The Schramm's trip to Central Australia

After our Lotus Trooper had its 4 month service at Gold Coast Caravans we spent a week free camping on our way to Hughenden to meet our daughter and her family. We free camped all the way and went via Tenterfield, Goondawindi and joined the Carnarvon Highway at Nindigully to St. George. We then took the Balonne Highway to Cunnamulla and the Mitchell Highway to Charleville then the Matilda Highway to Tambo, Blackall, Barcaldine and Muttaburra. We then took the gravel road to Hughenden. This road was rough and rocks smashed taps on 2 of our water tanks. We met our daughter Julie and husband Duane and children Lachlan and Caitlin with their camping trailer and a couple of their friends in two other 4WD's.
On Sunday 11th Sept 2011 we drove through Mt. Isa to Camooweal where we camped at the Billabong. The next day we drove through the Threeways, Tennant Creek, and set up camp at the Devils Marbles Campground. The next day we headed for Alice Springs where we and settled in for a few days.
Our next stop was at Glen Helen Gorge then on to Kings Canyon via the Mereenie Loop Road which was rough gravel and needed a permit for this part of the trip as it was on aboriginal land. From there it was on to Ayres Rock.
From the Rock we drove to the Stuart Highway back through Alice Springs to the Plenty Highway and planned to stop at Jervois Station overnight, however about 265 kilometres from Alice Springs on the dirt road, a bull appeared from nowhere running in the direction we were travelling. Suddenly, the bull was right in front of me. I applied the brakes and veered away at 45 degrees in an attempt to miss the bull but he heading towards our vehicle then BANG!! The bull hit our vehicle and was tossed into the air before landing and rolling under passenger rear wheel causing our vehicle jack-knife. Our Lotus Trooper held its ground and maintained its direction. As a result of our accident and vehicle jack-knife the Trooper draw bar was damaged along with the front tool box, gas bottles and the tow hitch broke in two.
Our family continued on to Winton for  the outback festival and we had the van trucked back to Alice. The car was driveable so we also headed for Alice. When repairs to the draw bar on the Trooper were complete and we headed home without any further problems. Complete repairs to car and van are currently underway. Click here to see more pictures of the Schramm's adventure.