Crossroads Alice/Tortoise & Hare
In December 1965, two unlikely cars became the first ever to cross Australia from East to West, through the centre.
BMC Publicity manager Evan Green, “Gelignite” Jack Murray, photographer Scott Polkinghorne and BMC mechanic Alan Kemp, drove a Morris Mini Deluxe and an Austin 1800 to Australia’s most Southerly, highest and most Easterly points, before embarking on a very hazardous crossing through The Centre.
The journey was part of a world-wide test of a new Castrol oil. Proving the oil in extreme conditions, the crew experienced snow atop Mt Kosciuszko, and relentless heat in the Central Australian deserts. Driving through flooding rains, dust storms, desert sands and broken rivers, they covered a total of more than 12,000 miles (20,000km).
The adventure was described in Evan Green’s book, Journey’s With Gelignite Jack (now out of print) but this film, shot in colour by Scott Polkinghorne and Evan Green is captivating.
The award-winning film, which documents the crossing, as well as the return to Alice Springs via Darwin (hence the film’s title), shows the hardships endured by the men, as they risked their lives following in the footsteps of famous explorers.
One of the most interesting parts of the film takes place at Ayers Rock, where they encounter thunderstorms, flooded roads and waterfalls over The Rock - a very rare sight.
The team also visits Lassiter’s Cave on the edge of the Gibson Desert.
This journey was one of the world’s great motoring adventures, and this is the only authroised version available on DVD.
The film is a bit scratchy, particularly at the start, but it improves quickly, while the colour is a bit faded from age. These things actually add to the period charm of the film, in a way, but don’t detract from the story at all.
As a bonus, there is another full-colour film included on the DVD. Although not Mini-related, It’s a Long Way to go to Catch a Plane (sub-titled The Tortoise and The Hare) is another interesting film from the 1960s.
It follows Evan Green and Jack Murray as they race against a Cessna light aeroplane, in a Morris 1100S, around Australia in ten days.
The rules are simple: The car can drive all day and night, while the plane can only fly in daylight hours, and cannot fly through cloud.
The result may not surprise you, but the closeness of the finish in Melbourne probably will.
The Mini Experience is proud to be responsible for putting these two films onto DVD.
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