The human mind, and those random people it incites to
attempt the most difficult journeys, is one of the most amazing aspects of
life. Climbing the world’s highest
mountains, surfing the biggest waves, trekking to the poles, and numerous other
determination-requisite quests make humanity what it is, as much as war and
disease. Robyn Davidson possesses a
brain with such ambition, and her 1980 Tracks
is the open, inspirational record.
An Australian and lover of her country’s desert lands, in the late 1970s Davidson set out to the interior of Australia with $6 in her pocket and the desire to work with camels such that she might fulfill her dream of travelling from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean by camel. Two years later a handler of the eccentric humped back animals, she was still unable to meet the financial requirements of outfitting a solo expedition. But after applying for support from National Geographic, Davidson was on her way, four camels and a trusty dog at her side.
