Welcome To The Longest “Shortcut!”
Why do I love traveling? Because there are so many unique things to discover in our world, like this: the “Outback Way.” Called “Australia’s longest shortcut,” the route carves a rugged 1,700-mile path across the heart of the continent, from the sheep farms of Queensland to the gold mines of Western Australia.
The Washington Post had a terrific story on efforts to enhance the road, which draws thousands and thousands of thrill seekers to it…..even though it’s incredibly dangerous.
To understand what a fully paved road would mean for Australia, journalists from The Washington Post spent two weeks driving it, past bush fires and feral camels, struggling towns and booming resorts, abandoned mines and bustling cattle stations.
As they report:
“Yet with almost 750 miles still unpaved, some portions are so rough that trucks travel days out of their way to avoid them. Summer rains often turn the dirt into impassable muck, stranding communities for weeks. And the road can be perilous even when dry, as evidenced by the scores of ruined vehicles that line it.”
As the official Outback Way website says:
From Laverton, Western Australia to Winton, Queensland, via the Northern Territory’s Red Centre, The Outback Way, carves a well-worn 2700km track through the heart of Australia. The Outback Way is Australia’s Route 66, the great Australian Road Trip… unearth the magic and immerse yourself in a journey like never before. It’s a road trip that lets you sink into the peaceful colours of the Australian Outback, where your odometer collects memories with every kilometer. Whether you are zig-zagging the nation or you want a shorter invigorating getaway to awaken your senses -you’ll marvel at nature’s diversity, feel the cool waters in shimmering gorges wash over you, be inspired by the unique architecture of every mountain range, and hear the desert oaks whisper in their majestic forests. Immerse yourself in Indigenous culture, pioneering heritage, follow the Art Trail, get into the country spirit of an outback festival, and enjoy the outback hospitality at every town you pull into.
The Outback looms large in the country’s psyche, as evidenced by the kangaroo and emu on its coat of arms. But many communities here collapsed along with the price of wool 30 years ago, and fewer than 5 percent of Australians now live in this vast expanse.
To give an example of the Post Reporters journey, here’s one stop:
“
Middleton, a town with a single commercial establishment. It once was one of nine stops where stagecoach drivers swapped horses. Now it’s an oasis: the only place to get a meal or rent a room for 100 miles.
“Outside of tourist season, we’ll see the mail lady twice a week and that’s about it,” said Clara Fisher, as she served beers to a few motorcyclists. She and her husband bought the 156-year-old Middleton Hotel from his parents, who were considering closing it. The road from Winton to Boulia is already paved, but extending the asphalt to Uluru would make their business more viable. She planned to level out the sagging wooden structure, redo the wiring and install solar panels.”
On YouTube, this terrific video from “Main Roads Western Australia”
And it gets even more remote. their reporting continues:
A sign in Boulia cautions travelers that the “vast Simpson Desert” awaits them and that they will need “ample food, water and fuel.” Fliers at the grocery store are blunter.
“Beware,” one reads. “Death awaits close at hand.”
“For God’s sake and the welfare of your wife and kids,” warns another, “don’t even think of driving [this road] in a little car or van.”
From behind the grocery counter, Geoffrey Rankin sighed and shook his head. “There are a fair few idiots who try to do it in a hatchback,” he said.
Would you drive it?
I had more than enough fun just trying to cross the Italian Alps:
You would think a tunnel has an exit, right?
Well, we discovered something else indeed – we were on a road to nowhere!
See what happened here::
But adventure travel is what we all live for – right? So that’s my wife Alex pointing at our next destination – the top of Sicily’s Mt. Etna!
Yes, that’s Mt. Etna!
It’s the most active volcano in Europe!
As some of you may remember, Alex and I got to hike to the top!
Check out this clip:
If you want to see what it takes to climb an active volcano, just click on my story here for more!
While we were near the top of Sicily, we also walked along the shoreline, where we discovered a “part time” island!
You see, it’s an island when the tide is high, but not when it’s low!
Clcik here to find out more about the magical “Isola Bella!”
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Let me know if you would ever take on the “Outback Way” and if you like this story, please share with friends on social media!
Categories: Australia, Books / Media, Exotic Travel, nature, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
I rode my motorcycle on roads worse than this one, years ago in Russia.
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Hi John, I would not drive this road. We have poor roads in remote places here and I have a terrible fear of getting stranded with no cell phone signal.
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my daughter’s husband and family are from western Australia and I have to say that everyone I’ve met when visiting have has been quite adventurous. I wasn’t aware of this road at all –
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Really interesting, John. I would never drive the outback way! This was a great post.
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John, there is a TV show here called ‘Outback Truckers’. From what I have seen, those roads are very dangerous indeed, and I wouldn’t even think about attempting to drive the route you feature. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outback_Truckers
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, a friend of mine worked on a TV show out there….you made sure to have ice, water, extra gas and oil and you never tried to make more than 40-50 miles a day before stopping to keep the car from blowing up!
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World travelers! Love the photos, John. We are heading to Italy and Greece in June. 😎
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Yay to you! We did Greece in 2021 and Sicily in 2022, and last summer it was Rome Florence3 and Tuscany last summer with Provence and Paris this year! Have fun fun fun!
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