Lower levels:

Navigation:

From Houghendon, its North on a real dirt road towards Undarra and a straight line to Cairns.

En route we stop for a spot of breakfast at Porcupine Gorge - bread and Chemm and cheese and Branston pickle... mmm...

Its dusty work this driving, so we for a swim here - and find one of the most perfect swimming holes at the base of a rock formation called 'The Pyramid'.  Warm sand, cool water and blazing sun. And, best of all, no tour buses - in fact no one else period.

After a skin peeling hour here, we continue on. Its 200km to the next strip of tarmac, and we're hitting the infamous 'corrugations' which rattle the car incessantly at any speed less than 100kph - at which speed steering becomes 'interesting'.

We pass numerous locals going the opposite way, and get into the habit of winding up the windows quickly as they approach.  Its wise to press on the brakes as they pass too, as the dust thrown up creates a dense fog - often just as you hit a curve with a sheer drop alongside.

Katja is my co-pilot today, we hit potholes and panholes and bloody great wokholes which at one point make us bounce to the roof of the car - sending everything which isn't bolted down or pinned under the bedding flying too.  The Beast just does not care! it continues to go unabated - perhaps petrol and match propelled...

We trade places with Steve around three quarters of the way - poor lad has been driving in our dust cloud for 150km... then we discover just what hell it must have been!  Everything in the car is now covered in red dust.

Nearing the end of this red road we pass through several unfenced cattle stations - braking and hooting horns seem to work OK, just as it does with the frequent Kangaroos crossing the road.

Just as we approach our final cattlegrid, Katja grabs the dashboard and emits a cry somewhat similar to Tarzan about to swing through the trees - I see why, we're hurtling over the grid and a white cow has decided to cross our path less than ten feet ahead...

In a split second we're veering left, and I've hit the accelerator (braking is pointless now!) - fortunately the mad cow turns 180 degrees on the spot and we avoid leaving a dust of white hairs in the rear view mirror. 

Finally we hit the tarmac - and stop at a service station to fuel up.  Everything is red, just the whites of our eyes peer through the grime.  And our big cheesy grins - that was fun!

Navigation: