Now you might have to make a difficult choice. In order to find the coast, you’d want to stick close to the river. But the salties can live over 500 feet from the edge of the river. So it’s either risk the crocs or risk losing your way. This area, though, should be safe because there are other animals here like the brolga, a type of crane as well as the iconic wallaby. But it’s just like that everything around here is quicker than me, is smarter than me, just better at surviving than me.
Forced back from the river by the salties, you’ll be at the mercy of the searing heat again. Signs ofcivilisation don’t always mean safety. And finding this fence will give you little comfort. Australia has some of the longest fences in the world. One is over 3,500 miles long. They are 700 miles wider than the U.S.A. The conditions here are really extreme. And it’s extraordinary that anything manages to survive. But those who do, like the Aborigines, have learned to adapt and to work with this unforgiving wilderness. And it’s only then can he hope to survive Australia’s great outback. What I’ve learnt out here is that the Aborigines really are the ultimate outbackdwellers. They are also the ultimate guardians of the land. And in so many ways it’s us that have so much to learn from their understanding of this great wilderness.
