Goog’s Track

Cresting endless dunes on a push to the red center of Australia

In 1973, an Australian outback farmer by the name of John ‘Goog’ Denton came up with the idea to cut a track directly north from his cattle station in South Australia towards the middle of Australia through rough Aussie scrub and sand dunes. With an idea like that It would be easy to assume Goog was a bit crazy, though probably not the case. Most likely, he was an ambitious guy who loved a good challenge, and from all accounts, he faced that challenge with a huge smile and plenty of laughs.

The record states he took on this task in search of better grazing land for his cattle, though it’s more likely he was just looking to have some fun and adventure. Years of Aussie sun probably had cooked his brain a little, but it’s probably best to overlook that as the normal kind of Aussie crazy. Without any help from the government or military, Goog and his family slowly pushed a track through the scrub and sand using whatever old machinery they could scrape together.

Fifty Years Strong

Now, almost fifty years later the original unmaintained single track remains as a primitive route through the scrubby bush. Famously, as it moves directly north, the track climbs up and over 363 bright red sand dunes. After exploring the Victorian High Country and Tasmania in my Gladiator I’m feeling more confident with the setup every day. Goog’s Track feels like the perfect opportunity for remote exploration where I can put all systems to the test in preparation for much more remote desert travel to come.

Goog’s Track

Arriving in the small beachside town of Ceduna in South Australia, I’m more than a little disoriented to realize I’ve driven halfway across this massive continent. Looking west, a huge road sign announces I still need to drive 1250 miles to Perth, while facing east an equally large sign shows there are 1250 miles to Sydney on the east coast. While Perth is in the plan on this tour, it will be many, many months before I venture further west than I am now.

Goog and his family faced numerous challenges as they slogged away building the track. From drought to bushfires and worn out machinery to the relentless heat, they had an impossibly hard time of it.

In Ceduna, I fill both the main and auxiliary fuel tanks to the brim, and get some friendly ribbing at the gas station from a Land Cruiser owner who thinks the Jeep won’t be able to handle the soft sand on Goog’s. After many months in Australia, I’m getting the hang of this, and as usual, I will let the Jeep do the talking.

On the Track

Setting out late in the afternoon, Katie and I air down to 16psi soon after turning off the huge east-west highway. At these pressures the tires will have a much larger contact patch giving much more grip in the soft sand. If needed I can go much lower, though I’ll start with this and see just how soft the sand gets. I also attach a sand flag to the roof rack to make the Jeep more visible to oncoming vehicles, and I will drive with my headlights on at all times.

Over the years there have been some horrific crashes when two vehicles meet on top of a large dune, both aggressively climbing at speed and unable to see each other until the last second. Combined with frequent location call-outs over our CB radio, the tall and bright sand flag is a last line of defense to avoid the worst case scenario with any oncoming vehicles.

“…we completed the track in just a couple of days, and I’m ashamed to say we had the air conditioner running most of the time.”

Steady Progress

The first track is dusty and corrugated as it meanders past cattle stations and eucalyptus trees huddled together, looking as if they’e trying to conserve water. With the stations fading in the rearview mirror, we pass through the enormous dog fence that runs east to west for many thousands of miles. Packing a punch of 6000 volts and buried into the ground, this fence is an attempt to stop the enormous plagues of rabbits, dingos and wild cats from roaming freely. Though I usually like to test electric fences, I think it’s wise to leave this one alone.

In the first hours, the track passes over only a handful of smaller bright red dunes that are straightforward to climb. Nothing presents a problem, and we make slow and steady progress until reaching camp just before dark.

Goog’s Lake

Goog’s Lake is an enormous salt pan that goes with the Australian definition of “lake” — meaning it rarely contains water. While cooking a huge feast of burgers and salad for dinner, we’re treated to an impressive display of heat lightning far to the south as the rainstorms that have ravaged Australia continue their endless assault. All day I’ve been shocked by how green the desert is, a clear indication of the recent heavy rainfalls and flooding experienced across much of Australia.

Let the Dunes Begin

In the morning we’re on the track for only thiry minutes before we start contending with the endless dunes that define this track. The massive dunes running east to west across the track are the only feature in the otherwise flat landscape, and they stretch into the distance like an endless procession of ocean swell rolling towards shore. Because the dunes run east to west for hundreds of miles and we’re driving north, we must climb directly up and over every single one; there really is no other option. The dunes come thick and fast, usually with only a couple of hundred yards rest between each.

Without any help from the government or military, Goog and his family slowly pushed a track through the scrub and sand using whatever old machinery they could scrape together.

Shifting Sands

After the first fifty or so, I start to sense a pattern in the ever shifting sand. Roughly speaking, there appears to be about ten or fifteen smaller dunes that slowly build in height until we reach a much taller dune from the top of which we’re treated to stunning views over the harsh landscape that stretches to the horizon all around. These larger dunes are much softer, and because we’re the first vehicle of the day, the top is a mound of soft sand that has blown in overnight.

The climb up the face of these dunes is often rutted and lumpy, thanks to other vehicles struggling and digging holes with plenty of wheel spin. Towing a trailer is not recommended on this track, though plenty of people still do it. This results in plenty of wheel spin while sinking into the sand, leaving the face of the biggest and softest dunes badly churned up.

Native Wildlife

Moving north we catch the occasional glimpse of Emus darting away, which move extremely quick through the scrub and small trees. These flightless birds are the Australian native equivalent of an ostrich, and camouflage perfectly in the Aussie bush. We also spot plenty of wild camel tracks in the soft sand, leaving no doubt they use the track to move around, though we never actually see one. As the day wears on we spot hundreds and hundreds of Golden Orb Spiders building enormous webs that are often more than ten feet across. Apparently, they’re doing great in the wetter than usual conditions, and many are nearly as big as my hand across. Though they are not considered toxic to humans, I always prefer to give anything that creeps or crawls a wide berth in the land downunder.

Goog

Born in 1938, Stanley Gilbert John ‘Goog’ Denton left school at age 12 to work with his Dad on the family farm in South Australia. According to his wife Jenny, the nickname ‘Goog’ was given to him early in life as a result of him selling eggs for his Mum. Aussie slang being what it is, ‘Goog’ actually means ‘egg’.

“Towing a trailer is not recommended on this track, though plenty of people still do it.”

Soon after tying the knot, Goog and Jenny moved to a property north of Ceduna, which they named “Lone Oak”. The property was originally 5,800 acres of scrub just north of the dog fence with thick bush and sandhills extending north to the east-west railway line, 125 miles away. Together they built a family home on the property and over the next five years their three children were born.

Eventually curiosity got the better of Goog and he came up with the crazy idea to push a track northward. Starting in 1973 the track inched forward, with Goog and the whole family moving forward however they could. Often friends and other local famers pitched in to help, and it was all hands on deck. A grader was eventually purchased and at times a bulldozer was used to get through the most difficult areas.

Endless waves of sand

Goog and his family faced numerous challenges as they slogged away building the track. From drought to bushfires and worn out machinery to the relentless heat, they had an impossibly hard time of it. Without a breath of wind, temperatures here can push towards 120°F in the summer. For that reason it is strongly advised not to drive the track during the Australian summer.

Though the dunes are an endless challenge, the Gladiator has absolutely no problem moving forward thanks to the low tire pressures. Even when we stop part way up a dune to take photos, we never have a problem resuming the climb from a complete standstill without any wheel spin at all.

As we climb up and over hundreds of dunes, I begin to feel a kind of monotony mixed with sea sickness, and I feel a little like a cork being tossed around on a huge ocean swell. For hour after hour, we continue north in the same fashion before stopping under a scrawny gum tree in an attempt to find some shade for lunch.

Up at Mount Finke

Late in the afternoon we roll into camp at Mount Finke, the only feature on the landscape for hundreds of miles in any direction. We haven’t seen a vehicle or heard anything on the radio for the entire day, and we’re a little shocked to see other people at camp. They’re moving south, and they confirm they have heard us calling on the radio for the last 12 miles as we slowly got closer. After a day without hearing a single crackle, it’s reassuring to know our radio is working just fine.

In the morning we rise early and hike to the top of the rocky mountain to catch a stunning red sunrise that stretches far across the landscape. With the sun low on the horizon the waves of sand are clear to see, and it’s humbling to realize we’ve only crossed a few hundred of the many, many thousand that stretch as far as the eye can see.

A Track to Remember

It took Goog and his family three long years battling the scrub and sand dunes to realize his dream and complete the track. The Australian outback is not a friendly or forgiving place, and completing this track took an unimaginable amount of hard work and perseverance.
In stark contrast we completed the track in just a couple of days, and I’m ashamed to say we had the air conditioner running most of the time.
While his track and legacy live on, Goog sadly passed away in an accident near the track in 1996. After visiting the memorial constructed near his namesake lake, I spent many hours thinking about Goog and his Herculean effort against all odds.

I like to think he still gets a laugh about all the people driving his track 50 years after his incredible achievement.

Join Dan’s ongoing adventures on YouTube and Instagram @TheRoadChoseMe.
If you would like to learn more, Goog’s wife Jenny has written an excellent account of their lives and adventures building the track, called ‘Memories of Pushing Goog’s Track,’ available at googstrack.com

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the Jan/Feb 2023 issue of Tread Magazine.