School’s just a hop, skip and five day journey away

As messy as the start of this school year is proving to be, spare a thought for Pembroke boarder Lex Playford, who is on a four-day journey from remote SA.

As messy as the start of this school year is proving to be for everyone, spare a thought for Pembroke boarder Lex Playford, who is on a four-day journey from remote South Australia back to Adelaide.

The trip would normally take 12 hours by car.

Lex and his parents, Annemarie van Doorn and Luke Playford, relocated to Kalamurina Wildlife Sanctuary, north of Lake Eyre, from Arnhem Land six months ago, to manage the 679,000ha property on behalf of Australian Wildlife Conservancy.

In recent weeks, unseasonal wet weather has wreaked havoc on the area, with Kalamurina receiving 98mm of much-needed rain over 12 days.

“Two weeks ago we had a dust storm and now we’ve pretty much got a waterfront house,” Ms van Doorn said.

“The claypans that surround the house have turned into lakes so we can’t actually get to our front gate at the moment.”

The weather has caused the Birdsville Track to close, essentially shutting Lex, 16, and his family off from the rest of the world, which has resulted in the family going to extreme lengths to get him back to school.

Pembroke student Lex Playford who will spend five days getting back to Adelaide from Kalamurina due to recent rains. The journey usually takes 12 hours.

On Saturday, the year 11 student boarded a chartered helicopter to Mungerannie Station and then a small chartered plane to Marree Hotel, where he will spend three nights. He will then take another private chartered plane to Adelaide where his extended family will pick him up before he starts the 2022 school year on Wednesday.

“I’ve never been able to go in a helicopter so that will be pretty cool,” Lex said.

“But I am looking forward to getting back to school and seeing everyone again after being away.”

For the van Doorn-Playfords, the journey is all part of living in such a remote part of South Australia.

“Usually, the truck with all our food supplies drives up once a fortnight and delivers to the Mungerannie Hotel, which is an hour each way for us, and we pick up our food order from there. But it’s been a month since our last food order now and the track is closed,” Ms van Doorn said.

“You know you could get flooded in living out here and you are well prepared.

“It’s just the price you pay for living out in this beautiful part of Australia.

“I don’t think people living in the city really have a concept of what it’s like out here.

“My brother-in-law asked me what flight number Lex was on.”

Following his schooling, Lex said he wanted to work in land conservation.

“Seeing everything you see out here is really a great way of learning very quickly, so I’d love to be able to do something in that area one day,” he said.