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    Six Souls, Two Jeeps and an Aussie Dream
    Six Souls, Two Jeeps and an Aussie Dream
    Six Souls, Two Jeeps and an Aussie Dream
    Ebook174 pages1 hour

    Six Souls, Two Jeeps and an Aussie Dream

    By Joy Grant and Brian Grant

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    About this ebook

    For city folk looking to give their spotless four wheel drives a bit of a workout, there are few greater challenges than the ‘Australian Inland Loop’. Along with four friends, Brian and Joy Grant started their dream trek at Arkaroola, in the Flinders Ranges. This 5,000 km circuitous route heads for Birdsville in Queensland, taking in the Simpson Desert, Oodnadatta, William Creek and then back to where they started.

    Winding through the sand dunes and desert tracks there’s no end to the amazing sights and experiences - the Dig Tree, where explorers Burke and Wills’ journey tragically ended, Boulia’s famous camel races, sipping beer at the famous Birdsville pub or soaking in a thermal spring gushing out of the ground at 37 degrees centigrade. That spring is a welcome spot for travellers wanting to clean the dust off their rattled bodies in water that is reported to be 3,000 years old.

    The part that amazes us, and many others, about the Australian Outback is that while it can be so dangerous, it also can be beautiful. Heavy rains can miraculously cause the desert to burst into life with wildflowers. Something seldom witnessed, but an absolutely superb sight is the rich red desert sand, covered with yellow and white daisies stretching as far as the eye can see.

    Beyond what is officially called ‘The Black Stump’ the furrowed and corrugated tracks and shrapnel like stones can shake and shatter a four wheel drive or trailer to pieces – and that’s if the bulldust doesn’t get you first. This talcum-fine-dust fills enormous potholes in the track that can supposedly bog you down to your door handles.But even worse are the rocks and even discarded car parts hidden underneath. Then there’s the intense concentration needed to drive 500 kms, peering well ahead to spot the ever changing road surface conditions while also dodging stray cattle, emus and huge road trains along the way. But there would be delight at the end of the day when we would group the three vehicles like wagons in a western movie, make a campfire and sit back and watch another beautiful outback sunset. These are some of the roughest tracks you’ll ever find in Australia and it’s not for the faint hearted, but the rewards are beyond belief.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherStudent Scribbler
    Release dateApr 10, 2014
    ISBN9781311096593
    Six Souls, Two Jeeps and an Aussie Dream
    Author

    Joy Grant

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      Book preview

      Six Souls, Two Jeeps and an Aussie Dream - Joy Grant

      About the Authors

      Travel authors and film producers Joy and Brian Grant are no newcomers to the travel industry. With their professional television and journalistic careers behind them they have turned their attention to travelling the length and breadth of the Australian continent.

      The authors Joy and Brian Grant

      Their travel award winning products have attracted the attention of not only arm chair travellers, but overseas governments looking for a safe travel destination for the growing number of their citizens leaving as tourists. For several years, Joy and Brian have packed their cameras and notebooks and spread their wings to travel the world in search of new destinations and adventures. According to this globe hopping duo it can be a real jungle out there for tourists. This sometimes uncovers a few surprises - both good and bad - not found in the glossy sales brochures.

      Introduction

      The first thing that strikes you about the Outback is its vastness. The second is the quiet, usually broken only by the ‘Caw’ of crows and the whistling of wind. The third – and most lasting memory – is the down to earth sincerity and friendliness of the people who live and work there.

      The Outback – Australia’s dead heart as it’s often referred to – covers much of the Australian continent. But far from being empty, as one might first imagine, the Outback is home to thriving communities which produce much of Australia’s wool and beef, gas, oil and minerals.

      South Australia’s Outback region starts at Marree, 685 kms north of Adelaide, finishes at the Queensland border 518 kms north at the end of the Birdsville track and at the nearby Northern Territory border. It stretches east to New South Wales and across to Western Australia. Despite its very low rainfall, it is one of the most productive areas in the whole of Outback Australia.

      It is the centre of South Australia’s pastoral industry, which produces some of the best beef cattle in the country, much of it going to the prized Japanese market. Sheep and wool are two other major products of the region and contribute greatly to the meat export trade to the Middle East and to Australia’s highly prized wool clip, which is favoured by the fashion houses of Italy.

      It is a rugged land but it has a special beauty, which increasing numbers of Australians and overseas visitors are discovering.

      There are few places in the world where a passing motorist can drop into a stranger’s house at the side of the road and be welcomed with a cup of tea, a slice of cake and some good general knowledge and touring advice. But that’s how it is in the South Australian Outback – the people are genuinely friendly.

      There is plenty to see, whether you drive along the Oodnadatta Track to the Northern Territory, the Strzelecki Track to south western Queensland or the world famous Birdsville track.

      Australian Outback has been described as one of the most inhospitable yet stunningly beautiful places on earth. Nothing can prepare you for the excitement of visiting it for the first time.

      The whole area is rich in Aboriginal and European history and a way of life that sets apart from the densely settled areas of Australia. There are hot springs, the ruins of settlements, vast salt lakes, giant sand hills, gibber plains, meandering creek beds, and reminders of the Afghan cameleers who helped open up the region more than a century ago.

      There is excellent fishing in Cooper’s Creek and you can see much of Australia’s native wild life in its natural state, including mobs of emus, kangaroos, various varieties of parrots, giant eagles and, north of the dog fence which cuts across the region, Australia’s native dog, the dingo. And after the magnificent sunsets, the black sky reveals stars you’ve never seen before.

      Map of the Inland Loop

      CHAPTER 1

      Preparation

      Travelling through very remote areas of inland Australia on your own is not advised unless you’re a very experienced four wheel driver. The vehicle must be fully equipped with the latest communication technology along with a good selection of Hema maps and GPS. Breakdowns do happen, so tools are required along with basic spare parts including multiple spare wheels and tyres but, most importantly, an adequate supply of fresh clean drinking water and food. The equipment you will need and how to use it is enough to fill a book on the subject so do your homework and it will reward you tenfold.

      The two brand new Jeep Grand Cherokees arrived fitted out with spare wheels, towing equipment and spare drive belts. All that was needed was to have the satellite phone aerials fitted to the roof racks and to pick up the plastic storage bins to retain the equipment and food. The photographic and film equipment had to be well packed into dust proof Pelican cases to keep out the very fine red dust that could render expensive equipment useless in very short time. The choice for our rolling accommodation was well chosen and came in the form of two excellent Jayco products - one an Outback campervan and the other an Outback Expanda Pop-Top.

      Everyone was busy leading up to the departure date. Gwen and John had the job of sewing up thick Sarlon type stone guard material that stretched between the back of the two Jeeps and our accommodation under tow. This was to help protect the two Jaycos from the cloud of small stones that would be flung back for hours on end.

      Next it was the rear window on the Jeeps that needed protection from the odd flying stone that managed to find its way past the main stone guard. They could ricochet at great speed from the front of the camper and Pop-Top. This protection came in the form of clear, thick shatter proof plastic sheeting cut to suit the shape of the window and held on with a series of clear suction cups. To fit these required the rear window wipers to be removed.

      Our departure day finally arrived. Brian and Joy and long time friends John and Gwen from Adelaide in South Australia were first to leave. We had a 350 kilometre road trip due north of the city ahead of us. Based on a reasonable travelling time we expected to reach rendezvous point at Port Augusta at the head of Spencer’s Gulf by late afternoon. The other couple, Ray (Joy’s cousin) and Elizabeth, travelled from York Peninsula across St Vincent’s Gulf from Adelaide. The plan was to meet at Port Augusta. At least that’s what the plan was. From Adelaide there was good dual highway driving, and apart from light traffic only had to share the road with B-double road trains carrying everything from live cattle to heavy machinery. They’re usually on a very tight schedule and take a very dim view of anything else on the road likely to interfere with their average speed. This means our small convoy was travelling slower than their 100kph cruising speed. As far as we were concerned it was imperative to keep a close watch in the rear vision mirror and make sure that we kept well to the left to leave plenty of room for them to pass.

      CHAPTER 2

      Behind time

      We were already three hours past our scheduled departure time. Joy and Brian found themselves anxiously waiting on the side of the road for their travelling companions, but John and Gwen evidently had made other arrangements and would join us when they were ready. Not a good start, but we felt sure that once we left the bitumen this would all change.

      We had been on the road for one and a half hours and approaching Port Wakefield at the head of the first gulf. In the past this had been a regular comfort stop, not because it’s a safe driving practice to take a break every two hours, but because this small

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