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The Crossing

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The Crossing

By: Sophie Matterson
Narrated by: Sonya Kerr
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An inspirational an amazing memoir about a woman who gave up everything she knew to start her own camel saddlery and do a camel trek across the Australian Outback.

In April 2020, as the world began to lock down due to Covid-19, Sophie began her own form of extreme social distancing. From April 2020 - December 2021 she walked with her five camels from the most westerly point of Australia to the most easterly, with a six-month break in Coober Pedy when the conditions grew too hot to continue.
Along the way she met hundreds of kind strangers - she required permission to cross every single piece of land, and often they'd make the effort to meet her with additional supplies to support her journey. The red dirt of the outback seeped into her pores and her appreciation for the beauty of Country and the ways we can observe and better understand its subtle changes only grew as she walked.
She sometimes went weeks at a time without seeing a soul due to the movement restrictions in place for Covid-19 prevention in Central Australia. Halfway through the trek, she fell in love with a baker called Jimmy in the Flinders Ranges: some of their first dates involved him driving her to drop-off points, and delivering food and supplies every four or so weeks. Jimmy walked the final section of the journey with her, marshalling traffic to allow Sophie and the camels to cross roads and highways as they drew closer to the coast.©2023 Sophie Matterson (P)2023 W. F. Howes Ltd Australia & Oceania Women
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An amazing read. A journey not for the faint of heart. Truely inspiring and my heart hurt for Sophie. Read to the end to see why.

Inspiring

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Inspiring, engaging, moving. So easy to listen to and to connect with. The next time I see a camel I will have a lot more respect.

Inspiring

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I could not love this more. Consumed my every thought until I finished it. Just magnificent. What a story. What an inspiration. Loved it.

Just beautiful

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Absolutely fantastic book.
Sophie’s journey with her cameras across Australia is an absolute must read for anyone who has desired even the slightest adventure. It is heartwarming and heart wrenching. Had me smiling and tearing up all at the same time. The way this book is written, made me feel like I was along for the journey,m, like I was walking next to Sophie and the camels.

Word of warning, don’t listen to this book in a confined space like a train or plane. You’ll feel claustrophobic and ready to run away from society.

Bloody well done on the crossing, overcoming all the challenges and the book. It’s so beautifully written. I sometimes get dubious when the book isn’t narrated by the author. However, in this case, the narrator was spot on.

Inspirational… I couldn’t stop listening

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It was a good story that I enjoyed. An inspiring story about crossing the Australian continent.

It was an interesting listen.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.