Thrilling Travel Tale From 1YA.

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 6, 26 August 1927, Unnumbered Page

Thrilling Travel Tale From 1YA.

re Alli IM 7] AULA = =| = DY Great Performance Of Two New Zealand Lady Motorists There is nothing better than a travel tale well told. One of the finest items put on the air from Auckland of late was Gladys Sandford’s story of the adventures of herself and her lady companion in criss-crossing Australia in their record endurance motoring trip. With her woman’s eye for effective detail she tells the story brilliantly. Who will forget that touch of the isolated girls in their early twenties who had never seen a white baby and inquired mysteriously ‘‘Do you believe in love at first sight?"’ NZ HUAI AZ 5 ? ml oy

hes AUS ATUUTAAATHE y | ¥ POS NU SANTI y, Sauls is a » LU OSA TTI TULL S t t\ SALT wv HUH: iN » i ALTHO IS » i ASAE When I left New Zealand to undertake a reliability run around Austrajia, like many others, I had absolutely no idea of the size or conditions of the country I was about to traverse The ordinary School] map showed almost half of the continent marked "desert" and I naturally expected a sea of sand tight across the west, but once away from populated areas we found entirely different conditions from what we had expected. An hour before starting out I saw a map showing the relative sizes of Australia and New Zealand, and I must admit that I was not only surprised but startled. In fact, I even doubted my ability to successfully complete so great a distance, but with an inward quaking feeling I told my companion, Miss Christie, who became known as the ‘‘Sergeant-Major," that we could only do our best. We felt very self-conscious of our shirts and breeches during the farewell given us at the Obelisk in Sydney, and were glad when we were finally allowed to pack ourselves into our already very much loaded car and start off We were about to tackle the whole of Australia, yet had to have an escort to show us out of Sydney on to the highway. Our equipment consisted of a good supply of tinned foods and flour, frying-pan, billy and gridiron, blankets and mattress, canvas waterbags, a tomahawk, fencing wire and a wire strainer, a set of bog extractors, a Red Cross outfit, a revolver, and four fuitcases containing our personal lugpage. The only spares carried were 2 snark plugs, a coil, and a soldering outfit. We travelled through the Princes Highway and the Cann River rotte. The country was verv dry, scarcely a vestige of feed, and the sheep and cattle terriblv thin. We made Melbourne in 24 davs, camping by the roadside at night, and as we were driving a closed car, were able to make un the interior into a double bed, and with the aid of a good electric lamp, could always enjoy a pleasant hour teading before settling down. At the outskirts of one town we saw a notice printed in large letters in a triancle, "So This is Camperdown." A few vards ahead a second sien read, ‘Drive Slow and See Our Town; Drive Fast and See Our Jail.’ We did not hurry through that town. THE FIRST CASUAL AUSSIE. The Coorunge desert, 90 miles long, between Melbourne and Adelaide, is not nearly as bad as it sounds. The track was mostly gvool, with a few satid-drifts, which fortunately had not banked up too hirh to cause any worrv. We nearly broucht our trip to a sudden end at Wellincton. We were on the look out for gates which were marked on the map, and we thought we must have passed them open iu the darknesss, uddenly onen gates Joomed ahead and I slowed down from 45 mp. to about 85, then brought

the car to a standstill with all brakes applied hard. ‘The ferry gates had been left open and the Murray River flowed quietly by, just 10ft. from where I had pulled up. When the ferry arrived after much tooting of the horn I said to the ferryman, ‘You left the gates open and there was nearly a casualty," he answered quite unconcernedly "You wouldn’t have been the first ones!" Adelaide was made that night, completing a run of 402 miles for the day, the total run from Sydney to Adelaide of 1828 miles being completed in four days. We spent two days _ in Adelaide replenishing our supplies, and were then cheered on our way by a large crowd who had collected around us. At Port Augusta we had to cross by ferry, and again met with adventure. The ferryman had omitted to make fast the punt,

and, after getting all but the rear wheels aboard, the tide carried the punt out, and only by reversing suddenly and running off were we able to avoid disaster. As it was, the distributor points were all wet, and it took over au hour to dry them ont’ completely, CAMPED IN THE MAIN STREET. Once over the other side, we both | felt we had really commenced the great adventure, but we found sheep stations at intervals varying from 80 to 130 miles apart, and a well defined track to travel on. Still no sign of" the great desert, and we passed on through Murat Bay, picking up petrol and oil supplies, Our next step was Penang, and thereby hangs a_ tale. Travelling on in the dark, we knew

we aust be somewhere near Penang by the mileage shown on the speedometer, and ut 11 p.m. I decided it was time to make camp. So we pulled up, unpacked the car, made up the bed, undressed, and turned in We were awakened in the morning by the whistle of a train, and looked out to find ourselves camped at the entrance to the main street of Penang. Having no blinds, we had to dress under the blankets, and I can assure you it is not an easy matter in confined quarters. This was the last place where food could be bought for 600 miles _to Norseman. We had been assured that we could rely on absolutely fine * weather, as at the time of the year rain seldom fell, We camped that night outside Nullabor station, and woke in the morning to find heavy rain. There were no trees for miles, only dead salt bush, which was by

this time very wet, so we decided to lie in bed and wait until we could make a fire and cook breakfast. However, about 9 o’clock the manager of the station came out and took us in to the homestead, where we had a great feast. He told us 1t wag the first heavy shower they had had for four years, and the country certainly showed it, SKIDDING 136 MILES. After lunch we continued on skidded 130 miles te Eucla, where petrol supplies waited us for the next 645 miles to Coolgardie. We stayed that night at the telegraph station, and started out next morning in drizzling rain, A mile out we fitted chains, the rain came on very heayily, and for 65 miles the

road was so heavy we were never higher than second geay, ‘The track Was mostly under water, and we had to be very careful ta try and avoid wombat holes and rabbit warrens. By the time we reached Mundrabilia Station the weather had grown steadily worse, and we sheltered here for five days. ‘Then on, 70 miles to the next station, the road in a very bad state, and a further 280 miles to Balladonia Station, with absolutely no homes in between these mileages. Turning this next stretch we fell in and out of bogs continually. The track Jed through low salt bush country, with occasional patches of mulga and mallee trees. The surface was heavy clay, and in hollows and dips we often found stretches of water two feet deep, from 30 to 50ft. wide to be traversed. Between Balladenia and Norseman, 150 miles, there is one station, and here we crossed Fraser’s Range. The rain had caused many wash-outs, and the going was extremely rongh right through a further 120 miles to Cooleardie, where we joined up with the ‘Trans-Continen-tal Railway, about 310 miles further on to Perth, mostlv bad going on account of mud. ‘Twelve miles out of Perth we found a big welcome, and a procession of cars waiting to escort us in. When he left Svdnev someone in the erowd shouted out that he would bet me £5 we would be in at least five garages before reaching Perth. We completed our whole tour of 11,058 miles, and only received service from the agents in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, and Darwin, but never had to call into a garage. BACK FOR THE NORTH. We rested in Perth tor over a week, and then were reluctantly compelled to change our plauas irom driving up the llortii-west Coast to Varwin on accouit of floods, and retraced our way back to Adelaide. Here we picked up special equipment for the northern trip. lour long lengths of coconut matting were strung 1m two rolls across the vonnet. A five-wire grass seea catcher was fitted to the radiator, and, remembeting how many broken springs I had seen across the west, I had a spare back and spare front spring clamped on under the chassis, Ihe only other spare part carried was a set of clutch plates. We put in bigger tood supplies here, also an extra five-gallon camel water canteen, and a 22 short Winchester rifle. Up to this time I had only carried one spare tire, and decided two would be better, Until now the only tire trouble experienced was a pitched tube on the return journey, and on the whole trip we had six purictures. I was constantly advised to carry the revolver at the hip, and to endeavour to make stations whenever possible at night time, when north of Alice Springs, which shows how little is known of Australia by a big proportion of the population there. We were never once troubled by natives, and (Continued on page 16). AY UALANUHA TH A in TINT Aca TT FA UMMM 1X al U ’ ANA THIN A in

Thrilling Travel Tale From 1YA.

This article is continued’ from the cover. In it, Mrs, Gladys Sandford gives a thrilling account of her experiences while establishing the record ¢-durance run round Australia.

Radio is bringing back into modern life the thrill of the old-time person-ally-told tale. For half a century the printed word hds dominated. Now the doer of deeds can impart to a vast audience a share in the deed done.

would make camps at night qn the frack without ever any fear. RUNNING NORTH. We travelled via Kingoonya, over the Tarcoona Tablelands, where for 60 miles not a tree is to be seen, nothing but salt bush about 18 inches high. From Lanjoonya on to the Opal Fields, where everyone lives underground, even the Commionwealth Savings Bank and Post Office have their quarters ‘like that. Toot the horn and the inhabitants come out like rabbits! Then 110 miles on to Anna Creek without meeting anyone. Il‘rom: here to Ooduadatta, 120 miles, is heavy sand and bad crecks, and we learnt our first lesson of getting stuck in sand. Oodnadatia is the railway terminus, with an ordinary population of about 60 or 70 people. Irom here to Alice Springs, 887 miles, is mostly very heavy going, and with a: load of 83jcwt. it meant heavy driving. We crossed the Finke River five times. {In the wet season this is a roaring torrent, but now it is a dry riverbed of heavy sand, and unless tackled in a correct manner will cause hours of hard work to a driver. We were very lucky, and only had to use our cocoahut matting twice, and were most thankful, as the flies came round us in swarms. At one crossing there is a mile of heavy sand known as Tragedy Mile, because so many motorists have come to grief there. This part of the country is almast waterless, and yet for miles on end ‘one sis always faced with a mirage of a lake in the distance. Alice Springs is the last settlement from here to Katherine, a distance of about 800 miles, and on this stretch sve met not more .than 42 white people. The overland telegraph is followed most of the way, but one has to deviate sometimes several miles from it in negotiating the, different ‘ranges. Petrol supplies were laid diown for us. In one instance it had heen carted 900 miles from the railhead for us. ‘The track is almost always fairly visible, but on wide stretches when cattle have obliterated it there is constant danger of losing it, and one may become hopelessly tangled up in one’s own tracks, unless great care is taken. MEETING THE NATIVES. We often passed natives cafrying hunting spears. ‘They were invariably devoid of clothing and would run into the long grass and hide, but never molested us. The northern route vaties a great deal where troubles are concerned. Anthills are a big menace, as in the very high grass it is difficult to see them. Then bad creeks, washaways, prospecting holes, big stones, bush fires, and particularly between Darwin and Katherine, bogs, made me keep a wary eye well open. Grass was often 8 to 10 feet high for miles on end. Buf we seemed to have days when all went without a hitch, and others when nothing was right. There came one day when [I burnt the clutch ont in a sandy creek, which seemed to be quite easy to negotiate, but as soon as the four wheels of the car were in it they sank down almost to the axles. We hadi left the cocoanut matting at Alice Springs for our return journey, so the proper assistance was not available, However, there was only one thing to be. done, and that was to recork the elates. Fortunately, before leaving Oodnadatta I purchased five dozeu inedicine bottle corks, ‘The weather was frightfully hot-glaring sun and tio shelter-and the sun’s rays seemed to concentrate in the basin of the creel, I have often thought that I must have made one of the most pitiful sights in Australia that day. You can picture ear axle deep in sand and me sitting on’ the bank on an old army blanket to;

avoid the grass seeds, which have a horrid habit of digging into the skin, with the complete clutch and transmission lying around me-our precious billy at my side full of corks bobbing up and down as they soaked in engine oil-flies all around mie, on my lips and in my eyes-the air was black with them. I not only had to put in the cork inserts, but had then to shave them down to the necessary thickness with a sharp hunting knife we had, which, incidentally, was never used for its original purpose-that of skinning alligators. At the end of two hours the plates were corked and my forefinger was one large blister. Then came the crisis-the clutch had again to be assembled and we had no clamp to control the heavy springs. How we wrestled with that clutch, The-« sergeantmajor stood by with the four large nuts to whip on as soon as the thread was. visible, and for over an hour I sat and stood in turn on the wretched plates, which would spring apart just when it seemed we were about to conquer it. Finally, with the aid of a tire lever and hammer handle, levered down with my knees, we fixed it, Then the whole thing had ta be teplaced-not an easy matter when there is no pit and a heavy piece of mechanism'to handle. But there 1s always an end to everything, and at 6 p.m. we turned im for the night, still in the creek bed, but with only a little coupling up to do in the morning before getting aut. After replacing the clutch we moved on again Newcastle Waters Station, where we stayed the night, in order to wash our only pair of breeches, which were covered with oil after the heavy work, then over the Sturt Plain, where for sixteen miles we never had a yard of smooth running owing to the black soil foundation and cattle footprints which had dried hard. turkeys, but only wounded two, and’ then could not find them in the long

gtass. We came back after our search with our legs like porcupines from the long, sharp grass seeds. We took just three hours to do sixteen iiles, It ts impossible to travel at more than seyen tiles per hour on this soil. The fine sand’ was a source of constant annoyance, and after a hundred miles or so it was quite a usual occurrence to find the inside of the carburettor thick with sand. On one orcasion after breaking our only screw-driver, I took the corburettor to pieces with the tomahawk and a tin-opener. | At Marenhoy we were warned by telegram not to attempt the trip from Katherine to Darwin, as two itches of rain had fallen the night before at Pine Creek, so on arrival at Katherine ne car was mounted on a truck, and we We rested occasionally hy shooting at ourselves travelled in the only accom- } jmodation, the guard’s van, for a dis-

tance of 204 miles, I was anxious to see the road, but the guard assured us there was no road, only a bridle track. This route of 240 miles by car has only been traversed by an average of two ‘cars per year for four years. ARRIVED AT DARWIN. At Darwin we were greatly surprised to find the Mayor and town councillors down to meet us. We stayed Here ten days to give the track time to drv after the rain. We were assured b one and all that it was eight weeks too early in the season to tackle the trip. and many bets were laid against our getting through. This was the only part of the journey on which we carried

a guide, but as the grass grows higher than the top of the car after each rain season, it is impossible to find any track over a great part of the way. Our guide lost us repeatedly, and we decided too. late it would have been better to have risked it ourselves. We took five days to travel 240 miles~-into deep black soil bogs which can only be likened to quicksands, into prospecting holes dug by Chinese who forgot to put the rubbish back, digging a track up and down creek banks where heayy rain had washed away the approach, and chopping down trees with our precious tomahawk to build up roads out of apparently impossible jump ups. On one occasion I drove a short way along the railway line fo avoid bogs and, crossing a culvert, the loose sleepers piled ahead, and down came the car on the frout axle with the wheels spinning round in mid-air, An awk-

~ ward position with a train expected to arrive any moment. WAYSIDE PROBLEMS. ' I jacked up the chassis and cut down a young gum and gradually got the car back. This was only one of many incidents We were 30 hours in ome creek, during which time we eut down about 15 blue gums and split them into lengths of three pieces to build up the-bank. After getting the ear three-quarter way up 4 ganger came along the line on a motor-trolly and showed us how to use a Spanish windlass. It took anqther six hours to get out, even with that assistance, and the car was on such an angle that all the oil drained out of the cluch down the transmission shaft. Another time our guide took us 14 miles ont of our way up and down steep gullies, into creek beds and Chinamen’s holes. Finally we came to a small clearing and a bush hut, out of which came an old Chinaman. After repeatedly saying "Which way road," he wave his hand towards the country ahead and said he come "he go two mile" We looked*in vain, getting into more and more trouble. At last, seeing a big bush fire approaching, I took matters into my own hands and turned back, eventually finding our way back to the line The petrol tank was crushed underneath like an accordion and a good leak started, but I made a temporary repair with a patch of soap At Borrundie Siding a gantger broueht us two large tins of water. which we heated, and then bathed in the tiny waiting-room and general office. On the fifteenth day we forded the river into’ Katherine, having put up the record of being the first closed car to have done the trip, and also the first women to have tackled it. It had previously been considered impossible for a car to get through without

the hood being either fastened down or entirely removed. There are some old characters in the Northern Territory, and unless one meets them personally you have never really been up there. There are Macay, th original Mac of "We of the Never-Nover,’’ by Mr. Gunn, travelling carrying stores complete with goats and hens for fresh milk and eggs. Also Freddy Haines, who keeps a tiny inn between Darwin and Katherine. Tat red arms akimbo. ‘Hullo, old sport.’ I was presented with a 38 Winchester rifle in Darwin, and shot some good turkeys, using the smaller rifle for pigeons. We had some jolly good stews of pigeons, tinned peas, and on‘ions. Once we tan short of water, and had to boil up some dirty water from a pool under a bridge, but it

was not so bad when the coffee was added. At any rate it did not look quite so dirty. | | AT A CORROBOREE, At Marenboy we were taken te a corroboree-a wiet1 sight, the natives squatting naked within circles of small fires. ‘here were two tiny ‘babies, which I christened, saying to the lubra, who translated it to her tribe, "This fella, him name Hudson" for the boy, and "This fella him name Essex’? for the girl, One native blew threugh a very long burnt-out piece of wood-they call it a didgerie doo, and it makes a weird hollow noise. ‘Three Iubras danced a sort of Charlston shuffle in the background, but the men, continued their chant, taking no notice of them, Six hundred miles away from any shops the sergeant-major wore out her only pair of breeches. She is a tiny thing, and weighs under seven stone, and a friendly mounted police from Newcastle Waters Station, who weighed easily 14 stone, gave her a pair of his riding breeches, so the situation was saved. Farther down the line we went on to a station, where there was a sewing machine, and they were cut down to fit her. Two hundred and forty miles north of Alice Springs we ran short of water, and efter waiting on the track for four days in the hope that a native might possibly come by had to walk 16 miles through heavy sand, the ser-geant-major carrying water bags. I carried the .88 Winchester, not because of blacks, but om account of cattle, for which I must confess a deadly fear. ISOLATION. Seven miles in from Wycliffe Wells we met a man, his wife, and two daughters. The girls, aged 20 and 23, had never yet scen 3 white baby or a train, and we were the first white women they had seen for 12 months. We spent three weeks with them. They lived in a bush whirley, and we slept in the car. Livery night we sat out in the open on benzine boxes and taught them the latest ragtiire songs, while one girl picked up the tunes on an accordeon. As soon as the girls grew to know us they drew the ser-geant-major aside aud wanted to know "did she believe in love at first sight as they had read about it in books!" The rest of the journey was fairly uneventful. Very bad weather again held us up, and we were hogged several times south of Oodnadatta. Game was plentiful on the northern route, turkeys, pigeons, kangaroos, dingoes, emus, and an occasional snake-one I killed with the spade measured over 6ft. THE RECORD TRIP. At Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney we received a great welcome, and as we drove into Macquarie Place to the Obelisk, the spot from where we commenced our journey, the kinema man was busy turning the handle, a host of photographers and a large crowd waiting to welcome us. A remarkable feature: of the trip was the wonderful hospitality shown tight through Australia, and the kindness of the people out back will always be remembered by us. . On our return to Sydney a motorist remarked: And to think it took two New Zealanders to hold the record of doing the longest single trip ever completed in Australia,