OUTBACK ODYSSEY

THE Eastern Goldfields, 550km to the east of Perth, is isolated, harsh and dry with a small number of reliable and permanent sources of water. Over millennia, the traditional Aboriginal people of the region survived because of their knowledge of the land. They moved around the country crisscrossing between gnammas (rock holes) and lakes where they would find food and water, and camp for a few nights.

Early prospectors who travelled to the region in the massive gold rush of the 1890s frequently failed in their endeavours because of their cumbersome camp equipment, and their lack of knowledge about the terrain and location of water. Many carried their worldly possessions in heavy, wooden long-handled wheelbarrows pushing their swags and gold pans along little more than dirt and sand tracks.

I need to be totally self-sufficient on my solo trek, so I opt to use ‘Wheelie’, a contemporary lightweight and robust walking trailer which is initially loaded with 37kg of gear, food and