The Great Australian Outback

 

Over the course of eight days we would cover over two-thousand kilometers of dirt two-tracks, visit cattle stations larger that some U.S. States and follow the path of the Great Australian Cattle

Golf anyone? Cameron Corner is home to the original waterless, grassless golf course. And with a good swing, you can clear the boarders of three states. Obviously, this off-roading journalist shouldn't quit his day job.

Drive. We would also meet 6th generation cattle drovers, descendants of the original settlers, and get a taste of the Strzelecki, Sturt Stony and Simpson Deserts. When the sun set low on the horizon, we would circle the wagons, belly up to the chow wagon and have a good chinwag around the fire. Our swags rolled out under the astral skies, unmolested by light from any urban sprawl, we'd lay back and watch the southern constellations traverse the horizon. This would be an Outback Experience we wouldn't soon forget.

Go North, Mad Max, Broken Hill and Kangaroos
The pre-dawn light illuminated the horizon as our  contingent rolled out of Broken Hill towards Silverton near the Southern Australian border. Broken Hill is home to the Australia's premiere 4x4 endurance rally, the ARB/Warn Outback Challenge, and the decaying remains of Silverton are probably better known as the filming location of Mel Gibson's, The Road Warrior.

We had a fleet of ARB's test vehicles, a number of which were sporting prototype suspensions and shocks. With a group of thirteen four-wheel drive journalists from around the world, every bumpstop and rev-limiter would be put to the test during the course of the week.

We had a fleet of ARB's test vehicles ranging from a right-hand drive Super Duty F-250 and 100-Series Toyota Land Cruiser, to a left-hand Jeep Sahara and FJ Cruiser. ARB has a long history of extensively field-testing its products prior to releasing them to the public. All were sporting BFG tires, and several were fitted with ARB prototype suspensions and shocks. With a group of thirteen four-wheel drive journalists from around the world, every bumpstop and rev-limiter would be put to the test during the course of the week.

The tires hummed along a narrow strip of bitumen (asphalt pavement) east of Silverton. Cresting a gradual rise, a desert as flat and limitless as a russet ocean stretched into the distance for as far as the eye could see. This was

ARB outfitted our rigs with long-range fuel cells, recovery gear, air lockers and a variety of other gear. For the suicidal kangaroos that bounce across the road in the wee hours of the night, having an ARB bull bar can mean the difference between a remorseful encounter with a misguided marsupial, or long ride home staring at the tail end of a tow truck.

Mundi Mundi, a place where the planet filleted an unblemished sky like a land-born contrail: A place where the curvature of the earth spills slowly off to the north and south in divided symmetry. As Silverton drew our curiosities in the early light, the moon setting on the western horizon was spectacular. Near the spot where the Road Warrior flipped his fuel-laden semi into a cloud of red dust, we watched the Never Never come alive.

 

 

 

 

Australia is home to nine of the world's ten deadliest snakes. This Spotted Brown slitered off the road as we approached. Get tagged by one of these boys and you will probably not survive more than a few hours without antivenom.

The bitumen transitioned to dirt as we made the turn to Eldee Station, our first brekkie (breakfast) stop. Eldee was one of several dozen stations (Aussie for cattle or sheep ranch) we would visit. The Schmidt family has been in the region since the 1860's, acquiring an Australian Land Grant for the Eldee in the 1920's. Just 55km from Broken Hill and with good access to points north; the Eldee is often used as a base camp for the Outback Challenge.

Our destination this day was Cameron Corner at the three-state boundary. The dirt two-track north from Eldee twisted its way through the Barrier Range on the eastern edge of Mundi Mundi. In the arid Outback, the economy and lives of its European settlers often balanced on environmental changes. During spells of drought, the land could support fewer livestock. As economies suffered, many stations closed up shop, the owners giving up land grants and moving to urban areas. The crumbling remnants of numerous stone ranch houses bore witness to the struggles of the region's early

On the luxury end of roughing it comes the ARB roof-top tent. A long time favorite with travelers in Africa (where you become part of the food chain when you sleep on the ground), the new ARB units have room for two people and some gear.

residents.