DESERT EXPLORATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 October 1939, Page 6

DESERT EXPLORATION

. SWITCHBACK JOURNEY ACROSS UNKNOWN AREA. A switchback journey over 300 miles has been accomplished by a party of explorers in the heart of Australia. In a little over a month these adventurers, led by Dr Cecil Madigan, the Rhodes Scholar of South Australia who has already explored so much of the unknown territory on the north of his native State, has travelled on camels across Simpson Desert. This uninhabited area lies to the north of Lake Eyre and extends east of the railways to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory and into the southeastern corner of Queensland. The chief feature of the desert proved to be its succession of sandhills, 706 having been crossed, many over 50 feet high. Another’ feature, which must have interested Dr Madigan as geologist of Adelaide University, was a series of gypsum clay-pans filled with water and resembling giant milkpans. One other discovery was big enough to place 'on the map, a deep lake half a mile long near the Queensland boundary, the home of swans and ducks.

This expedition was fortunate in its weather (though it held them up), for it was made in the rare rains which come to this dry region. The camels especially welcomed thorn, for (probably bored by the everlasting sandhills) they refused to eat dry food.

Ono of the invaluable aids to this expedition was its portable wireloss, the transmitter being worked by a pedal apparatus. Messages wore sent daily.