In 1984, Australian explorer Denis Bartell walked 390km from west to east across the Simpson Desert in a three-week solo journey with no backup vehicles. Bartell had already crossed the desert more than 30 times in four-wheel-drive vehicles and studied the records of earlier explorers before making the journey on foot. His route took him across the desert’s red interior, where he followed the history of exploration associated with figures including John McDouall Stuart, Burke and Wills, and David Lindsay. A year later, Bartell began his 2,500km Gulf to Gulf Odyssey from Burketown to Adelaide, travelling alone across Australia and again crossing the Simpson Desert.
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