Personal Narrative-My First Coober Pedy Journey
clockwise direction, having travelled down from Brisbane to Port Augusta via the Newell and Murray Valley Highways.
From there north it was fresh scenery for us both as I’m sure Rex hadn’t been over the Stuart ‘highway’ before. The abiding memory for me was of the vast distances and unforgiving bull-dust camouflaged corrugations and pot holes.
Having noted the then recent intriguing history of Woomera, it was an equally surprising sight when we arrived at Coober Pedy. We gravitated to Brewster’s Roadhouse, where we were to both sample our first ever kangaroo steak meal which we quite enjoyed. Some years later, Nos 53 and 72 in front of Brewsters Roadhouse and Motel, Coober Pedy, SA... by this time owned by Redline.
Onwards north again (with no perception of the …show more content…
Speaking of which, I remember overshooting a curve in the twilight somewhere between Coober Pedy and Kulgera, mainly because the ‘road’ alignment had disappeared in the bulldust and poor visibility. With no harm done we found the road again and continued on our way.
At the time of that initial Central Australia survey trip I had no perception this was the culmination of a lot of planning on Rex’s part, likely brought about in part by his acquaintance with the two gentlemen, Pappy Withers and Bertie Bond, who had many years before opened the country’s eyes to Central Australian touring.
Then there was the very successful execution of Redline’s own pioneering ‘first’....the 1957 bush-walker chartered round tour from Brisbane to Ayer’s Rock and the Olgas, as mentioned in Chapter 14.
“Big Jim” Flanagan’s workmanlike solo stint behind the wheel of the essentially stock standard Watt Bros / Commer Avenger No 11 (next picture) had convinced Rex he could successfully re-open this market, which still awaited the first competent operator to step up to the vacant
From there north it was fresh scenery for us both as I’m sure Rex hadn’t been over the Stuart ‘highway’ before. The abiding memory for me was of the vast distances and unforgiving bull-dust camouflaged corrugations and pot holes.
Having noted the then recent intriguing history of Woomera, it was an equally surprising sight when we arrived at Coober Pedy. We gravitated to Brewster’s Roadhouse, where we were to both sample our first ever kangaroo steak meal which we quite enjoyed. Some years later, Nos 53 and 72 in front of Brewsters Roadhouse and Motel, Coober Pedy, SA... by this time owned by Redline.
Onwards north again (with no perception of the …show more content…
Speaking of which, I remember overshooting a curve in the twilight somewhere between Coober Pedy and Kulgera, mainly because the ‘road’ alignment had disappeared in the bulldust and poor visibility. With no harm done we found the road again and continued on our way.
At the time of that initial Central Australia survey trip I had no perception this was the culmination of a lot of planning on Rex’s part, likely brought about in part by his acquaintance with the two gentlemen, Pappy Withers and Bertie Bond, who had many years before opened the country’s eyes to Central Australian touring.
Then there was the very successful execution of Redline’s own pioneering ‘first’....the 1957 bush-walker chartered round tour from Brisbane to Ayer’s Rock and the Olgas, as mentioned in Chapter 14.
“Big Jim” Flanagan’s workmanlike solo stint behind the wheel of the essentially stock standard Watt Bros / Commer Avenger No 11 (next picture) had convinced Rex he could successfully re-open this market, which still awaited the first competent operator to step up to the vacant