DESERT DELUGE

ON A WORKING TRIP WITH PAYING CUSTOMERS YOU SOMETIMES HAVE TO FIND A WAY THROUGH THE DESERT NO MATTER THE CONDITIONS

- ROB BOEGHEIM

A WEATHER change was looming and ominous clouds were rolling in. The wind had shifted markedly to the northwest at dusk the day before. We had camped at Old Andado Station, a time capsule of a bygone era, standing testament to the mettle of Molly and Mac Clark. The massive flock of galahs were unsettled, their barren trees offering no protection. They knew the change was coming; the ants too, were moving to higher ground.

“It will rain at 08:00,” said Marc, our fearless leader. “We need to get moving before it buckets down.” We’d not long despatched our morning walkers for their daily sojourn along the track. The sky confirmed the Metvuw weather forecast (www.metvuw.com) he’d downloaded just days before. Today would be their test …

The scattered drops began as we were ‘locked and loaded’, with radios checked, tyres deflated and raincoats at the ready. Our walkers hadn’t made it far, the clay-capped dirt road already sticky. At 8:03 it began to rain, slowly getting heavier. “You’re three minutes late!” Ian shouted at the sky; our stockbroker guest was impressed by Marc’s accurate forecasting.

PRESSING ON

WE had to cross the gibber plain before the rain set in and would then be safe on the sand and rocks soon after. It was day three of our 12-day Simpson Desert adventure from Alice Springs to Birdsville and back again. We were heading east along the Madigan Line with four fully loaded G-Wagens in convoy. Our 6x6 supply truck weighed seven tonnes so once committed, there’d be no turning back!