Deserts fascinate a lot of people, including me. The Simpson Desert is called Arunta, in an aboriginal language. It is the largest parallel sand dune desert in the world and has over 1100 dunes that lie along a South-southeast/North-northwest axis. The Simpson Desert lies across the corners of South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory, and […]

Having read books and diaries by the explorers, Ernest Giles and Michael Terry and archaeological accounts by Dr. Josephine Flood, my interest has always been to try to get to some of the places mentioned in these transcripts. I have been interested in particular, in the ‘faces’ rock carvings of the area, as depicted in a […]

I was inbetween knee operations but felt that the time was ripe for an extended tour of Western Australia and in particular the desert areas. So Judith and I teamed up with our friends, George and Maureen from Darwin and we met up in Alice Springs to commence our travels. We ‘boarded’ our dog Jeddah with […]

Uncle Milton and I left home on Sunday 19th Sept and had a good trip up through Hawker and Lyndhurst and motored on to Claytons Bore on the Birdsville Track. Had a lovely sojourn in the artesian spa bath and soothed our aches and pains. I rang Jude on the Satellite phone. There was only one […]

Thursday. Leave home on my own at 5.45am. It is a cool morning with the temperature at 2 degrees. A fresh tailwind accompanied me out of town and I was able to cruise at 95 quite comfortably. Lots of kangaroos to be seen. Drive in on Beltana Road to where plaques are at the Afghan well […]

Uncle Milton and I got away at around 10.30am and headed for Terowie. A cold south wind was blowing quite strongly and raised dust devils hundreds of metres in to the sky from the barren plains beyond the Terowie perimeter. We drove by lonely stations along a dusty road until we reached the New South Wales […]

The first white men to travel through this country were the explorers, John McDouall Stuart, William Kekwick and Benjamin Head. On 11 April 1860, whilst travelling north along the Hugh River they discovered a large water hole. Stuart named this waterhole Owen Springs. One of the results of this discovery led to the Overland Telegraph Line […]

Uncle Milton and I set off at a leisurely pace in the fresh coolness of a Peterborough morning, heading west. The town of Orroroo, slipped by as the name could slip off your tongue and we headed for Wilmington to buy fuel from our favourite outlet. We cruised over and down Horrocks’ Pass to see the […]

The fourth of December, year two thousand and two, turned out to be the day for chasing the shadow. They came from far and wide to see the moon block out the sun. Ceduna on the far west coast of South Australia became a mini city for a few days. Sleepy little Lyndhurst in the far […]

The bash plate that protects the underbelly of our Landcruiser scraped loudly over the jagged dolomite splinters, as we crunched slowly over the exposed limestone ridges. I inched the vehicle forward in first gear low range until it had cleared the obstacle. Then I had a quick look underneath. No worries, just a few marks, I […]

Published in 4×4 Australia Magazine 1994 As we rush headlong through time towards the dawn of the 21st century a myriad of changes in technology and social structures are taking place. There is a concentrated push by governments of states and countries to develop infrastructures that will carry the populace through into the future, enhancing diversification […]

1994 Solo trek from Bililuna to Wiluna in Western Australia.  Some photos updated 2011 We did a Solo north/south crossing of the Canning Stock Route commencing at Alice Springs and along the Tanami Road via Billiluna Station in the north and visiting Wells 51 to 1 and on to the goldmining town of Wiluna in the […]

Published in 4×4 Australia Magazine March 1993 Driving into the early morning sunrise along the scarp of the Eastern MacDonnell Ranges you can smell the pure aroma of the Gidgee bush. This rugged part of Central Australia contrasts with the red soils of the ever advancing desert from the east. Scattered thickets of Witchetty shrubs, fuchsia, […]

Published in 4×4 Australia Magazine August 1992. Some photo updates 2011 Back up! Back up! I called to my mates on the radio. Once again we had come to a creek at a point that was impossible to cross. I got out of the vehicle and walked through the six feet high spear grass to find […]

A waterfall in Central Australia!! Not many would believe you. But sure enough, there it was, hidden away behind a facade river gums, mulga scrub and acacia bushes. Fern Falls Forest   Although not a raging waterfall by tropical standards, a shower of water cascades gently down a series of small waterfalls. Located in the Chewings […]