Detours are a minor inconvenience for most motorists, but for one man it has resulted in a near-5,000 kilometre road trip past some of Australia's most iconic natural wonders.
Kununurra resident Chris English is currently taking a 64-hour scenic route from Broome to his home town in Western Australia's Kimberley region, via the Northern Territory.
That's because the most direct route between the two communities was cut off by the state's worst ever flood disaster earlier this month.
The normal drive between the two towns is typically only 11 hours, but by the time Mr English arrives in Kununurra, he would have likely spent six times that behind the wheel of his Nissan Patrol.
The ordeal started when Mr English and his wife went the other way — from Kununurra to Broome — to reunite with family in Perth over Christmas.
"We left the car [in Broome], flew down from Broome to Perth. Once we got to Perth, Cyclone Ellie did its little job and saturated the place, washed out the Great Northern Highway between Broome and Kununurra," he said.
"So yeah, the only way I can get my car home is doing the long way around."
Returning his car home via the Great Northern Highway would have been impossible, with authorities waiting until the wet season ends before starting repairs to the Fitzroy River Bridge.
"The wife wasn't keen on [the detour], she was worried in case something happened or whatnot," Mr English said.
"I think the more she realised how long it's going to take for them to get the roads back across the top there workable, well she then obviously realised the only way we'd get the car back is the long way around.
"She opted to take the short route, and that's fly from Perth to Kununurra."
Iconic scenery on display
Mr English, who spoke to the ABC during his stop over in Alice Springs, said he was averaging roughly 1,000 kilometres a day so far on his journey.
"You drive a hundred [kilometres] an hour for ten hours, it's easy done.
"I've always loved driving, so I find it easy to do."
His solo journey has taken him through the vast red expanse of Central Australia, and past some of the continent's most famous attractions.
"[Wednesday] night I stopped at Curtin Springs caravan park, this side of [Uluru]," he said.
Starting in Broome, Mr English drove south to Laverton, where he took the Great Central Road across the border into the Northern Territory, passing through Yulara and into Alice Springs.
From there, he will drive up the Stuart Highway, through the flood-hit community of Timber Creek and back across the WA border to Kununurra.
All up, that's a journey of 4,770 kilometres.
A seasoned outback driver, Mr English said he has taken extra precautions to ensure he arrives home safely.
"If you're going to do something like this and you're going through outback tracks … you've obviously got to make sure you've got enough food and water and fuel to last a few extra days," he said.
"In case you do get held up, there is a flood or there is a wash out or you've broken down."
Journey goes viral on social media
The enormity of the trek has not prevented Mr English from appreciating the journey.
That's in part thanks to thousands of people from around the globe flocking to his son Craig's Twitter page to live vicariously through his trip.
"Since my youngest son has put this on, what's it called, Twitter, and he wanted me to take as many photos as I can, I've been stop-starting and taking photos," he said.
"[The photos] originally started out for the family chat … and he decided to put it on Twitter."
"I've had a person from Melbourne ring me who works for the New York Times, wants an interview. It's just gone crazy."
Despite the global attention, Mr English said he won't be expecting much in the way of a welcoming home party once he trundles back into Kununurra.
"I'm just a basic bloke, I'll sit down and relax, have a couple of beers," he said.
"That'll be the way to finish it, for sure."
