ROBYN DAVIDSON

I TRY NOT to compare Robyn Davidson’s famed camel trip in the 1970s with my own: they’re different journeys undertaken for different personal reasons. But because of their obvious similarities – camels and the outback – it’s hard not to think of what Robyn’s experience might have been more than 40 years ago. I never sought to emulate her trip. For me, the pure love of camels was reason enough to do the trek. But I can’t deny that her book was an inspiration in the sense that it was about a woman taking on a solo adventure. She was a pioneer for her time and I often think of the added hardships she faced with less advanced technology for navigation and safety. But for me the downside of doing this trip in 2020 is the larger population in Australia, which has meant more development, more fences and more red tape.