to the vast emptiness of Patagonia and rugged terrain of Tierra del Fuego where he had recently been hiking. Rob and Hugo Ableford met in Australia five years earlier while bushwalking in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. Although not best friends they had a good personal rapport and shared a profound interest in Australia’s Aboriginal culture which transcended their age difference. Rob was thirty one and Hugo was sixty three.
“I’ve finally got that big trip to tell you about,” Hugo continued. “I’m taking a small group up the Tanami Track and into the Kimberley, then across to the Victoria River District in the Territory. We’ll record Rock Art, meet traditional owners, and be out bush for about a month. Are you still interested?”
A surge of adrenaline instantly transported Rob to the Outback’s rich red soil, endless wide horizons, and the vivid orange sunsets he loved so much. The spirit of that country meant everything to him. Painted and engraved figures on remote sandstone overhangs also flashed into mind, and he saw himself in the picture, reconnecting with Aboriginal culture.
“Yes! fantastic! Count me in!” Rob exclaimed. He was not going to miss this opportunity. “Give me the time and place and I’ll be there.”
“That’s great Rob, I knew you’d jump at the chance. We’re leaving from Alice Springs in sixteen days – that’s June 27th. I know it’s short notice, but I’ll email all details including where we’re staying in town. How’s that sound?”
“Perfect Hugo, absolutely perfect. Thanks a million. Seeya later. Bye.”
Rob was ecstatic. He felt like running around the apartment, but sat on the edge of the spa trying to gather his racing thoughts. He had been dreaming about this for a long, long time. Now the desire to be there felt urgent. His love for Australia and Aboriginal culture lay deep in his bones and a rare chance to see Rock Art ‘face to face’ ignited both heart and soul.
Rob was well aware that a trip like this was not for the faint-hearted and home comforts would be left behind. The expedition would go far beyond the remotest towns on the map, on rugged dirt tracks or no tracks at all. But that was mere detail. He loved the bush. He was used to roughing it like he had just done in southern Chile and Argentina. But it wasn’t really roughing it. He enjoyed sleeping under the stars, much more than sleeping for too long in a big city apartment.
The Australian adventurer often day-dreamed about the Outback, especially when late Winter winds chilled Manhattan to its architectural bones and the snow in street gutters was crunched and blackened by constant traffic. Those were the times when Rob floated over vast red-brown landscapes in the ‘hot-air balloon’ of his imagination, marvelling at Ayers Rock (Uluru) and The Olgas (Kata Tjuta), two of the earth’s most compelling natural cathedrals. Still thinking non-stop, he wrapped a thick white towel around his waist and hurried to the bedroom to get dressed.
Rob was living with Clara Beaumont whom he’d met in Miami, Florida after arriving from South America and accepting her invitation to “come visit”. His feelings for Clara had developed quickly and he wanted to explain why the trip was so important without feeling guilty. Leaving her for a while would be hard, but he could not possibly miss this journey.
Clara was 5 feet 8 inches tall with dark eyes and long, straight black hair. Her good looks and warm heart typified her part-Chilean heritage, she had just turned thirty, and worked as a graphic designer in an advertising agency. Clara also freelanced her skills, completing projects for private clients, and rented the fifth floor apartment with the spa bath in midtown Manhattan.
Rob picked up the phone again and pressed a well-used contact.
“Hello sweetheart. Hope your work’s going well.”
“Yes honey, I’m busy but it sure is,” Clara replied.
“Listen, I’ve just had a call from Hugo, an old friend, and he’s invited me back home to join an Aboriginal Rock Art expedition.”
Rob heard Clara catch her breath as he continued. “I’ve got to meet them in Alice Springs in two weeks.” Sensing Clara’s anxiety he quickly added, “The expedition’s for four weeks and I’ll take a few days to catch up with old mates. I’ll be back in five weeks. It’ll go really fast.”
On the other end of the phone Clara was not convinced, but knew this was what Rob had been hoping for. “I’ve been dreading this call and I’ll miss you the whole time, but I know this is important to you. I can’t talk now honey. Let’s talk about it properly tonight,” she added affectionately.
“Okay, let’s do that. See you later. Love you.” Rob ended the call and took a deep breath, relieved that he had contacted Clara. He felt she did understand his desire to go, and would reluctantly give her blessing, and he admired her for that.
* * *
The thrilling long-distance call from Hugo reinvigorated Rob’s spirit. Years of imagining himself back in the Outback must have resonated in the Cosmos, and now the Universe had delivered.
Born in coastal Wollongong south of Sydney, Rob’s curious spirit compelled him to travel after completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in which he majored in Oceania Anthropology. During 1991 he made the epic 3,000km train journey from Sydney to Perth on the “Indian-Pacific”, and explored Central Australia on a coach camping trip, his first in-depth experience of the Outback. Rob was inspired by the landscape’s raw, diverse beauty and the beliefs and stories of Aboriginal people. He felt connected spiritually to those worlds and knew he would return one day.
Rob was 6 feet 3 inches tall with broad shoulders and sandy-coloured hair, the product of an English-Scandinavian heritage. At university he won medals in Athletics and his stamina was a bonus when hiking in challenging conditions. His fascination with different cultures, customs and languages had taken him to many parts of the world. He made London home for a couple of years, working in various jobs and visiting regional museums, including the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, to view Aboriginal collections. It was surprising to him that so much material from Australia was hidden away in institutions, most not even having enough staff to catalogue the stored artefacts. Why don’t they send some of these precious items back to Australian Museums and Aboriginal Cultural Centres, he thought to himself at the time.
* * *
Aboriginal culture and its expressions in art, ceremony and daily life embrace the entire natural world, including stars and planets. Hundreds of clans speaking their own traditional languages occupied diverse climatic regions throughout Australia and adapted successfully. Across the Outback, where Winter temperatures can range from below freezing to 30 degrees Celsius in the same day, Rob would feel at home again. He had a keen interest in the links between Aboriginal life and the Cosmos, a perfect theme to pursue under Australia’s diamond-studded skies.
Rob could now give his imagination wings and explore canvasses of sky and earth called home by Aboriginal clans. He would walk the same country and feel the vibrations of Ancestors peering out from their resting places in the landscape. He would learn about Songlines, see where the Rainbow Serpent travelled, and watch stars and constellations sparkle into life as day turned into night.
Rob was totally thrilled. He had been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help record the oldest art in the world, and as a result learn more about culture from local Aboriginal people he would meet in remote communities. The Universe had heard his heart calling.
* * *
Over the next week Rob prioritised his list of tasks. He first completed his bookings on American Airlines to Los Angeles and Qantas to
