End of the trail

A Queensland couple has just completed a 3426-kilometre trek from Rockhampton to Kununurra.

Kelly and Susan Bush set out from Rockhampton on March 18 this year.

Accompanied by five horses and a dog, they have basically gone 'cross-country' cutting through stations and using old stock routes such as the Murranji, Barkly and Rankin.

Kelly is a boilermaker by trade and regularly constructs wagons, carts, sulkies and buggies.

The wagon, in which they have made the trip, is well stocked with camping gear and supplies.

There was no backup vehicle, so they had to have everything they needed on board.

Getting enough clean water for the horses was a problem during some stretches, but the couple managed.

Kelly and Susan even managed to fit in six weeks work along the way.

Kelly shoes his own horses and has broken a couple of young horses to shafts along the way.

They carry some concessions to modern living - a satellite phone, small fridge, video camera and solar panels to power them.

Kelly said the only major incident they had along the way was not far out of Rockhampton when two of their horses broke away and started to bolt for home.

He jumped on another horse and took off in pursuit.

His horse fell and he recalls being a 'bit groggy' and watching his horse and the wagon disappearing across the horizon in one direction and the other two horses disappearing in the opposite direction.

Susan eventually came back and the horses were caught again.

After a few days in Kununurra they trucked their outfit back to Kidman Springs, south of Timber Creek, where they have two months work before heading back cross-country to Rockhampton.

They expect to be home by September or October next year.