After everyone finished rolls of film for souvenir shots, no words were needed to
appreciate the landscape. Roman Floresca, motoring editor of Philippine Star, said
being there was simply a "communion with nature."
We spent the night at Ross River Homestead, a popular tourist destination which
offers log cabin accommodations, hot and cold water, and a swimming pool with
jacuzzi. Food is good, especially the breakfast buffet of good-old beans and
sausages. A fully stocked bar helped to keep the talk going on through the night. A
band played Aboriginal music.
And significantly, in the middle of this nowhere place, is a public pay telephone where
I called my kids twice during the night, just to tell them what I was doing in the
Outback with the million stars.
Ross River Homestead is a tourist "must see" place. The rugged and remote country
side around the place is spectacular, especially with a 4WD vehicle. A morning session
on 4WD handling by the creek (only the sand beds and hills are there) was conducted
by the 4WD experts.
Of course, I was not a natural at that kind of driving.
In fact, the television crew had enough time to climb a
hill I had visible difficulty in negotiating, set up their
equipment, and film my efforts, which proved
successful after so many tries.
The whole experience, though, was enough to make
this Outback Adventure worth every effort I took just
to get away for a week. (Try advancing ten daily
pages and one monthly magazine and you'll know why I slept through the seven-hour
flight from Singapore to Melbourne.)
For me, this will be the kind of motor holiday I shall take, given another chance next
year. Perhaps then I won't hesitate to take a hill "squarely," taking my foot off the
brakes so that my pickup slides down with a confident bounce. And I shall climb that
hill in one try, provided I don't forget to shift to low-4 at second gear.
Then, I shall hear Jol on the radio saying: "That's the way to go, girl!"
Outback Adventure
Top of the page: Simpson Desert with the gum trees standing motionless in that windless day; the
caravan of 19 Ford Explorer SUVs and 4WD Courier pickups enter the desert; at Jennings Gorge, the
Filipino motoring journalists take a break, in this spot where a river used to run. Among them are:
Popong Andolong, Erle Sebastian, and Vernon Sarne,with Dave Gutman of Ford Phils.Lower photo:
Manny de los Reyes, Manila Bulletin and Cruising writer, and the author, at Rooster Rock.
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