LIFE LESSONS

2540 KM Across the Australian Desert With a Bag of Oranges to Save Our Lives

What were we thinking? Clearly, we weren’t!

Don’t copy my survival plan when driving across the Australian desert. Read the tips at the end of this story instead.

In November 1989, my husband-to-be and I were travelling from Townsville on the east coast of Australia to Uluru (Ayers Rock) in the centre of the country. We drove 2540 km across the Simpson desert in a battered, 1967 HR Holden Special with no air conditioning. The saggy seats had lost their springs, and we had to sit up straight to see over the steering wheel to the dusty road ahead.

Air as hot as a hairdryer wafted in through the windows, sucking every last molecule of moisture out of our parched mouths. We had limited supplies and were not in the slightest bit prepared for an overnight stop in a waterless wasteland.

The road seemed endless, and we’d drive for an hour or more before another vehicle passed from the opposite direction. More than once, the thought crossed my mind that we’d be in serious trouble if we broke down.

Whenever we heard the distant rumble of a road train coming up behind us, we’d quickly veer onto the shoulder to let it pass. Road trains don’t alter their course for anything. If you see one thundering down the road, you pull over and get the hell out of the way.

One of the longest road trains in the world is known as the Centipede. It is a 160 ft long, 205-ton rig with 110 wheels. If you’re interested to see this monster vehicle, check out the video at the end of this story.

Our journey via the Flinders and Stuart Highways took 27 hours, not including a brief overnight stop at Mt. Isa midway through our journey. We took turns driving and napping and awoke to the same view of cloudless piercingly blue sky and straight dusty road disappearing into a point on the shimmering horizon.

Our old clunker bumped and rattled along the highway, and I often wondered if we’d make it to our destination in one piece. The pitted tarmac was bordered by bleak, scrubby bushes and red sandy earth stretching as far as the eye could see.

We passed knobbly anthills, tumbleweeds rolling in the dust, and saw dead, bloated cows with vultures circling and eagles pecking mercilessly at dead kangaroos.

We arrived at Julia Creek, exhausted to the bones and gasping for a drink. The thermometer read 48 degrees. A small bar emerged like a mirage alongside a couple of other weather-worn stores. The chilled beer, freezing air-conditioning, and a TV showing the Calgary Flames playing ice hockey were an odd contrast and blessed retreat from the baking desert.

I’d put a big sack of oranges in the trunk before leaving, figuring if we ran out of water in the middle of the desert, at least we’d have the fruit to keep us alive. To my disappointment, when I peeled the oranges, I found they’d boiled in the heat and were rancid. So much for my survival plan.

There are no services or facilities once you get into the desert, so you have to be very well prepared and entirely self-sufficient. We had no cell phones when we made this trip, and nobody knew our whereabouts or destination. Our families hadn’t heard from us in weeks. We were fortunate not to blow a tire or suffer a worse calamity.

Travel Tips

If you’re planning to drive through a desert, do some research and preparation beforehand.

1. Let someone know your plan, including your leaving date and location, destination and when you expect to arrive. On arrival, remember to check back in
2. Ensure you have proper directions and a detailed, up-to-date printed map of the area
3. Gas — set off with a full tank and top up whenever possible. It’s not safe to store gas in your trunk in hot climates
4. Water — take lots
5. Food — take lots and avoid fresh foods that will spoil quickly — like oranges!
6. Camping supplies
7. First aid kit
8. High lift jack and something to use as a base plate
9. Long-handled shovel
10. Two spare tires
11. Tow rope
12. Tools
13. Satellite phone

This is not a comprehensive list of tips and essential supplies. Do lots of reading and research before you set out on your trip. Remember — if you pack oranges in your trunk for a drive across the arid wilderness, you’ll be haunted by the mocking laughter of a scorching desert breeze. 😁

Good luck, have fun!

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