Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Willard Watts takes us back in time to the 1960's Australian Outback. When Cattle Stations were beset by drought and hard times, Drovers became Drivers. Willard trades his saddle in for a Mack B61 road train, and starts doing the connecter run between the two Northern Territory railheads, of Alice Springs and Larrimah. He will be encounter many characters and challenges along the way. Some will prove a little more difficult than others.
Synopsis
Willard Watts walked off Ventura Station. He had carried his saddle for longer than he could remember. The last horse to carry it taken from him and turned loose the same day he was. He had wanted to shoot the horse, put her down rather than leave the mare to the ravages of the drought. But old man Moran told him winter was on it's way and may bring some winter rain along with it. He had been saying that for some time now. Winter had been and long gone as far as Willard knew. Rain had become as scarce as common sense around the station, Willard Watts reckoned. He closed the home gate to Ventura Station behind him, and swaggered out onto the Stuart Highway carrying his saddle and saddle bags, slung across his back. He looked to his right, nothing. Then, to his left, not a bloody thing for as far as his eyes could see, just the simmering horizon in either direction. Renner Springs Roadhouse was just down the road aways to the South. Willard set down in the middle of the road astride his horseless saddle. Pushed his long legs out in front of him, as he imagined he was waiting for the gates to spring open and he'd be released, and he'd try to stay on that bronco for a full eight-seconds. But, he just set there motionless and waited for something to show up.
Synopsis
Renner Springs Roadhouse was just down the road aways to the South. Willard set down in the middle of the road astride his horseless saddle and pushed his long legs out in front of him as if he was waiting for the gates to spring wide open. Then he would be released, and he'd try to stay on that bronco for a full eight seconds but he just set there motionless and waited for something to show up...
Synopsis
Willard Watts is a story set in the 1960s Australian outback when outback cattle stations were beset by drought and hard times, and drovers have to trade their saddles in for road-trains. Willard encounters many characters and challenges along the way. Some of them more difficult than others...
Synopsis
The story of Willard Watts is another one of the author's journeys into road trains, and road train driving in the 1960s landscape, of the Northern Territory of Australia. When the main Stuart Highway was no more than a narrow strip of sealed road, built courtesy of WW2 and the Australian Government at the time, who deemed the single strip of tarred road was needed to expedite the movement of troops and equipment between the Alice Springs railhead in the South, and the Darwin port to the North.
Synopsis
Willard Watts is a journey into road-train driving, and is set in the 1960s landscape of the Northern Territory, of Australia. Back when the main Stuart Highway was no more than a narrow strip of sealed bitumen road, built courtesy of the second world war, and the Australian Federal Government at the time, who deemed the single strip of tarred road necessary to expedite the movement of Australian troops, and equipment between the Alice Springs, railhead in the South, to the Port of Darwin in the North.
During the 1960s, in the Australian outback, northern cattle stations were beset by drought, and hard times, and many drovers, and cowboys had to turn their skills, and dogged hard work, driving cattle to that of driving trucks, for a living instead. Many men traded their horses in for road-trains.
Willard Watts will encounter many characters, and challenges along the way as he transitions from drover to driver.