restored but others are in ruins and unusable. While quite a few travellers successfully make the trip, it still requires substantial planning and a convoy of well-equipped four-wheel drives or equivalent vehicles, and is only practical during the cooler months. Fuel drops typically need to be organised in advance and the 1,850 km (1,150 mi) trip will take two to three weeks. Fuel is now available at Kunawarritji Community near well 33 and Parnngurr Community near well 22 as well as a fuel drop point near Well 23.
caption: Canning Stock Route four-wheel drive track crossing the Little Sandy Desert
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