IN WILD COUNTRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22352, 25 February 1936, Page 12

IN WILD COUNTRY

HONEYMOON TOTE JOURNEY OF 7000 MILES YOUNG EXPLORER AND BRIDE j [FROM OCR OFN CORRESPONDENT] SYDNEY, Feb. 17 e A honeymoon journey just completed by Mr. and Mrs. Francis Birtles—7ooo miles by motor caravan up the east coast of Australia, across the Gulf of Carpentaria country, and down tlie centre of the continent—ought to have been enough to try the patience and hardiness of any wife. However, there were mitigating circumstances for .Mrs. Birtles. Her husband knows all the fine points of such difficult travelling. Ho is ono of Australia's most experienced "outbackers" —he did many long exploratory arid prospecting journeys by push bicycle before he took to cars. Their caravan, was fly-proof, and fitted with refrigerator, water tanks, sink with running water, wireless and portable bath. Jvght months' supplies of groceries were taken from Sydney. With rod and gun they kept themselves supplied with fish and moat. "These three good things I learned to \lo on my honeymoon," said Mrs. Birtles: "To drive a car, take photographs, and shoot." "On the next trip to the Gulf of Carpentaria," said her husband, "she will learn to dodge crocodiles. We are going to lassoo and harpoon them." Mrs. Birtles had to prepare many of her own cosmetics, but a good deal of her home-made face cream was taken by her husband to polish the car. It . was very effective. She also is fond of birds, and, much as she appreciated the flocks which gathered round the caravan when the wireless was on in the morning, she did not like the howling of dingoes at night. Their camps were set in strange places, from the tropical jungles of the coastal areas tc. the windy wastes of sand in Central Australia. After a few showers, the desert is carpeted with flowers. Tlie shifting sands of the "Centre" are filling all the creeks, and where once was running water are now • growing sandhills. They went through ; severe dust-storms and rainstorms, and were bogged for days, during which Mrs. Birtles kept the flies off her husband with a feather duster while ha sat under a large beach -umbrella trying to free the wheels from the sand. Their mascot Avas a child's golliwog, which Mrs. Birtles said proved of neverenfling delight to natives with whom they came in contact.