Hello, and welcome to Ghost. Today's episode is titled The Ghost of the
Outback Highway down Under. In the heart of the Australian Outback, where the
red earth stretches as far as the eye can see, there's a ghost that
haunts the lonely highways and forgotten tracks. They call him out Back Jack,
a wise, cracking American who got lost in the vastness of the desert,
never to return. But before Jack became a restless spirit, he was just
a wanderer, a free spirited man with a love for adventure. Born and
raised in the heartland of the USA, he had a spirit as untamed as
the wild Frontier. Jack had seen it all, from the neon lights of
Vegas to the dusty bars of the Texas Plains. One fateful day, fueled
by wanderlust and a desire for the unknown, Jack set his sights on Australia.
He heard tales of the untamed beauty of the outback, of the endless
horizons, and the rugged charm of the land down Under, And so he
packed his bags, set his goodbyes, and boarded a plain bound for the
land of kangaroos and koalas. Australia welcomed Jack with open arms, and he
wasted no time exploring its vast and wild landscapes, from the bustling streets of
Sydney to the remote towns of the Outback. Jack soaked in the unique beauty
of the land and its people. But it was the desert that truly called
to him. The endless red sands, the star studded night skies, and
the silence that seemed to stretch on forever. Jack longed to experience the true
heart of Australia, to traverse its dusty highways and forgotten tracks. Sunny morning,
with a beat up old car and a map in hand, Jack set
out on his journey through the Outback. He had heard stories of the infamous
Outback Highway, a route that wound its way through the remote and unforgiving wilderness.
Jack was undeterred, his spirit aflame with the thrill of adventure. As
he ventured deeper into the desert, the landscape became more unforgiving, the sun
scorching and relentless, but Jack pushed on the wind in his hair and the
open road stretching out before him. Days turned into weeks, and Jack's supplies
began to dwindle. He relied on the kindness of strangers he met along the
way, sharing stories and laughter under the vast outback sky. But the desert
was unforgiving and water became scarce. It was on a scorching summer's day the
tragedy struck. Jack's car broke down in the middle of nowhere, the engines
sputtering and smoking, with no way to call for help, and his water
supplied dwindling, he knew he was in trouble. Jack's situation grew dire.
He struggled to survive in the harsh desert, the sun beating down mercilessly.
He tried to ration his remaining water, but it was a losing battle.
One night, as the stars shone brightly overhead, Jack made a decision.
With his last bit of strength, He set out on foot, hoping to
find help or civilization. But the desert was relentless and Jack's strength waned with
each step. Days turned into weeks, and Jack's footsteps became slower and more
uncertain. He stumbled through the endless expanse of sand and sun, his throat
parched and his body weakened. He knew he was facing the inevitable. It
was on a desolate stretch of the Outback Highway that Jack finally succumbed to the
unforgiving wilderness. His body gave out and he collapsed in the red sands,
his final breath escaping into the arid air, and so Outback Jack met his
untimely demise in the heart of the Australian desert, a world away from the
land he had called home. His spirit, however, was not ready to
move on. His restless soul remained trapped in the Outback forever, haunting the
highways and tracks he had once traversed. In the years that followed, travelers
on the Outback Highway would tell tales of a ghostly figure, a wise Cracking,
a American who appeared in the dead of night, thumbing for a ride
on the dusty roads. Some claimed to have picked him up, only for
him to vanish into thin air. Jack's spirit was a mischievous one, known
for playing pranks on those who ventured into the desert. He would whisper in
the wind send shadows, dancing across the sand, and make car engines sputter
and stall. But beneath the wise cracks and mischief there was a sense of
loneliness in outback Jack's haunting. He was a lost soul, forever searching for
something he could never find. And so, on a moonless night in the
heart of the Australian Outback, outback Jack's ghostly figure appeared once more. He
stood on the side of the dusty highway, his cowboy hat tipped low over
his eyes and a wry smile on his lips. As a lone traveler approached
in a beat up old car, outback Jack extended his thumb, the wind
whispering through the desert. The car slowed to a stop and the driver rolled
down the window, a look of surprise on their face. Nita ride mate,
the driver asked, their voice trembling, out back Jack chuckled, his
voice echoing in the stillness of the desert, you could say that, partner,
I've been waiting a long time. And with that, outback Jack climbed
into the car, his ghostly presence a flicker in the darkness. As the
car drove off into the night, the spirit of the wise cracking American was
once again on the move, forever traversing the lonely highways of the Australian outback,
a lost soul in search of something he could never find. Ghost is
a Calaogus Shark Media production, written and hosted by Aidan I Flanagan, produced
by Mark Francis. Executive producers John McDermott and Mark Francis