LONG TOUR ENDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22490, 6 August 1936, Page 8

LONG TOUR ENDS

CENTRAL AUSTRALIA PARTY OF 14 PEOPLE After a tour covering parts of Central, Western and Northern Australia, an expedition led by Mr. H. V. Foy returned to Sydney recently. The party numbered 14, and the distance covered was 4600 miles. The party comprised Mr. Foy, his wife and child, four prospectors, two photographers, three drivers, a cook and a half-caste tracker. The journey was undertaken in three large motor trucks, and careful plans were made beforehand to ensure an adequate supply of food, water and fuel throughout. For this purpose a team of 31 camels in the charge of an Afghan driver, was employed. At times there was a vanguard and rearguard of camel teams, carrying supplies. This proved a wise precaution, for, at one time, a shortage of water was threatened, and reserves had to be called up from the rearguard by means of smoke signals. Leaving Sydney last April, the party travelled by way of Broken Hill and Quorn to Alice Springs. From there trips were made into Western Australia and into the Northern lerntory. At times the party had to clear a track through the sandhills to permit the trucks to proceed. The lorries carried 600 gallons of petrol and 120 gallons of water between them, and even this did not prove too large a quantity. The soft sand retarded progress and increased the petrol consumption o the tnicks from between 16 to 18 miles a gallon to as low as five miles a gallon. The continuous low-gear work also caused the water in the radiators of the trucks to boil frequently. Sometimes the trucks were consuming more water than the party. As a result, washing had to be abandoned, and drinking wa ter only was made available. _ Mr. Fov said ho had been anxious to obtain first-hand knowledge of the potentialities of Central Australia for settlement and prospecting. He found the country very dry and rabbit-infested and, in his opinion, quite unsuitable tor settlement. The country in Western and Northern Australia was more impressive. The prospecting members of the party carried out many tests, apart from a few small traces, nothing encouraging was discovered. The natives met by the party were not hostile. Some were quite friendly, while others were indifferent, and appeared rather afraid of, and bewildered by, the trucks. The size of the party apparently impressed the aborigines, but, as a precaution, Mr. Foy did not allow them to enter the camps. The aborigines met on the trip could be divided into two classes, those \yho smiled and those who refused to smile. Most of them appeared ill-nourished. During the lone: journey the men, except Mr. Bob Buck, the guide, did not shave, and they returned to Sydney wearing beards. All members of the partv, returned in perfect health an,d satisfied that the long trip had been ■worth while.