Wild Ride

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Daniel Oakman. Wild Ride

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For Colin Jones (1941–2019)

Riding across both routes conjured recollections of an era that, until recently, had not received the recognition it deserves. It was an era that began in the 1890s when intrepid souls, who became known as ‘overlanders’, set off into the unknown of inland Australia. On bikes laden with a swag, dried meat and water — as well as a rifle and ammunition for hunting and protection — they rode with only camel pad tracks and a rising and setting sun to guide them.

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Jerome made steady progress on well-defined tracks. On faster sections he enjoyed sweeping around the trees, ant hills and other obstacles. Looking at the dense mulga scrub that surrounded him, he marvelled at the ‘brave and venturesome’ European explorers who had forged a path through dangerous country. By contrast, the knowledge and skill displayed by the people who had lived there for thousands of years made little to no impression on him.

The three days from Alice Springs had been uneventful but tiring. When in mid afternoon he reached well-known Tea Tree Well, he decided to stop for the evening. Dense ‘nigger-harbouring’ scrub made him nervous, as did a scattering of naked footprints in the sand. But he found the courage to remain and drew a bucket of sweet water from the well, fed by the nearby Hanson River. He distracted himself by turning his engineering skills to a tiny adversary that had been slowing him down since his journey began.

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