Tarantula Gully

Tarantula Gully – A Fair Dinkum Outback Nightmare

There’s no shortage of bonkers critters in the Aussie Outback, and in September 2011, Shannon Jones found himself smack in the middle of a hairy situation—literally. He’d set off on an expedition to South Australia with his mates, Billo and Coops, chasing whispers of the lost Mount Boppy gold mine. The sun was cookin’ the red dirt like a barbie plate, and the lads were soaked through, lugging extra water to keep from keeling over.

As they trudged through the bush, Coops looked over, sweat dripping from his brow. “Oi Shannon, my phone’s got no bloody signal. How are we gonna find our way back?” But Shannon, ever the tech wizard, didn’t bat an eyelid. “No dramas, mate,” he said, cracking a grin. “We’ll rig up a booster with this old hubcap and a bit of foil.” In true MacGyver fashion, Shannon whacked together a makeshift antenna, boosting the signal just enough to get their GPS humming again.

They pressed on into a narrow gully when Billo suddenly let out a screech that’d wake a dead roo. “SPIDERS! Big bloody ones!” he hollered. They spun around to see the place crawling with massive tarantulas—eight-legged units the size of footies, closing in quick. “Single file, move it!” Shannon barked, taking the lead and legging it through the gully. The lads bolted after him, dodging fangs and webs as they scrambled to the other side.

As they cleared the gully, gasping for air and flicking off the last of the hangers-on, they stumbled into an open clearing... and there it was. The Mount Boppy gold mine. “We’ve found it!” Billo shouted, still brushing spider legs off his shorts. Excited, they approached the entrance. “Let’s head in,” Coops said. Shannon raised an eyebrow. “Right... who’s got the torches?” They all froze. Silence.

Billo’s face went red. “Uhh... I was meant to pack ‘em, wasn’t I?”
“Can’t go spelunking in a dodgy old mine without a light, mate,” Coops muttered.

With no choice, they fired up the DIY GPS again and found their way back through what they now called Tarantula Gully. Once at the ute, Billo flung open the back and grinned sheepishly. “Found the torches!” The three just looked at each other. No words needed. They knew they’d be back—next time, with torches and spider repellent.