Travelling North: On the Road

The term 'desert' doesn't do justice to the amazing variety of micro-environments that pattern the arid inland of Australia.

Think about the complexity in so-called 'dot' painting, then look at Google Earth's view of the Centre from the sky.

I travelled both south and north in a round trip of more than 8000km last month.

We drove to Melbourne for my eldest son's wedding and then I drove back solo, accompanied only by Warren Zevon, The Chieftains, Lyle Lovett, JS Bach, WA Mozart, Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Alison Krauss and Guy Clark.

This is one of the amazing views from the road - the top end of a large complex of salt lakes in the country to the south-west of Woomera.

Day 1 I drove from just out of Melbourne to Burra, in mid-north south Aust, via Mildura, Renmark and Morgan.

Day 2 was Burra to Coober Pedy via Horrocks Gap into Port Augusta.

Day 3 Coober Pedy to Alice Springs.

Day 4 Alice Springs to the Highway Inn.

And Day 5 Highway Inn to Darwin.

See more pics on our web album.