Holiday took them 5500 miles

Taupo Times, Volume 20, Issue 6, 26 January 1971, Page 10

Holiday took them

5500 miles

Mrs Les Green, formerly Jeannette Harrison, of Taupo, and her husband, who now live in Sydney, spent their Christmas holidays taking a trip to Perth by car. The round trip took them 5500 miles and they enjoyed a stopover at Adelaide. Crossing the Nullabor Plains they carried water but found it was not needed as water tanks are placed along the route — although brackish, the water is suitable for drinking if boiled.

The 350 miles of unsealed, potholed and dusty road on the plains they found a rugged experience and were surprised at the amount of traffic. Apart from petrol cleaning of the air filter to remove dust and a minor broken spring that they simply removed, the car stood the trip well. In the middle of the dust area they paid a brief visit to a Lutheran Mission Station and were immediately surrounded

by a swarm of frinndly little aboriginal children, They visited the art and craft shop at the station and bought a "fair dinkum boomerang They found accommodation a problem in Perth and had to travel 20 miles out of the city to find a camping ground. Back in Sydney once again they are relishing the experience - apart from the job of removing the fine red dust from car and clothes.