REWIND
Stranger things at Wycliffe Well
THE OUTBACK IS A LONELY PLACE sometimes: vast, empty landscapes with very little sign of civilisation. It can be several hundred kilometres between tiny townships, some with single-digit populations and little more than a roadhouse to speak of. But deep in the heart of the Northern Territory, in the small town of Wycliffe Well, you’re never alone. Or so they say. Located along the Stuart Highway, 380 kilometres north of Alice Springs and 37 kilometres south of the legendary Devils Marbles, this town has long been a popular stop for petrol and other provisions. But in 1985 it was put on the map for more than its convenience, thanks to one curious character. Lew Farkas moved to Wycliffe Well and purchased the local roadhouse for what he called ‘a five-year experiment’, after reading it was a hotspot for UFO sightings. Five years turned into 25 and the roadhouse turned into a gimmicky UFO-themed holiday park. Lew noticed that people would stop by to have a photo with the UFO mural they created, and so they added more – as well as a spaceship; large, plastic green alien sculptures; a now-defunct train and manmade lake; a souvenir shop; and a restaurant plastered with newspaper clippings. The transformation cost him a cool $4 million, and while the roadhouse is under different management now, the alien paraphernalia remains.
UFO sightings at Wycliffe Well have been recorded by servicemen in the area since the Second World War and were kept in a journal, which mysteriously disappeared in 1990. The journal was replaced and is still on display today with entries that describe colourful lights that change shape, move through the sky, descend behind trees and quickly disappear, some of which have followed cars. According to Lew, there has only been one sighting of aliens and no abductions… as yet. These events are so common that it’s said you aren’t lucky to spot a UFO here; you are unlucky if you don’t. While sceptics put it all down to aircraft and weather phenomena (or a few too many beers at the pub), believers think it’s Wycliffe Well’s geographical location that draws these unique visitors in: the town is located at the crossroads of several ‘ley lines’ (which carry powerful magnetic fields and link a number of significant ancient sites, creating an intense energy that attracts paranormal activity). Others believe there’s a link to nearby US military intelligence base Pine Gap. So is the truth out there… in Wycliffe Well? Stop by if you’re travelling along the Stuart Highway and find out for yourself. The outback may not be that lonely after all.