My guest is Sophie Matterson. In 2019 Sophie's desire for a different kind of life led her to set an audacious goal – to walk across the width of Australia, covering an astounding 5000 kilometres, from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Byron Bay in New South Wales.
Sophie was joined on this journey by her five camels, and together they faced life-and-death situations, braved harsh weather conditions, and overcame the challenges of solitude and going weeks without encountering another soul.
Sophie's journey was not just about conquering the physical terrain; it was also a quest for self-discovery and personal growth which she captures in her memoir “The Crossing”. Today Sophie shares with me the highs and lows, the challenges, and the moments of sheer wonder that defined her year-long odyssey.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:02:10 Interview start
0:03:29 First seeing camels
0:09:18 Living interstate and internationally
0:14:33 Australian outback
0:23:18 Uluru
0:26:52 The camel ride
0:30:02 Working with camels
0:35:22 Mustering camels
0:41:09 Camels taking off on you
0:44:47 Adversity
0:50:46 The Outback night sky
0:56:10 Personal safety
1:01:02 Reaching the Pacific Ocean destination
1:08:41 Decision making