1960s Big Lap - South Oz Short Cut
16,618 miles in an unbreakable 1962 EK Holden towing a 15' Viscount Van with Mum, Dad and three little ones on board. The trip was hampered by cyclones, extreme heat (no aircon in those days!) major floods and plenty of bull dust.
Back to Penong where a visit to our friendly constabulary paid off with a half-day tour around the gypsum mine at Kevin and the coast near Point Sinclair which arguably boasts the best surfing beach in Australia. We visited Lake MacDonnell one of the 5 pink lakes in South Australia. Of interest the moving sands of this area take no prisoners engulfing farms, buildings, windmills and dams.
The Short Cut
The 165 mile track from Wirrulla though the mulga country past Lakes Everard and Gairdner to Kingoonya looked inviting so we decided to risk it after checking with the Ceduna radio base, saving ourselves 350 miles from travelling all the way back to Port Augusta and then North. It was worth it for us and substantially more so for two crazy motorists who got sandbogged and tried to walk 80 miles in near century heat. We not only revived them but were able to go back and dig their vehicle out as well.
Editor’s Note. This track is still avoided by most tourist today due to the remoteness and unknown condition of the road. When graded and dry it is passable.
Photos Murray S Upton
