Desert walker, explorer and photographer Andrew Harper FRGS will give a public talk about his journeys to remote desert regions of Australia at the Cowra Services Club on Saturday November 1 commencing at 1.30pm for 2pm.
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This special event is presented by the Cowra Regional Art Gallery in association with the current exhibition at the Gallery Wild Wild West by expedition artist Jo Bertini.
Andrew Harper has been walking and exploring remote desert regions since 1995 and has journeyed over 15,000kms across Australia's nine major deserts. In 1999 he walked across the Tropic of Capricorn, a 229 day 4,637km journey raising funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
In 2007 Andrew Harper founded Australian Desert Expeditions a not-for-profit environmental organization that partners with leading universities and national research organizations to conduct scientific and ecological surveys in the far reaches of Australia's inland deserts.
These research journeys lead by Andrew Harper include walking alongside traditionally outfitted pack camels, delivering the smallest environmental footprint possible while traversing Australia's arid zones and learning about the desert flora and fauna.
"Even in this day of 4WD travelling, the best way to see the deserts is to walk them. With the demise of the stockman and his horse, and the Aboriginal leaving of the Simpson and Western Deserts in the 1900s, very few people walk the remote desert any more for extended periods. Consequently, the stories the desert holds have been missed over the last few decades. The desert deserves to be approached gently, so its mood is revealed. The way people have always approached these (areas) was on foot, as we have done today. That reveals the country - the continuum of country," Andrew said.
Artist Jo Bertini will also speak about her role as expedition artist with Australian Desert Expeditions and her exhibition at the Cowra Regional Art Gallery, drawn from her experiences as a female artist, living and travelling in remote isolated regions of Australia. This must-see exhibition continues to November 16.
Tickets are available from the Cowra Regional Art Gallery, 77 Darling Street at $25pp ($20 Friends) - this includes light refreshments and afternoon tea. Visit the Gallery from Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm, Sunday 2 to 4pm or call 63402190.
