THE LONGEST
SHORTCUT
THE GREAT CENTRAL ROAD IS ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S
CLASSIC OUTBACK HIGHWAYS.
WORDS AND IMAGES: IESTYN RAWLINGS |
The Great Central Road had
long been on my list of things
to do. After numerous false
starts in previous years, in
May of this year we had our
permits and were ready to go.
But over the two days prior to
our departure, the region had
storms both nights. I thought:
here we go again.
On our day of departure,
everyone in the car had their
fingers and toes crossed as
we approached the gate at
Uluru National Park.
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We explained to the ranger
in the booth that we had our
permits for the crossing of
the Great Central and asked
whether the road was
still open.
She replied ‘yes’ but
cautioned us that there was a
lot of water on the road. There
was a slight moment
of relief and then a real sense
of adventure.
As I drove past the sign that
read ‘Great Central Road’,
with Kata Tjuta in our rear-
view mirror, I knew this was
going to be an unforgettable
experience.
LASSETER’S CAVE
Our first stop on the road
was Lasseter’s Cave. It is
rumoured that explorer
Lewis Hubert Lasseter had
once seen a reef of gold in
the area, so during the Great
Depression he returned to find
it. The cave is said to be where
Lasseter spent his last days
before perishing.