Camel Tow

 

It is very difficult to describe the Australian Outback. Most people use terms like desolate, dry, dangerous, or even boring. All of these adjectives have some truth, but they do not adequately convey the experience of driving to the middle of Australia. For many Australians, this drive is an exercise in extreme boredom, but for us it was truly amazing.

To put our trip in a nutshell, we drove from Cairns south to Townsville. From there, we moved west, away from the coastline to Hughendon, then, Mount Isa, then Tennant creek. Here we turned north to Katherine, then Pine Creek. From Pine creek, we took the north eastern route through Kakadu to Darwin, then looped back south through Litchfield National Park finishing the nearly 3000km drive in Darwin.

 

Many of Greg’s colleagues felt that this type of road trip could be quite dangerous, so we always made sure that we had plenty of water, fuel, and the car keys in our pocket. The thought of locking keys in the car (God forbid with Fenton still in the vehicle) was too scary to risk. Despite the hazards and desolation, it was the road trip of our lives. 

Fenton and his daddy looking gangsta

Fenton doing a few pull ups before going down the slide.

We will never complain about the gas prices in Edmonton again.

Pink Panther Roadhouse Pub

Fenton on a walkabout

The following is a list of highlights and qualities that made the trip so unique:

·      The highway was two thin lanes without shoulders. One can see oncoming traffic so far in advance that the risk of passing someone is minimal. 

·      The roads were sometimes quite bouncy for the speed limit and our Spaceship had a few launches.

·      The speed limit was 130 km/h

·       “Road trains” frequent this highway. These big trucks are sometimes over 50 meters long (Olympic swimming pool length) consisting of a semi with 3 or 4 trailers in tow. 

·      The road-kill is absolutely astounding. Although we did not see a single living kangaroo as we drove to the centre of the continent, there was never a kilometer without several dead ones. At one point along the way there was a dead horse with all four legs pointed straight in the air, and the body bloated like a balloon ready to pop.

·      Huge black and brown eagles would crowd on the highway where fresh road-kill was laying. The birds were obviously accustomed to the vehicles, because they would take flight just in time for you to actually see what they were feasting on before it was possible to swerve around the remains.

·      Wintertime is the dry season, and therefore the wildlife is scant compared to what one would see in the summer. However, we did manage to spot several flocks of cockatoos, two emus walking in the middle of nowhere, and two camels towing a man’s truck.

Rose breasted cockatoos

Internet image of emus

We did not take this photo, but this was very similar to the scene we passed on the highway!

·      The sky is amazing. The land is completely flat, so it is possible to see the entire hemisphere of sky. The daytime sky is a blue canvas with beautiful cloud patterns. The sunrises and sunsets cannot be described in words. You just have to see them to understand. The night sky is full of stars and the milky way streams across with the southern cross at the top. The night sky of the southern hemisphere puts our to shame simply because it is the south end of the planet that faces our galaxy.

 

·      As you get more north, the termite mounds get much bigger. We though that they were big when they were as tall as a person, but Kakadu has some mounds that are well over 4 meters high! Sometimes we would see mounds that people have dressed with clothing. It’s funny because we actually thought they were people until we got close.

Some of these mounds take over 80 years to build!

Once in Hughendon, we pulled up to a lovely rustic campsite. This was the night of watching the “State of Origin”, a rugby game (Rugby League, NOT Rugby Union) between the Maroons - players who began their career in Queensland vs. the Blues - those from New South Wales. There are three games in total. Queensland had lost the first game, and the second game was to play that night. The Queensland Maroons had to win the game that night in order to still have a chance to maintain their momentum of victory since 2006.

The camp kitchen turned tavern hours before the game.

Right before the game, there was breaking news that the leader of the country, Julia Gillard – the first Aussie female PM – had been challenged in a leadership race by party member Kevin Rudd. To anyone who had been following politics, this wasn’t a surprise as a federal election is scheduled for September 15 and Gillard’s popularity has been tanking for weeks. At the same time Kevin Rudd has been touring Australia “campaigning” for weeks.  While strategic, it still seemed sudden.   

Before the vote was counted, the news was interrupted by the game. The priorities are clear; rugby first, then politics.

It was such a great night that we ended up giving up our vegetarian diet to join the locals in eating some delicious sausages. As the Queensland Maroons achieved victory, the crowd went wild, then stumbled off to bed to sleep off the beers consumed.