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Australia

Prologue Visas Getting there Student Job
Living costs Sydney Travelling around Australia Deserts Epilogue
Strzelecki Desert

Crossing Strzelecki Desert with the cart

  

(English correction by Liam)

inhospitable terrainOne day I watched very inspiriting documentary movie and have read a book with the same title and author: "Alone Across Australia" by Jon Muir. He crossed a whole Australia from south to north without using any outside source of help, he even didn't use a existing track. Jon was completely self sufficient, he pulled a two-wheels cart behind him, learned how to find a water, what fruits he can gathering and how to prepare them to be eatable. He was hunting on the way, mostly on rabbits. Jon started his journey three times, twice the expedition falls due to the weather and equipment conditions. Finally he made it and took him four months to complete the route (his dog had been poisoned on the way) - I admire his challenge, he gave me an idea that everything is possible.

To cross the desert I need the wheel cart to pull. Research, collection of information, materials, etc. took me two years. Fortunately, I found helpful people - Kuba Postrzygacz advised me with the wheels, Lucas Trihey had already experience with an aluminium frame, Chris gave me a pipe something need to be fixedfrom his hang gliding, and Lynn Miller advised how to assemble all above (thanks guys). I wouldn't think that to walk through deserts you must have a lot technical knowledge. Theories of people who helped me, have often been contradictory and I had to make decisions without being sure whether that are right. But the key for successful trip is not so much on the construction of ideal cart, because that one does not exist, means lightweight, durable, reliable, etc., The point is to have a skills to repair the cart under all conditions, and even replacing some elements from what can be found on the way. Finally, the cart exceeded my financial budget, but you cannot resign from the dreams.

Finally I was ready in September 2008 on the western edge of the Strzelecki Desert. I began slowly, because the 150 kg of my cargo would not let me otherwise (cart, spare parts and tools - 40kg, water - 70kg, equipment and food - 40kg). I couldn't find a proper rhythm, because the wheels stacked in holes, gaps, shrubs etc. Sand formations, pinnacels, hills in any way reminded me the previous desert experience. That was cold night but I was sweating, and the irregular terrain forced me to walk in slalom, within 3 hours I made just 6 km in a crow fly. Until second day I went with a my backup team, those three friends would help if the cart does not work well. When they turned back, I was convicted at the mercy of nature. What I walked deeper in interior, started to form characteristic for Australia a long pattern of parallel sand dunes. Not without reason I walked at east direction, because from this side dunes are longer, but not as steep as from the opposite side. Anyway I had sometimes a big problem to climb to the top. between the dunesIf you think here is monotonous landscape, you are wrong. Vegetation and surface change very often. This is good because when I stacked in bushes labyrinth I was confident that this area will be over soon. Spinifex (spike grass), shrubs and dry sharp branches have been enemies for my wheels. I didn't manage without defects, but now I know that put the rubber lining inside the tire, using motorcycle thicker tire, and squeeze into them the liquid sealout were necessary. The most I liked the evenings, when after the 10-hour march came time to rest and cook a dinner. I usually cooked dried meals that contain a lot of nutritional value, especially dried meat and minerals. Sometimes I baked the bread in the fire. At mornings I add to my diet carbohydrates and protein supplements, and during the march I ate high energy bars, sport gels, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate etc, and drank a lot of water with powder to compensate electrolytes in my body.

In addition to the blister on my hill the new experience was to encounter with wild dingo dog. It was running around me nearly half an hour, definitely felt the food, but fortunately it wasn't aggressive. Just in case I was sleeping close to the fire. I have seen as well curious emus, shy kangaroos, scare rabbits, proud eagles, waiting for the opportunity vultures, impassive snakes standstill lizards. Every morning on the sand I have seen hundreds of new prints - wonders of nature, which are adapted to living in such extremely difficult conditions. Some of the animals are able to draw water from the food, other from the moisture air, some amphibians absorb it through the skin, again, other mammals are not sweating at all, or appear extremely dense uric acid. Here, even the plants put into the soil various toxins to get rid of competition, all in one goal - to survive in an environment where access to water is limited. I also saw the toll of drought: cows the last kilometersdied with stones in the mouth, the kangaroo skeleton with stuck leg in the fence wire from which it could not be released, hundreds of dead turtles on the bottom of the dry lake etc.

I crossed Strzelecki Desert in 6 days and completed 136 km. I was over-prepared and finished with 30 litres of water supply, also a lot of food remain. Although I eat well, somewhere along the way I lost 4kg of my weight. When I took off the harnesses for the last time, I was sad that's already over. I won't come here soon, but for sure I will come back to the desert, because I'm get an incurable disease of travel, with diagnose of red desertlixus.

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