Andrew Harper

Expedition completed!

reconnxpedition2012 reached the Birdsville Hotel on Friday September 7th. 

You can read about the journey at http://reconnxpedition2012.wordpress.com/

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A great success!

THANKYOU to the 50+ Connectors who have pledged to the project. Your support means that its 'boots on & pads ready' and confirming that the expedition can proceed.

And we went way over the $5600 target which is a terrific result. Those additional pledges are very welcome and will really help in addressing the inevitable additional costs involved that will surface during the expedition.

Andrew & the Padded Team.

reconnXpedition2012 . . . walking the inside out . . .

A boot & a camel pad - you might be wondering what on earth this is about?

Well, my name is Andrew Harper and beginning in August 2012, I'll be exploring the great dune field of the world’s largest parallel sandridge desert - Australia’s Simpson Desert.

I usually work on major desert expeditions with ecologists and scientists but this year I'm going walkabout by myself.

Although there is a substantial amount of personal challenge involved, my journey is simply a walk in the desert to see what lies beyond the horizon. It's a clean connection to the landscape and is not about conquering the Simpson or setting endurance records. 

Why I need your help
The aims of reconnXpedition2012 are to -

* connect my experience through the digital medium to Education Through Expeditions (www.eteteachers.org) so that schoolkids can have their own red desert experience and

* to film the entire journey – producing an adventure chronicle capturing an explorer’s connection to his country. What’s involved in planning and executing a solo desert expedition. What are the physical & mental demands and deprivations of the journey? How gripping is the desert silence? How difficult is it to actually get out there and follow dreams?

Expeditions are a great way to learn about the world, particularly for schoolkids, and they can follow my blog, email me with questions or link to Education Through Expeditions and use the resources in their classroom. 

I hope they will enjoy following my journey and be inspired to explore their world.

Why reconnXpedition?
Along with numerous others, I am observing the phenomenon that the more we become digitally connected as a society, the more we become disconnected from the physical environment and the real earth that we all depend on for our very survival.

I think it will be intriguing to explore an ancient natural environment where the only decisions of substance are the ones that I make during the day, whilst at the same time being completely digitally connected to the other world of frenetic pace and ceaseless distractions. 

It’s a marvellous juxtaposition and totally ironic that for me to connect you to the red sands of central Australia, reconnecting to the natural environment, requires a digital connection…

The Plan & How I’ll do it
Walking is one of the purest things that I can do. In the age of the internal combustion engine, it’s considered an oddity to walk anywhere for any great distance in Australia. Sure, I could drive across the desert and look out the window but I doubt I'd learn much about the intricacies of desert life.  I'd spend most of the time worrying about fuel consumption and the vehicle itself. 

So I’ll be accompanied by five of my four-legged professional colleagues who between them have walked tens of thousands of desert kilometres. Trekking with packcamels offers an intimacy with the soul of the country and allows a continuum of discovery, which is important to understanding the heart of the land. I definitely won’t be riding the camels - they will be the ones doing the hard work & carrying all the gear!

Departing from the western fringe of the desert, I will walk towards Poeppel Corner via Geosurveys Hill and the Geographical Centre of the desert. Poeppel Corner is where the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia meet and the last time 5 camels were taken there was in 1936 by Ted Colson on his way across the Simpson (and back again).
From there, it’s across the border into Queensland and onwards to the small town of Birdsville, where the expedition will finish outside the Birdsville Hotel.

What your hard earned cash will be used for
If I’m successful, your contributions will help fund,

· Satellite communication gear hire

· Satellite data transmission credits so I can upload to the blog

· Video memory cards

· GoPro Hero camera & accessories

· Transportation costs for camels, saddles and equipment

· Solar power chargers & batteries

· Expedition Food

What’s in it for you
I can go walkabout with camels anytime and disappear over the dunes, but I can’t realise the sharing and filming of my journey without your help. 

Apart from the various rewards available to your right, I think the real connection that you will make to my journey is realising that reconnXpedition2012 will provide a unique learning experience for schoolkids. I hope my walk may inspire them to discover more about the natural world and to dream high & wild, realising that they need not follow the constraints of the system.

For regular updates, you can follow me at:

Expedition Blog:http://www.reconnxpedition2012.wordpress.com
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/ReconnXpedition2012?ref=ts

and the updates on this page!

Finally, what's with the walking the inside out bit?
I know it sounds slightly like a statement made from fairy-floss, but it reflects the essence of my walk.  My every step across the desert connects me to the landscape, and the desert narrative reveals itself with every step. A desert journey clears the mind. Everything empties. On some days you can walk across a dozen horizons and essentially not think of anything . . . and on other days the discoveries, thoughts and memories come as fast and furious as a sand storm. Cleaning out the mind – walking the inside out. There is a story in every dune I will cross and I am inviting you to walk with me to each horizon.

THANKYOU for your support!
Andrew

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More info about the CHANGING DESERT SANDS

The Simpson Desert is not all one colour – the tints change as I walk from west to east and when layered in a bottle, they show the diversity of the desert geology. The full set of Desert Sands contains 20 sand samples collected from the 6 strategic camps plus 14 more random campsites during the expedition. This is a unique collection and a fantastic keepsake to your reconnected desert journey. (Samples posted to you in separate containers, but you supply the bottle). Once you put it together, your sand collection might look something like this..!

The Mini set of Desert Sands are samples collected from 6 strategic camps - Base, Hale River, GeoSurveys Hill, Geographical Centre, Poeppel Corner and Finish. You can create your own ‘sand bottle’ of Simpson Desert colours. (Samples posted to you in separate containers, but you supply the bottle). 

More info about TEKTITES

Tektites are natural glass rocks that were most likely formed by the impact of large meteorites on the Earth's surface. The Australian variety, Australites, are usually black or dark olive-green, and their shapes include ‘smarties’, ‘buttons’ and ‘dog bones’. If I don’t happen to find a tektite, then two Mini sets of Changing Desert Sands will be yours instead, to display at either end of your mantlepiece.

There is only ONE Tektite Connector Reward available! 

More info about the MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

Imagine having your own time capsule buried at a secret location (only you & I will know where!) during the expedition? Your message must reach me by July 23rd so that I can carry it across the desert. I'll supply the bottle, or you can if you like. Now, there’s something to tell the grandkids! You just have to figure out how to unearth it one day…

More info about the BUSINESS CONNECTOR & EXPLORER LIFE

If you have ever wanted to have your company name associated with a fine dromedary then this is your chance. This is a big commitment and you will be forever known as an honorary cameleer - a great enhancement to your business card. 

The Changing Desert Sands, as described above, have a considerable amount of bragging rights attached to every grain of sand - enough to last at least two thousand & twelve board meetings – and everlasting proof that your company travelled the Simpson Desert with reconnXpedition2012.

EXPLORER LIFE. For Australian companies only & available from January 2013 onwards for Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide & Sydney (and all towns in between) only - sorry Perth! I will attend your office and give a detailed visual presentation to your organisation about the expedition and how your company helped to make it happen. You can pick my brain about organising remote area logistics, travelling solo, the digital experience of linking with Education Through Expeditions, working with camels, how to light a fire and what it’s like to explore a desert with 5 camels for nearly 50 days.