OVERLAND JOURNAL FALL 201977AUSTRALIANSLOVEOBSCUREANDOFTENHUMOROUS
NAMESFORTHEIRGEOLOGICWONDERS—THISPILEOF
ROCKSIS KNOWNAS MURPHY’SHAYSTACKS.
WEATHERIN THE OUTBACKSHOULDNOTBE UNDERESTI-
MATEDAS A TORRENTCANOCCURON A MOMENT’SNO-
TICE,THE HEAVENSRELEASINGINCHESOF RAINPER HOUR
ANDMASSIVEFLOODING.ITISNOTUNCOMMONFOR
TRAVELERSTOBESTRANDEDFORDAYSBEFORETHE
ROADSARESOLIDENOUGHTONAVIGATE.IF YOURUT UP
AN OUTBACKROAD,THE FINEIS $1,000AU FOREACHTIRE,
INCLUDINGTHE ONESON THE TRAILER.
LOOKOUTFORTHE HARMLESSSTUMPY-TAILEDLIZARD
(TILIQUARUGOSA).
THE FLINDERSRANGESIS ONEOF THE RARE
MOUNTAINOUSREGIONSIN THE INTERIOR,HOMETO
NUMEROUSEXCELLENT4WDTRACKSANDREMOTE
CAMPINGOPPORTUNITIES.
AUSTRALIANWILDLIFENEVERCEASESTO AMAZEIN BOTH
ITS DIVERSITY AND UNIQUENESS. FROM FEROCIOUS
MARSUPIALPREDATORSTO BRILLIANTWHITECOCKATOOS,
THELISTOFCREATURESTHATCANASTOUNDYOUAND
SENDYOUTOTHEHOSPITALISLENGTHY.
OURJOURNEYENDEDAT CAPEARID,THE VEHICLESAND
ADVENTURERSSPENTFROMTHE WEEKSON THE ROAD.
UPONREFLECTION,THISJOURNEYCHANGEDME IN THE
WAYSO MANYOTHERSHAVE,LEAVINGMEWITHAN
OVERWHELMINGSENSEOFGRATITUDEFORTHE
OPPORTUNITYTOEXPLOREANDTHEREMINDERTHAT
EACHDAYISA GIFT.
AUSTRALIAISDEFINEDBYITSCOASTLINE,ANDITIS
TEAMINGWITHLIFEATTHECONFLUENCEOFLANDAND
SEA.NEARLYEVERYNIGHT,WE PITCHEDOURCAMPWITH
THE INDIANOCEANTO THE SOUTH.WITHOVER25,000
KILOMETERSOF COASTLINE,THE COUNTRYPLACESAT
NUMBERSEVENWHENCOMPAREDWITHOTHERS—TWO
SPOTSAHEADOF THE UNITEDSTATES,BUT CURIOUSLY,
ONEPOSITIONBEHINDJAPAN,ANDWITHONLY ONE-
EIGHTH OF CANADA’S COASTAL MIGHT.