Driving Through Australia’s Outback

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31380, 27 May 1967, Page 4

Driving Through Australia’s Outback

Journeys with Gelignite Jack. By Evan Green. Rigby. Illustrations and map. » ppThe title does not do this book justice. “Gelignite Jack" may be an extraordinary person—in fact, he is—but tide reviewer is strongly of the opinion that the use of his nickname on the title page merely conceals the real content of this exciting account, Incredible but true, of a motoring journey of 12,600 miles through desert and flood of Australia's outback.

Even though “Gelignite Jack" (Jack Murray)—age not stated but probably plus 60—may be famous in Aus-

tralia as a winning camrial and speedboat driver, champion wrestler, phenomenal water-skier and swearer, even though he is a non-smoker and does not touch alcohol, is fastidiously dean, goes naked when he wants to, never fails as a loyal companion in an emergency or otherwise, and delights in tempting fate for all and sundry with dangerous practical jokes (henee

the soubriquet "Gelignite”)— he is the only one of four men (at one stage five) who dared the arduous and perilous adventures the book describes.

They were undertaken to test the comprehensive qualities claimed for a new motoring oil under the widest possible range of conditions—from the icy cold of Kosciusko to the withering plus-100 degree temperatures and penetrating sands of the deserts, and the beat and humidity of the Northern Territory in the rainy season. One loses count of the times the quartet was told, “You’ll never get through without a four-wheel drive,” but these men did, even though the rough going of the desert collapsed toe liquid suspension system of toe “mini** which then had to be driven hundreds of miles with one side sprung on wooden wedges wired together. It will no doubt surprise many to learn that the tiny, low slung “mini” was one of the cars used for this stupendous venture, but the author, Mr Green, who organised the trip, know from experience that the little car possessed 1 advantages under the conditions to be met The other car was an Austin 1800,

Both were loaded with fuel and everything else thought necessary when Green (toe author), Murray, Scot Polkinghome and Alan Kemp set out from Sydney towards the end To obtain the distance (12,600 mßea) as well as the requisite variety of conditions, the route was contrived as a figure 8. It began at Wilson’s Promontory, the southern-most point of Australia’s mainland, went to Rockhampton, crossed to Alice Springs, thence via Ayer’s Roti, toe Petermann Ranges, Warburton Mission in the notorious Gibson Desert

to Leverton, Leonora and Carnarvon. Arrived on the West Australian coast, the ears had to race against the oncoming “wet” season and cross a flooded river to reach Darwin. From there they went south to Alice Springs again, and on to Cobber Pedy, Wqomera and Broken Hill and back to Sydney. This story is larded with adventure and neardisaster. Desert bulldust as fine as tale powder maroons the ears with their wheels racing in its depths. Sandstorms blot out visibility and, make it difficult to breathe. Rainstorms of terrific intensity make the desert bloom and

dry creek beds impassable, and '.onvert tracks ' into a series of high ridges and deep ruts.

Waterless places have pitiless sun that seta men gasping for a drink and sweats them towards dehydration and even death. But every now and then there are the simple, kindly isolated people who haven't much to share but share it willingly with travellers they so seldom see. Mr Green drives a skilled pen through all these things and on the way quotes numerous past episodes of the Outback and car rallies. Among his most ingenious literary efforts is his discussion of the innocent, muchnuanced use of three prohibited words by his valued friend Jack Murray. Mr Murray's picturesque conversation is peppered with them, so it is necessary to record them many, many times in this book, but never once do they appear in letters—only thinly disguised, as one asterisk, two asterisks and three asterisks. The 16 photographs are all vividly worth while. But one wishes the map on the back of the dust cover had been enlarged, given more detail and moved inside the book on a folding extension, so that one could keep one’s eye on it while reeding. It would have been worth it