Noah’s ark on wheels

A passion for helping animals prompted Gill Wheadon and Kye Crow to walk across Central Australia in search of a bigger property.

Story By Allan Nixon

Not many people are prepared to give up the security of town life, sell their house, have seven garage sales to get rid of their personal possessions, say goodbye to friends and head off into the Australian outback. But that’s just what Gill Wheadon and Kye Crow decided to do. The couple helps old, abused and abandoned animals, none of which are ever refused assistance. They found that their two-hectare property in Alice Springs, NT, was just too small so they decided to look for land measuring at least 400ha with its own water supply. When nothing was available close by, they expanded their search – with the animals in tow.
Gill began by gathering bits and pieces to build a gypsy-style caravan for the couple to take with them. “I had a vision of what I wanted to build; no plans; I just built it,” he says. “It was a 12-month project, building mainly from scrap from wrecks I found in the bush, stuff from the tip and backyards all over town. I taught myself to weld.”
The result was a Noah’s ark on wheels-type home, using camels to tow it. “We had no experience with camels – we just bought two and walked them 90 kilometres back to Alice, and then I bought a book on how to work camels,” Gill says. “A mate had camels so he taught me some stuff as well.”