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  4. Outsider Tale: The Time I did the Transmission Out West
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  3. JOURNEY GUIDES
  4. Outsider Tale: The Time I did the Transmission Out West

Outsider Tale: The Time I did the Transmission Out West

 
In our recent competition, we called on our community to submit stories that embodied the spirit of being an outsider: getting outdoors and thinking differently. 

Our winning story comes from Lachlan Byrnes, who found himself in dire straits while travelling solo on the remote west Channel Country of Southwest QLD. 

 

 

Have I told you about the time I did the Transmission? 
Submitted by Lachlan Byrnes 
 
In June 2021, I embarked on a solo road trip from Newcastle to Uluru, then onto the Great Ocean Road, spanning three weeks (ambitious, hey?).

On Day 5 in Bourke, rain closed the road west towards Cameron Corner, leading me on a detour north to Cunnamulla, an unnoticed sign of things to come.

I spent the night at Lake Bindegolly – a peaceful stopover that I’d highly recommend –  and woke up on Day 6 determined to reach Birdsville, and keep to my scheduled 830km. As I reached the South Australian Border, I visited the iconic Burke and Wills dig tree, before following the border north.
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

The rugged, pebbly terrain was both challenging and awe-inspiring, with striking red hues and flat-topped mounds dotting the landscape.
 
Every so often, a dried-up washout would sneak up on me, leaving me to brake hard and brace – thank goodness I’d installed KAON UVP before setting off. I didn’t know it then, but these were more signs of what was to come.
   
As the sun dipped below the horizon, I reached Haddon’s Corner and turned towards Birdsville, cruising along the Royal Flying Doctors Service emergency airstrip, blasting Aussie 80s rock, I savoured the last of the orange light over the flat plain.
 
However, the scenic drive took a turn when I encountered the first wet washout. While manageable, the second, larger washout proved more challenging. Unaware of the soft clay edge, I tried to go around it, dropped into someone’s tracks, and sank in like a stone. You can actually see my tracks on satellite!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I jumped out, hoping with a bit of digging and the TREDs, I’d be able to continue on. The shovel was soon discarded, covered in clay it was no use – in desperation, I began to scoop the clay out with my hands. After a few hours of jumping in and out, revving back and forth, I had to call it quits. The transmission warning lights were on – it was hot enough to easily feel through the centre console. 
 
I was stuck, although I wasn’t down. ‘It’s all part of the adventure,’ I told myself. I washed the mud off myself and jumped back in the car, thinking about what to do next. 
 
No reception. No chatter on the radio. 
 
I was on my own.
  
 

 

 
 
 
As the desert night settled in with its biting cold, I added another layer and grabbed my Dolphin torch, perching on my Rhino-Rack, hoping to catch the attention of anyone passing by before they changed tracks and headed away from me. Sounds desperate – but what else can you do? After about an hour under the starlit sky, a faint whir signalled the approach of help. Two headlights emerged, and I quickly flashed my torch at them in SOS Morse code. The vehicle slowly made its way towards me, revealing an older white dual-cab ute, carrying a family of four heading west for the Big Red Bash. Let’s call the driver ‘Gerald’. 
 
Gerald navigated the washout with ease, pulling up a little way past me. I walked over, explained the situation and we tried to snatch the Prado out. Despite our efforts, the Prado remained stuck, and we halted our attempts as the smell of burning clutch filled the air. Determined to assist, Gerald promised to send help once he reached Birdsville, 200 km away. 
 
Hungry and tired, I settled for a simple meal and decided to sleep in the car, forgoing setting up my swag. As I finished my meal, another set of headlights approached; this time from the west. To my surprise, it was Gerald again! He thought he would give it a go with his winch. 
 
We set up and started pulling… Gerald’s ute towards the Prado. “Are you giving it anything? Your wheels aren’t turning!” Gerald called. 
 
The transmission had given out – the engine was revving but the wheels were not connected. Gerald realigned and we tried some more, but alas, the Prado was still stubbornly stuck. This is where the Prado’s name “The Anchor” came from.
 
After expressing my gratitude once more, Gerald departed. I climbed back into the Prado watching as his taillights disappeared into the darkness. I was left to face one of the most uncomfortable nights of sleep I’ve ever had, upright and alone in the wilderness, fending off eerie thoughts inspired by movies like Wolf Creek.

 
 
 
 
 
I awoke to the rumble of an approaching engine. Hurriedly pulling on my boots, I stepped out of my car to find three kind souls in a Colorado Ute ready to help with their winch. Their swift action and the Prado’s gearbox engaging again had me back on solid ground in no time. However, the ordeal had taken its toll on the Prado- the dash was lit up like a Christmas tree. A bit of diagnosis and I realised I only had second gear, meaning a slow 40km/h crawl for the next 200km to Birdsville, with just enough fuel to match the distance.
 
As the day wore on, I meticulously monitored my progress using my Hema atlas, comparing sealed and unsealed section lengths against the factory GPS lengths, worried about my low fuel. Eventually my fuel did run low, so I resorted to flagging down a fellow traveller who kindly provided me with some diesel. With gratitude, I resumed my journey, determined to conquer the final hours of the arduous stretch.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As I rolled into town, the sight of civilization was a welcome relief. I had made it! Pulling into the RACQ garage, I noticed a Prado being towed away, an ominous sign. I didn’t realise it then, but that was soon to be my reality too. 
 
I went to the caravan park to check in, and after telling the receptionist that I was stuck the night before – she said, “Oh, so you’re the guy.” Gerald had called her when he arrived in town to raise the alarm. She’d called the police, who decided they’d wait to see if travellers the next day were still talking about ‘a stuck Prado’ before making the journey themselves. Before long, I realised the whole town knew about me. Some even stopped for a photo with my car while I waited at the washdown bay! 
 
The NRMA Roadside Assistance team looked after me well, organising a seat on the next flight out of town – in three days’ time. So, I made the most of the next few days in Birdsville; watched State of Origin at the pub, enjoyed lunchtime cook-ups at the RACQ garage and even managed to roll the Prado around for a fire by the Diamantia River! 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Soon, I was on my way home, and the Prado was a few days away from being loaded onto the back of the empty town supplies road train, bound for Adelaide. 
 
Moral of the story? Slow down. Embrace the unknown and unexpected. 
 
I wouldn’t have had a magical fire by the Diamantina River, nor enjoyed State of Origin at the Birdsville Hotel, if everything had gone to plan.

 

 


Thanks to Lachlan for submitting his story!

Learn more about the Outsider movement here. 
 
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Comments (3)

Valuable Lessons for All

By: Dayv on 13 June 2024
Good on you for sharing Lachlan Some very valuable lessons for all in your story and I’m sure you have so much more to say around a campfire one day. I hope to meet you in the tracks. Dayv @outandaboutwithdayv

Great Story - Great Community

By: Jezza on 12 June 2024
Love the fact that the remote communities and fellow travelers are always ready to lend a helping hand and thats what I love about travelling and exploring our much love Australia. Moral of the story : look after each other. Be like Gerald!

Congrats

By: Dave @pradhoe on 9 June 2024
Get this man some gear! That is an epic and scary story.

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