Next stop Darwin ...

Press, 19 July 1989, Page 34

Next stop Darwin ...

Sydney Nobody enters the Australian Safari for the prize money. That is because there isn’t any. Yet this will not deter 137 entrants leaving Sydney next month to trek 6500 kilometres through dirt tracks, swamps and wasteland in the race to Darwin. This year’s field contains 75 two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive vehicles and 63 motorcycle entrants. Almost a third of the entrants come from overseas, representing Europe, Japan, the United States and New Zealand. “It’s a great way to see

Australia,” said last year’s runner-up, David Officer, who has competed in every Australian Safari since its inception in 1985. The 10-day safari is part rally, part off-road adventure. The actual route to Darwin is kept secret until 12 hours before the race begins, preventing teams organising pit stops to carry out running repairs of plan tactics. “All we know is that we head first to Parkes. After that it’s pretty much anyone’s guess,” Officer said. Officer said the hardest part of the event is not bunking down in make-

shift tents for 10 nights, but maintaining concentration while travelling an average 700 km a day. “The competitors treat the event seriously, with most hoping to do better than just finish,” he said. Finishing, though, is in itself an achievement. Last year, just 96 out of 192 starters reached Darwin. Terminal breakdowns, crashes and even simply running out of petrol on a remote stretch are among the most common reasons for the high attrition rate. A spokesperson for the race organisers, Automotion Australia, said that last year one Japanese

rider had to jump off his bike because it had caught fire. “He was riding along somewhere in the middle of ‘Never Never’ when suddenly his motor-cycle caught alight and he jumped for safety,” Ms Jan Schubert said.

A full-time catering staff serves meals to all competitors at various check points along the route. The Australian Safari is now one of the blue ribbon events on the off-road driving calendar. The Safari will leave Sydney on August 18. NZPA-AAP.