Desert Living

Submitted: Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 12:22
ThreadID: 98088 Views:2021 Replies:4 FollowUps:6
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I know this topic has nothing to do with travel but wanted so opinions about. Recently driving around the White Cliffs and Broken Hill area I wondered what it would be like to live in the desert and wake up to peace and quiet and have such a wonderful and large backyard to explore so I guess Im wanting to know if anyone else has considered this.
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Reply By: Member - Joe n Mel n kids (FNQ - Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 12:43

Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 12:43
there is a reason most people live in citys and along the coast ..........
It can get VERY boring and it kinda loses flavour quickly, there is nothing out there, few trees and few animals, yes you see stuff on TV that makes it look like there is but it as always shows the best of it and cover in 1/2 an hour the complete range of wildlife out there ...... and the grass is NOT greener over that fence as there is very little grass and the heat in full summer is simply not bearable for the average human as we are NOT built to live like that ...
But everyone to themselfs...
Cheers
Joe
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Follow Up By: Rockape - Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 18:07

Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 18:07
I am with Joe,

when the genset has broken down, the fridge has broken, the bore has collapsed, there is no feed in the paddocks and the bank is tailing you up then it is a great place not to be.

This photo will say it all. One thing is you don't need a mower.




Definition of outback is! If you have to drive more than 10k to get a beer you are in the outback.

From someone who has spent too many years more than 10k from a pub.

RA.
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Reply By: Member - MUZBRY(Vic) - Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 12:59

Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 12:59
Gday Katz
There are some out there who have been living like that for the past 40 thousand years or so, until they had trouble with boat people.

Muzbry
Great place to be Mt Blue Rag 27/12/2012

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Reply By: Bush L - Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 14:32

Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 14:32
Many of us do live in the outback and have wonderful experiences of waking up every morning, not to the snarling sounds of traffic but to the calls of the bird life. It is never quiet, mostly peaceful. Everyday is different, different light, different weather, different tasks to be performed. Different seasons and different wildlife and wild flowers. We don't have to fight our way to and from work, we are already there. The backyard is as big or small as our daily experiences want. Sometimes the work is hard, sometimes not...but our lives are full of our experiences, never boring,and never lonely. Another member has suggested otherwise...probably best he stay on the coastal fringe.
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Follow Up By: Bigfish - Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 15:13

Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 15:13
I have lived in a remote area for 15 years. The original question was about living in a desert environment. The outback is different to a hostile desert environment. Most of us long for the outback experience, not so much the desert experience which is a much harsher environment than what most people would consider outback. I think that you will find Jo and Mel live at Doomadgee (unless they have moved) not exactly a coastal town.
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Follow Up By: Bush L - Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 16:22

Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 16:22
Hullo Bigfish..I don't necessarily disagree with you, but the original question was posted after the author had been driving around White Cliffs and Broken Hill and thinking about living in the desert, which many also regard this area as being. It is also regarded as "outback", although some may have a different definition for both terminologies. I have lived through every drought, dust storm, heat wave and flood in this area for more than 30 years and can attest that it can be, from time to time, a hostile desert environment, yet it still brings meaning to my life. I don't wish Joe any offence, but if he doesn't like it best not to visit even though his thoughts probably give balance to the discussion.
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Follow Up By: Bigfish - Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 17:32

Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 17:32
All good mate. I think the definition of outback is a grey area. Working in the Pitanjarra homelands (spelling wrong) was a semi desert area yet it was quite a good experience for me. NorthEast of Kulgera was also a great experience. To me "the desert" means a very isolated sand dune country with very little wildlife and bloody hot temperatures! Naturally freezing at night. Love the bush and landscpe of Arnhem Land and the sea and rivers are fantastic.


I prefer the bush. Eucalypts and wattles witha river is my idea of comfort.
As stated the aboriginals have survived for decades in the environment....they had no choice!

The desert is truly magnificent but I think it takes a special type of person to actually live and relish the lifestyle. Few and far between I think.
cheers
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Follow Up By: Member - Joe n Mel n kids (FNQ - Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 23:55

Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 23:55
yep still at Doomadgee, strangly we like it, have been here for nearly 3 years now and about to go on our annual leave again, 6 weeks this time, last year we went down to Birdsville and down the "track" and up the "Straz" and accross to the White Cliffs area, yes i could live there but the money would have to be REALLY good hahahahahaha .......
For the record we lived in a place called Nyirripi, out along the Tanimi road near Yuendamu and that was 100% desert, HOT as all HOT and DRY ..... nothing anyware, we stayed 3 months to do our job and got out of there as quick as we could ...... Doomadgee is a happy mid point for us ....... and i would love to live on the "coastal fringe" we are working on that but it will be some really remote place that none of you have been to hahaha
absolutly no offence taken by the way..
Cheers
Joe n Mel n kids
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Follow Up By: Croozerute - Wednesday, Sep 19, 2012 at 06:17

Wednesday, Sep 19, 2012 at 06:17
My wife and I lived on the GCR, in the great victoria desert, WA, and would go back at the drop of a hat...nothing boring about it.. Unless of course, you're into nightlife...
We were 200km's from our nearest neighbour, and 300km from our nearest small town and 650 km from the closest Woolies...
Thats the most remote weve lived, although have lived many other remote, " outback" places...
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Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 21:35

Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 at 21:35
Katz,

There's nothing wrong with living in remote areas, such as deserts, but you need something to do, to occupy your days, and maybe make a quid.

Nothing better than waking up to the chorus of butcher birds, magpies and willy-wagtails, and no other offensive noises.Well, we've got all that, where we live in Winton, and it's only spoilt, sometimes, by the locals heading off to work.

To live remotely, you need to provide food, water, power and have a back-up plan if you or someone near to you(or even a traveller) becomes critically ill. Also, you can live in a 'van in the winter, but come summertime the homes in White Cliffs and Coober, take on a new meaning.

When you supply your own utilities, you need to operate gensets, water pumps, and keep them fuelled up, at who's expense??? Also grey & black water may need to be disposed of, or you can dig a long drop. The old dunny isn't too bad, but very uncomfortable when you gotta go, it's 48 deg and the flies swarm up around your............you get the idea?

Ol' Mate in the Castle spoke about "The serenity of it all", and The Banjo wrote about ".....the vision splendid, of the sunlit plains extended" in Clancy of the overflow. They're both right, but mixed up with that warm, fuzzy feeling is a lot of hard work, physical & often mental hardships, all coupled with the "tyranny of distance"
It's usually a bloody long way from anywhere!!!

I've had over 48years on stations in Qld & NT, and probably wouldn't change any of it, but think I'd do some things a lot differently, in hindsight.

Bob.

Seen it all, Done it all.
Can't remember most of it.

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