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Readying to leave Darwin Coach Terminal for the long drive south to Alice Springs - with onward connections to Ayres Rock and Adelaide - is 911 (305CYQ). The unusual low slung driving position is a feature of the Australian-built Austral Highdeck HD1 coachwork.
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The rear view of 911 showing the baggage trailer often towed by Greyhound-Pioneer coaches. The company carries a lot of vital freight, including post and newspapers on its trunk routes through remote communities all over the country.
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Also heading out of Darwin is this Scania K113TR, 532 (TC3798) bound on the other trunk route from the city, first west and then south to Perth. Few cities of any size are to be encountered on this route, though it provides access to the Bungle Bungles and Monkey Mia on route, serves the mining areas of Port Hedland and Damper and the holiday centre of Broome. The Austral Denning Majestic bodied coach saw further service with Australian Coach Travel in Melbourne as 120 (1222AC), then Northern Buslines as 53 (0992AO), and with the same identity on to Cranbourne Transit.
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Not immediately obvious as a Greyhound Pioneer trans-Australia vehicle, and it isn't. However Greyhound Pioneer had developed special tourist services at reasonable fares in prime tourist locations and a local Darwin outfit has stuck some G-P stickers on this Nissan Civilian and provides 1-3 day tours of Kakadu and Lichfield. A similar operation went north from Cairns into the 4-wheel drive territory of Cape York, Queensland peninsula.
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