Outback Trip - March and April 2008

Well, I’ll be heading on another outback trip in the footsteps of the great explorer, John McDouall Stuart, in a few days.

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Swinden’s Crossing at the southern tip of Lake Torrens. This is where I’ll pick up Stuart’s track and follow his next ten days travel and exploration.

The plan is to pick up Stuart’s route at Swinden’s Crossing at the southern tip of Lake Torrens in South Australia.

Then visit Beda Waterhole, which I understand has caved in and filled with silt. From there I’ll travel up Beda Creek in an attempt to identify the site of Babbage’s depot, visited by Mr Forster, Stuart’s traveling companion.

From there to Pernatty Waterhole, Stuart’s route is rather uncertain, but I believe that my study of his journal and the journal of Mr Babbage makes it fairly clear, within reasonable bounds.

Stuart followed the supply track made by Babbage. North west, past Beda Arm, then north along the present road, swinging north west at or before Willow Creek. North west with the road and then west toward the Elizabeth. Persuaded by his Aboriginal guide, Stuart opted to then swing abruptly north to Pernatty Waterhole on the basis of a misunderstanding about correct, native place names.

From there, Stuart went to Bottle Hill, Elizabeth Creek at Mohomet’s Dam and then toward Arcoona Lake, changing course from north west to north, perhaps because of the heavy sand dunes.

The site of Stuart’s next camp is not certain but it was in a sandhill, somewhere near Hardy’s Dam. I hope to positively identify the next camp at a waterhole, near Tod Ridge Well which is a few km south of Andamooka Homestead.

Stuart’s next camp was at Andamooka Waterhole and from there the route is generally north to Trig Waterhole, near the present day Chimney Hole Dam, east of the town of Andamooka.

Well, in simple terms, that’s my trip.

The aim of the trip is twofold:

• Follow Stuart.
• Photograph the landscape.

Follow John McDouall Stuart
Identify Stuart’s route and camping spots, camp where Stuart camped, make a cuppa billy tea from the waterholes that the great explorer used and document, in photo journalistic style, the country and my experiences.

Photograph the Landscape
It’s hard country, even in modern times. The landscape cries out to me to be captured graphically. The harsh and resilient nature of the country tells my story as I tell it’s story. The landscape and I interact as we share our common experience with the viewer of the resultant images.