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Audio blog

Mike Smith holding the satellite phone and solar panel charger
Mike with the satellite phone and solar panel charger

Join veteran desert archaeologist Dr Mike Smith on his journey into the remote southern Simpson Desert on the search for signs of a lost world.

Mike delivered regular field reports from the Kallakoopah region, near Lake Eyre in South Australia from 26 June to 18 July 2007.

The expedition yielded ancient fossil remnants and the complete skeleton of an extinct bird.

There was also drama on the 23-day trip, with one injured expeditioner evacuated by helicopter and another disaster narrowly averted when stray camels stampeded the camp.

> View a map of the expedition area

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18 July 07 - Kalamurina base camp
> Triumphs and trials at the expedition's end (MP3 file 1.2mb)
Duration 2 minutes, 39 seconds

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18 July 07 - stray camel raid
> Stampede drama for the camel strings (MP3 file 1.1mb)
Duration 2 minutes, 27 seconds

EARLIER POSTS

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17 July 07 - near Elicka Hill
> Dawn reflections on camping and camels (MP3 file 1.2mb)
Duration 2 minutes, 35 seconds

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15 July 2007 - near Lake Pantoowarinna
> The long hard walk back to base camp (MP3 file 1.1mb)
Duration: 2 minutes, 8 seconds
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13 July 2007 - leaving the Kallakoopah
> Fossils across the fragile landscape (MP3 file 1.8mb)
Duration: 3 minutes, 38 seconds

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13 July 2007 - general desert trivia
> Fifteen kilometres to the next tree and other trivia (MP3 file 199kb)
Duration: 20 seconds

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12 July 2007 - downriver on the Kallakoopah
> 150 kilometres and 17 days without a wash (MP3 file size 797kb)
Duration: 1 minute, 31 seconds

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9 July 2007 - west of Lake Willawilaninna
> The party awaits a water drop (MP3 file size 993kb)
Duration: 2 minutes, 6 seconds

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8 July 2007 - 6km east of Kallakoopah Creek
> Discovery of ancient marsupial jaw bone (MP3 file size 937kb)
Duration: 1 minute, 51 seconds

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7 July 2007 - Kallakoopah Creek
> Mike 'gets his eye in' for finding more fossils (MP3 file size 876kb)
Duration: 1 minute, 59 seconds

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4 July 2007 - Kallakoopah Creek
> First complete bird fossil found (MP3 file size 1.2mb)
Duration: 2 minutes, 36 seconds

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2 July 2007 - Kallakoopah Creek
> Expedition records its first casulty ( MP3 file size 1.3mb)
Duration: 2 minutes, 59 seconds
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30 June 2007 - near Kallakoopah Creek
> First fossils found in the dune fields (MP3 file size 1.4mb)
Duration: 2 minutes, 39 seconds

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28 June 2007 - Billicoorinna Creek
> The chaos of travelling with camels (MP3 file size 1.1mb)
Duration: 2 minutes, 12 seconds

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27 June 2007 - Kalamurina
> Mike describes the first campsite (MP3 file 1.2mb)
Duration: 2 minutes, 30 seconds

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26 June 2007 - Adelaide
> Mike prepares to leave Adelaide (MP3 file 516kb)
Duration: 47 seconds

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