1960s Big Lap - On to the Rock

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.

Further up 'The Track' near the Northern Territory border we ran into muddy conditions once more and by the time we reached the tum-off to Ayers Rock we had little alternative but to try our luck in that direction as both the Finke and Palmer Rivers had cut the road. Of all places to get bogged in mud ‘Ayers Rock’ would be the most unlikely, but it happened to us. It could have been a lot worse as only the caravan sank behind us like a scuttled ship, up to the chassis. It was a case of dig, dig, dig! (Mad dogs and Englishmen), then dig some more! the air was blue!

Some three hours later we had the van extracted and were in camp at Ayers Rock. First impressions were that it had not been painted for the tourist season but our opinions changed before we left a few days later!

We visited the Olga's some 25 miles west, and headed for 'The Alice'.

1967-02-17 166 A very unusual scene, usu

1967-02-16 158 A magnificent sunrise at

1967-02-15 153 The more we dug the more

1967-02-15 151 1 Entrance to Ayers Rock

1967-02-15 150 The first sighting of Aye

1967-02-15 149 Toadstools growing in the