When I decided to start my trade experiment in Australia I wasn’t only thinking about the tropical surf beaches and national parks along the coast. I imagined visiting the Outback, and dreamt of empty spaces and otherworldly landscapes. After arriving and finding out more about how everyone here lived, my curiosity grew given the fact that most of the population is concentrated in cities along a coast, while just a few big towns (mostly close to copper or opal mines) and small settlements prevail in the interior. I also had a returning question, after meeting many Australians of many backgrounds and visiting the Immigration museum in Melbourne: where are the native Australians, the Aboriginal communities? I thought perhaps this wealthy country would have a different face in the Outback, far from these cities. So it did…
Driving from Adelaide to the Flinders Ranges and up the Stuart Highway to opal mining town Coober Pedy, there where endless roads merging with the horizon, empty spaces and colourful deserts. Struggling with mind-melting heat and swarms of flies in one of the harshest environments of the planet wasn’t just plain fun but a real experience. I found places to contemplate with sunsets and starlit skies that just may be some of the best I have ever seen. Still, more questions about the real owners of the land came up and I decided to dedicate an article to my observations, soon to be published here.
