The gary junction road strikes through the heart of the great sandy desert, and it’s an epic drive.
We turned off the road onto what was not much more than a couple of wheel marks across the bare sand. As we got closer to our planned destination I scanned ahead, keenly looking for the object of our desires. A red dune blocked our way with the two-wheel marks heading over it, while the Hema Navigator was indicating the spot we were searching for was before the dune crossing; but I was darned if I could see it.
Willie Rockhole appeared suddenly and almost unexpectedly on the bare plain we had been travelling across. I was anticipating a pile or small hill of natural rock where a rock hole or, more correctly, a gnamma hole, would be found somewhere on its surface. Willie Rockhole was different to that, with the flat rock surface almost completely buried under a veneer of red sand which, on closer inspection, proved to cover quite an area and formed quite a large catchment for the gnamma holes that collected the precious water. Only one of the three rockholes here had water in it, though, and that was the smallest of the group. The largest one, although nearly filled with sand, had wet sand once you dug down a little; and more water could have been obtained, I’m sure.
Later that day I found another gnamma hole, this one on a low hill of rock where a rock lid, or cap stone, could be dragged across the cavity to stop the precious liquid from evaporating so quickly in this dry desert climate. These isolated treasures were the lifeblood for the wandering bands of local Aboriginal people, their location told in stories handed down over generations. Later, explorers and pioneer graziers relied on them for their journeys of discovery, while today nearly all are unused and forgotten about.
Esta historia es de la edición September 2019 de 4x4 Magazine Australia.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 2019 de 4x4 Magazine Australia.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
MAXXIS CUSTOM OF THE YEAR
MAXXIS CUSTOM 4X4 OF THE YEAR IS BACK, AND YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN BY VOTING FOR YOUR FAVE 4X4. GET ON IT!
ONE WITH THE LOT
THE VERSATILITY OF THE NINJA WOODFIRE ELECTRIC BBQ GRILL & SMOKER PUTS IT IN A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN FOR COOKING ON THE ROAD
LONELY HIGHWAY
A DRIVE ALONG THE NYANGUMARTA HIGHWAY IS AN ISOLATED AND SELF-SUFFICIENT JOURNEY THAT WILL TEST BOTH YOU AND YOUR 4X4 AS YOU CROSS THE GREAT SANDY DESERT
THE SOFT PARADE
BRIDGESTONE HAS LAUNCHED A NEW ALL-TERRAIN TYRE IT SAYS OFFERS BETTER RIDE AND HANDLING THAN TRADITIONAL HEAVY-DUTY A/T TYRES
WEIGHING HII IT UP
OUR FORD EVEREST HAS ITS TOUGH DOG SUSPENSION FITTED, INCLUDING A GVM UPGRADE. NOW WE CAN'T WAIT TO DRIVE IT!
BIG MIDDY
THE GWM CANNON ALPHA HYBRID OFFERS A STUNNING ALTERNATIVE IN THE 4X4 UTE MARKET
WORKING BEE
HOW DOES THE NEW MITSUBISHI TRITON COMPARE TO THE POPULAR ISUZU D-MAX? WE PAIRED UP THE NEW D-MAX X-RIDER WITH THE TRITON IN GLX+ GUISE TO FIND OUT
ROCK 'N' ROLL RANGER
LIMITED-EDITION TREMOR TAKES THE 4-CYLINDER RANGER UP THE RICHTER SCALE WITH MORE PURPOSE.
GMC YUKON HERE IN 2025
NEW YUKON REVEALED IN NORTH AMERICA AND IS COMING DOWN UNDER
2024 FORD EVEREST TREMOR REVEALED
FORD REVEALS ADVENTURE-BORN EVEREST TREMOR BOASTING OFF-ROAD-READY SUSPENSION SET-UP