Tracks, a film directed by John Curran

When Robyn Davidson decided to trek across the Australian outback, she had no plans for publicity, shunned photography and certainly hadn’t any thoughts about magazine articles or books, to say nothing of movies. She just wanted to be alone in the outback, with camels. There was some family history: an explorer father who disappeared and a tragedy involving her mother, so I guess what she wanted to do was to lose herself, so as to find herself, so to speak.

The problem was she needed funds. A photo-journalist came up with the sponsorship idea and the National Geographic were keen, so soon it was game on. Robyn began her nine-month journey with four camels and her dog, with photographer Rick Smolan turning up from time to time to take pictures.

Our family happened to subscribe to the National Geographic at the time the 1978 article appeared, and as a teenager, I was inspired. I didn’t take up camel trekking though, but I did go on to have a fascination with sandy places, and devoured P C Wren’s Beau Geste trilogy. So when the movie came out I was always going to be interested.

Mia Wasikowska playing Robyn Davidson gives an amazing performance, capturing a character who is both unwavering and vulnerable. The movie takes you from Robyn's first encounters with camels – she spent two years working with camel trainers – to her destination at the Indian Ocean. I was amazed at how natural Wasikowska was with the camels, which let’s face it, must have taken some doing, as well as how well the film looked. It really captured the images of the magazine article, pictures I still remember all these years later.

Of course the other star is the Australian outback, with its big skies and blazing colours, the hardy characters in rough outback settlements and the amazing Aborigine people who understand the landscape so well. It’s a terrific film, I can’t recommend it enough. The library also has the film's accompanying book, Inside Tracks, (pictured) as well as Davidson's own book based on her adventure.

Posted by JAM

Catalogue links:
Tracks 
Inside Tracks
Tracks by Robyn Davidson