(First published 31st May 2014)
Hello again. I have just returned from another amazing trip – to Adelaide, up to Broken Hill, back to Adelaide, up to the Alice and then up to Darwin. Still the best way to see the best part of the nation in my opinion – the outback by coach. The wonderful Greyhound drivers again transported me safely up the Stuart Highway, delivering me into the Alice for a day, enroute to Darwin. My thanks to them all – in Qld as well – and to Dee Gurd, the supervisor in Adelaide who bent over backwards to help me.
This trip actually gave me the opportunity to tick off a couple of the items from my bucket list. First, flying in a smallish aircraft – I grabbed this chance from Adelaide to Broken Hill and it didn’t disappointed. Unexpectedly I also found myself with the opportunity to fly in a helicopter – at last! Better than I’d ever imagined and I cannot wait to go again.
Up in Broken Hill, due a misunderstanding at my accommodation, I actually spent the first night with the wonderful Mary and Peter Beven. Not quite sure what I would have done without them, to be honest. The AgFair was on the same weekend and all accommodation had been booked out for a long time in advance. Never mind. It all worked out. I managed to work on the book while there, as well as spending some hours on the Saturday at the AgFair. I also attended the RFDS (Royal Flying Doctor Service) ball – what a lovely night. And a look around the historic Silverton, the Hill itself – and I even managed to meet the hugely talented outback artist and one of the Brushmen of the Bush – Jack Absalom – a true gentleman even if I had no idea who he was at first. And finally the Beven family station, Sturt’s Meadows. There were many other highlights too – all will be mentioned and expanded upon in the book.
RFDS Annual Ball at Broken Hill. NSW.
Back down the Barrier highway, through more very familiar countryside as we passed through Mannahill, Yunta and Oodlawirra to my next stop at Terowie, where I was staying with Jacki and Peter Mattey on Franklyn Station, which happens to be one of Pitcairn’s neighbours. A wonderful day on Franklyn included a tour of their numerous properties around Terowie – although I used to live in the area, I had never before seen any of this countryside – another first for me. This tour included something rather – unusual – no other way to explain it. I had never seen anything like it before and am quite sure I’ll not see anything like it again. On Thursday, we drove down to Adelaide, again passing through very familiar countryside. I left the Matteys on the Saturday and spent a further couple of days in Adelaide before heading up north into the NT.
Unusual sight on station out of Broken Hill, NSW.
My fleeting visit to the Alice was terrific and I have two more locals coming onboard from there. On the Friday evening, I caught the next and final coach up to Darwin. This trip passes through many stations which I loved and am trying to find a map to show them all. One of these stations is Erldunda (south of Alice Springs so we visited it on the trip up from Adelaide) which is now a superb roadhouse and tourist centre while all remaining part of the working station that is Erldunda and which used to belong to very good friends of my family.
And onto Darwin. Still my favourite city – so like a big country town. I had a lovely view from my hotel room and again managed to get a lot of ‘work’ done while also having a few lovely walks around the CBD. This is where I was also able to tick a third item off my bucket list. Seeing crocodiles in the wild. And I wouldn’t have missed it.
Time to come home. I flew back to Perth on the Tuesday. Now to continue with the actual writing of the book. And catching up with all the retired pastoralists again – starting to finalize everything.
Crocodile. Common in the northern areas of Australia.
As with each trip, I have had some amazing and many very eye opening experiences, some of which will be mentioned in the book, others will remain silent forevermore.
In August, I hope to cover the WA stations, the final state. Unfortunately, for various reasons, I have not been able to physically visit every participating station, but all will be included, provided they still wish to.
As for that ‘something different’ and unusual, alluded to on Franklyn Station – well, you’ll just have to wait to read it in the book.
Termite Hill, Exmouth. Common throughout northern Australia.
