STRAIGHT UP, A GREAT ROAD TRIP
HEAD NORTH FOLLOWING THE ROUTE OF THE OVERLAND TELEGRAPH AND DISCOVER SOME OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR SPOTS ON OFFER ANYWHERE IN THIS VAST COUNTRY
Motorhome and campervan holidays are our preference when travelling Australia.
With all four kids we headed off to discover the Stuart Highway. From Melbourne we shot across to Adelaide through the middle of Victoria with our first stop in Bordertown, the hometown of Bob Hawke.
Bordertown is a tiny town surrounded by gorgeous canola fields. They really look out of place as the land is fairly brown except for these bright yellow fields.
Bordertown is home to the world’s only colony of Albino western grey kangaroos. There are more than 50 of them now, in a breeding program right here in Bordertown. It is absolutely breathtaking to see them.
In the free animal enclosure is a range of wildlife, including huge peacocks with the most stunning colours.
Our next stop is a quick overnight in Adelaide before heading north to Port Augusta and the corner stone of Australia – the crossroads.
It’s a town built on the shores of Spencer Gulf with an abundance of great fishing. I have been fishing on many occasions and never ever do I catch a thing, but this day was going to change all that. The snapper in the Gulf are enormous and they certainly didn’t disappoint.
My snapper weighed in at a hefty 10kg each. I would definitely recommend the fishing charters in the Gulf to anyone who loves to catch great sized fish.
The salt content in the water is nearly 30 per cent higher than other areas of ocean so when they suggested we go snorkelling and diving for razor fish, I couldn’t quite work out why they all thought it was funny until I had to dive down to collect them. Boy, it’s hard work with all that buoyancy, but definitely worth it, with the razor fish being the nicest and freshest shellfish I have ever tasted.
The Spencer Gulf is the only place you will find them in Australia too, a delicacy that people come from all over the world to enjoy. At low tide they are so plentiful, which is good as you soon tire out fighting against the buoyancy when you dive down to get them at higher tide levels.
COOBER PEDY
The following day we headed for Coober Pedy. We have all heard so much about Coober Pedy, but nothing will prepare you for it.
Not a skerrick of greenery to be seen for as far as you or your binoculars can see, not even in their luxurious underground homes will you find a pot plant.
It’s home to one of the world’s only desert golf
courses.
It was very hot in Coober Pedy but nothing can dampen the buzz that surrounds this boom town. Coober Pedy would have to be one of the top five towns we have visited.
It is home to the notorious Dog Fence and the Breakaways, which runs from South Australia right up through the Outback to Queensland, and of course its opal mining fever. Sheree even found a great sized opal in the caravan park while noodling with the kids.
Once known as “The Track”, the Stuart
Highway was named after explorer John McDouall Stuart who discovered a route through Australia’s inland on several excursions in the 1850s and 1860s.
The modern track doesn’t follow Stuart’s original route in its southern parts. Stuart surveyed the region west of Lake Eyre on his second and third excursion which became the route for the Overland Telegraph, the Old Ghan railway line and the Oodnadatta Track. Today, the Stuart Highway begins in Port Augusta, 305km north of Adelaide. The total distance to Darwin is 2711km.
ULURU
The most sacred site of our great nation is Uluru. It has a piercing presence on the horizon as you drive in. It almost looks menacing, yet so peaceful.
The local Aboriginal people have something to be very proud of. The best time to visit is either at sunrise or sunset. Mind you it’s perfect at any time of the day really, but the way the sun rises and shines on its majestic walls and the howl of the dingoes in the distance – it’s priceless.
Ensure you visit the local Cultural Centre to the side of Uluru. Here you can purchase locally made art and jewellery and enjoy lunch with the world’s most beautiful backdrop.
ALICE SPRINGS
After leaving Uluru, we head further north to Alice Springs.
This vibrant town is nestled among some of Australia’s most stunning landscapes. Standley Chasm and the MacDonnell Ranges are just two of many natural viewpoints in and around Alice Springs.
The town services an enormous area and is also home to the only Outback Casino.
We were invited to visit and take part in the local (local that covers some 3000sq km) Alice Springs School of the Air.
There are two students in one class who are best friends. Best friends who have never met and live some 2200km away from each other.
When speaking to these children, they are so knowledgeable, so hands on and have a wealth of information.
Sheree then took in the Royal Flying Doctors exhibition, including their flight simulator which is so lifelike. Luckily for Sheree it wasn’t real, because her plane ended up crashed into the Tanami Desert. Good flying skills Sheree!
DEVILS MARBLES AND BEYOND
Karlu Karlu, the Devils Marbles is a 122km drive south of Tennant Creek. At Karlu Karlu, the Marbles are nothing short of a mystery. How they came to be there, how they are positioned, everything about them is simply extraordinary. We spent nearly four hours walking around them and every one of them makes you gasp even more than the last.
From Tennant Creek we headed off to Mataranka and the world famous Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. Nitmiluk is a place of peaceful wonder. Ensure you do the gorge cruise and really soak in this remarkable slice of heaven.
From there it’s Kakadu, which is a story for another day. Put the Stuart Highway on your bucket list. No wonder John Stuart kept persevering with this amazing part of the country.