A LINE IN THE SAND
July 1st, 2010
I distinctly remember as a child getting a copy of the Guinness Book Of World Records as a birthday gift – it was high on my list of ‘had to haves’.
After I hastily ripped the wrapping paper off what I hoped would be my new prized possession, my anticipation was rewarded. I’d seen a copy at a friend’s house and knew that you could find cool stuff by simply closing your eyes, flipping the pages, stopping at random and pointing with your finger somewhere on either page. The result was always, “I didn’t know that.” Usually followed by, “Cool!”
That day I closed my eyes, flipped the pages, stopped near the middle of the book and pointed:
The longest straight stretch of railway line in the world is on the Nullarbor Plain in Australia. It runs between the tiny settlement of Ooldea, South Australia and a remote siding in Loongana, Western Australia for 297 miles (478 kilometres) dead straight!”
I didn’t know that. And it’s still ‘cool’!
Grant Willis, who lives in South Australia, thinks so too. But he’s had a unique perspective on this transportation anomaly. HE’S DRIVEN IT! I’m jealous.
[REW]
July 18th, 2010 at 4:15 am
It certainly was a fun trip to do! I think it took us 4 days from Adelaide to Kalgoorlie, stopping at Glendambo, Barton and Forrest along the way. The result of the journey is that there is now continuous Telstra cellular phone coverage from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean across >4000km of the continent, with a big part (1600km approx) the direct result of that scouting trip I did in 2007.
Just one of many examples of the interesting things you can get to do as a telecommunications design engineer.
Glad you enjoyed the film as much as I did making it!