NOVEL WEDDING TOUR

Shannon News, 5 April 1927, Page 4

NOVEL WEDDING TOUR

HONEYMOON IN THE WILDS. TOUR ROUND AUSTRALIA. JOURNEY OF 10,000 MILES. FIVE MONTHS* EXPERIENCE. SYDNEY, March IS. In this modern age diver»e means are chosen by up-to-date young couples to spend their honeymoons. But surely none was more novel than that of a newly-wed couple at Brisbane who chose a tour abound Aus« tralia by motor-car as their mode. Not many people, even in the advanced stage of motoring to-day, would care to undertake a tour like this, much of it through unsettled country, through sandy wastes and deep fords, but the bridal couple faced such a journey and, what is more, accomplished it. They were Mr. and Mrs. J. Dorney. After they left Brisbane they traversed the Northern Territory and the Kimberley district of Western Australia, and Visited Perth, Coolgardie, Eucla, Port Augusta, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Their journey occupied over five months. Mr and Mrs. Dorney had some strenuous experiences, especially in' negotiating the Fitzroy and other rivers of the north, and again in sandy country in Western Australia. Where the car forded the Fitzroy—a large river—it was very sandy, with two stretches of water to negotiate. It was impossible to get through by engine power unaided, arid a party of eight aboriginies was picked up at the nearest, station and taken to the river, where they assisted the engine by pushng the car until it was on the far side. Through another river ford being Hooded, the Dorneys were forced to make a detour of 70 miles along a track never previously traversed by a wheeled vehicle, let alone a motorcar. But they battled their way through. At the third crossing the car struck a submerged stump, and Mrs. Dorney was thrown through the windscreen and had her eye cut badly, while the front axle o fthe car was bent alarmingly. Anxious to seek assistance for his wife as soon as possible Mr. Dorney had to work hard to get his car out of the stream before a possible flood. In the sand country of Western Australia the Dorneys had some very trying times. On one occasion Mrs. Dorney had to turn out and arry the luggage, including cases of petrol, one by one, while Mr. Dorney hauled the car through the sand with a winch and wire rope they carried. The grade of the hill was not so severe, but the surface was so soft that the moment the engine power was applied the wheels spun rounds and , sank deep in the sand. After seven hours' labour the car progressed 75 yards.

For the most of the 10,000 miles J the load on the car was 17cwt. Petrol consumption for the trip averaged 30 miles to the gallon. The same J set of spark plugs, fitted when the car left Brisbane, was used to the end, and the cylinders were decarbonised and the valves ground in at I Perth.