A Man’s 4,770km Detour Through the Australian Outback in the Rain

Chris English, a 64-year-old Australian, goed on an extraordinary journey after a “biblical flood” destroyed the road between Broome and Kununurra in Western Australia, forcing him to make an almost 5,000km detour alone through the outback to retrieve his stranded car. English, a seasoned outback driver, was determined to get his Nissan Patrol four-wheel-drive back home, despite the daunting 64-hour journey across 4,770km of road.

The couple had planned to drive back to Kununurra after a Christmas stay in Perth, but when the northern part of Western Australia was inundated by the worst floods in the state’s history, they were left stranded. With the road between Broome and Kununurra destroyed, English and his wife consulted Google Maps for the next best route, only to discover a whopping U-shaped route down through the centre of Western Australia, through the Northern Territory, and up to its tip before driving west back to Kununurra.

English’s son Craig described his father as a country guy who was undeterred by the immense detour. “He’s very much a country guy, so it seemed normal to us that he wanted to. That’s just what he’s like. He’s the only one mad enough to do the trip,” Craig said. English managed to persuade his wife to fly to Broome and rescue the car, while she would fly back to Kununurra as she needed to get back earlier for work.

On Monday morning, English set off on the ambitious trip, packing a swag, a portable stove, and supplies for a week. Craig began sharing updates about his father’s journey on Twitter, which quickly gained thousands of new followers eager to hear about English’s latest whereabouts. When English next entered a town with reception, Craig told his father about his newfound celebrity, and English was both surprised and overwhelmed. “He told me ‘I’m not doing this for any attention, I just want to get the car back’,” Craig recalled.

By Wednesday, English had made it into the Northern Territory, camping next to Uluru overnight. His family expects him to arrive back home in Kununurra by Monday, with Craig estimating the total fuel cost to be around $1,000. English’s family is not worried about him, knowing that his navigation skills and the attention from strangers will keep him on track.

As English drives through the red desert by day and camps out at night, he is finally making progress towards home. Despite the challenges, he remains focused on his goal – bringing his car back home.