Maralinga Mystery Tour 2013

During August 2013, we ventured out into the very heart of the Great Victoria Desert with the help of my great friend, Robin Matthews from Maralinga. Some of the tracks like the Nawa Junction Track, Browny's Highway, Kent Street, we were the first group of tourists to ever be given permits to travel the remote tracks. We met Robin at Dingo Flat Gate were we camped that night, before spending the next day travelling with him back into Maralinga.

We travelled private Station Tracks from Coondambo Station, through to Mobella Station and out past the Dog Fence. We intended to see even more remote locations, but due to "Special Boy" Aboriginal Business taking place, we were not able to venture to a few locations.

Robin and Della were going to be coming with us, but Della was airlifted to Adelaide by the RFDS. Given the key to the front security gate, we departed Maralinga alone, while Robin headed down to Ceduna to fly out with Della.

I kept in contact with Robin and a week later we returned back to Maralinga and we had the whole place to ourselves. As a welcome home surprise to Robin, we had a group clean up around the Village and out at the Airport Terminal, and we even put a new "Under New Management" sign on the front gate, after all, I now had the key and could come and go if we wanted.....we would loved to have seen Robin's face when we turned up at the security gate to get back into Maralinga.

The Great Victoria Desert was in peak condition from heavy rainfalls that had fallen around 6 weeks before we were out there.

I would like to thank Robin and the EO Members that came along for the drive and made the trip what it was....fantastic. I will not bore you with any more words, but you can be the judge from the photos if we really had a great trip and saw some truly incredible country in my favourite desert and Australia's biggest.....The Great Victoria Desert.


Stephen Langman
September 2013