Part 2 on the Canning Stock Route and honestly, the reality sets in fast. We started this leg already behind, and the track just kept punching back—rough, dusty, slow, and unpredictable. We wake up at Windich Springs (two days later than planned), smash a much-needed coffee, and I share a simple desert tip: watch the birds if you’re trying to find water. From there it’s all about managing the convoy—dust gaps, crap comms (yep, the swag was blocking the antenna), and constant decisions about pace versus people versus vehicles. We push on to Pierre Springs (Well 6), which is an absolute diamond in the desert, and it’s too good not to camp at. Bush showers, proper feed, and then day three kicks off with wildlife everywhere—camel prints, dingoes, the lot—and a ripper climb up Ingelbong Hill with some unreal rock art. But the Canning doesn’t care about your plans: migraines, loose leaf spring hardware, relentless corrugations, and night driving. We hit Well 9, talk about its contested history, then keep rolling in the dark—fixing spotties trackside and knocking up toasted sandos by a spinifex fire. Biggest takeaway? Out here, you don’t control the pace—the desert does.