Tracks Page #2

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eternal explorer's dilemma.

- (CHUCKLES)

- Hm.

Well, why don't you

just shorten the trip?

To the Rock and back?

I mean, Toly and I will come

with you. We can chip in.

- TOLY:
Yeah. Why not?

- Mm...

Have you looked into

sponsorship? Like a magazine?

- Rick knows lots of editors.

- Yeah, I know lots of editors.

I could put in a good word for you.

I think they'd think it was fas...

I think it's fascinating.

So I know they would. (CHUCKLES)

Oh, it's OK. I'll do it myself.

(LAUGHS)

(LOUD, LIVELY CONVERSATION)

(GUITAR-HEAVY ROCK MUSIC)

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATION CONTINUES)

Do you know what's

going on politically?

(MUSIC FADES OUT)

(PENSIVE PIANO MUSIC)

It's about acting on what

judgements you make...

It's about making a critique...

(CLICKS TONGUE)

- Hey, Zelly. Hey, girl.

- (ZELLY BRAYS)

Hey. (CLICKS TONGUE)

(ZELLY BRAYS)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER AND CHUCKLING)

- Kangaroo!

- (CAMERA CLICKS)

Hey, do you mind?

Sorry, bad habit.

Oh, I, uh... I made you this.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

You're a darling. Thank you.

You know, um... your room's

still available, Rob.

Yeah...

(HORN TOOTS)

JENNY:
Bye, Rob! Love you!

RICK:
Bye, Robyn!

Bye, Diggity! Good luck!

ANNIE:
Don't die out there!

JENNY, ON RECORDING:

I know you well enough

never to ask why you're doing this,

or why you want to do it alone.

But I guess if the reason's

good enough for you,

it's good enough for me.

Anyway, I made you a

tape for your trip.

That old record of your mother's,

the one you used to play to death.

Whatever it is you're

looking for, Robbie,

find it and come home, OK?

The lonely night

Dreaming of a song

And the melody haunts my reverie

And I am once again with you

- When our love was new...

- (GOLDIE WHINES)

(GASPS)

(CAMEL BRAYS)

Girlie, I reckon you've got

yourself a pregnant cow.

What?

Pregnant? But is that good or bad?

You've got a calf tied

up in camp overnight,

none of the others are

gonna stray very far.

So that's good.

'A few weeks later, I heard that

Kurt Posel sold his ranch.'

Like I said, it's not possible.

'The new owner had little

experience with camels.'

One camel. That's all I want.

The bastard owed me two.

Sorry. Never mentioned that to me.

Hey, do you even know

what you're doing?

(BELLOWS)

I wouldn't use a nose-line.

(GROWLS, GRUNTS)

- Settle down, you bastard!

- ROBYN:
Let go of the rope.

(CAMEL BELLOWS)

- Get outta there!

- (GROWLS)

Shut the gate.

Hey, Dookie.

(DOOKIE GROANS)

Easy.

- (DOOKIE GRUNTS)

- That's the way.

Come on, Dookie.

- Whoosh, Dookie. Whoosh.

- (GROWLS)

(GROANS)

(CONTINUES GROANING)

Do they do that often?

- The bulls?

- Yeah.

Oh, hell yeah. All the time.

You want to keep your kids

away from them, for sure.

- Come on, Dig!

- (DIGGITY BARKS)

'And so I'm writing to you

in the hope that your magazine

will sponsor my trip.

I believe National Geographic

to be of the highest

international repute.

The trip will take me through

some of the most beautiful

and barren country

the desert can show.

I am enclosing a map

of my proposed route,

from Alice Springs to Ayers Rock,

then on through the Western

Desert to the Indian Ocean.'

(CAMEL BRAYS)

'I have three camels

and one small calf

trained and ready to go.

They are perfectly reliable beasts.

Their names are Dookie...'

(BRAYS)

'...Bub, Zelly

and baby Goliath.

I am well aware of the

hardship I will be facing

and the first to admit I

am remarkably unqualified

for such a hazardous undertaking.

But this is precisely the

point of my journey.

I'd like to think an ordinary

person is capable of anything.

I look forward to hearing

from you in the near future.

Yours faithfully, Robyn Davidson.'

(BIRDS TWITTERING)

(GROWLS)

- (SALLAY GRUNTS)

- Sorry, Dookie.

Grab that. A bull in rut would

do anything to get at Zelly.

He'll bite, kick or kill

whatever gets in his way.

- That includes you.

- (KNIFE SLICES)

(GROANS)

(GROANS)

No choice. Hm?

You see what happens when

one of these bull camels

gets those lovelies

set on something.

No stopping him.

Rule number one...

protect your camels.

If you're out there on your own

and a wild bull's coming at ya,

you shoot it.

Don't think. You shoot.

You understand?

Ah, I forgot... these

packages came for you.

Oh, there's a letter too.

I got it! I got the money!

I think they'd think it was fas...

I think it's fascinating.

So I know they would. (CHUCKLES)

(CHILDREN SHOUT EXCITEDLY)

- Aunty Robbie!

- Aunty Rob!

We came to say goodbye!

How you doing? Hey,

come here. Look at you.

Hey, sis.

- You look well.

- Thanks for coming.

Hey, Pop.

I want to pat the camel!

Wow.

MARG:
Oh, it's freezing in here.

Hi.

Um... this is Rick,

the photographer.

Hi, you must be her father?

Sister?

I don't know who you are.

(CHUCKLES)

This is obviously for me.

This was surprisingly expensive.

Inflatable raft. For flash floods.

And...

Um... why would I need

an exercise bike?

Oh, it's not an exercise bike.

It's a... backup

generator for the radio

in case the batteries fail.

I'm... I'm not taking a radio.

Please, Robyn, just take the radio.

You want to die out

there or something?

Take the radio. In case.

OK, I'll take the radio, but

I'm not taking the bike.

You know, it's really

reassuring to know

that my sister won't

be alone out there.

I'm only meeting up with

her four or five times.

Two or three times. Two or three.

(LOADS GUN)

No, I don't want a gun.

But you will.

(GRUNTS)

(GRUNTS)

Hi. Hi.

(KISSES)

Take care, Pop.

Thanks.

If you get in trouble, there's

no shame in turning back, OK?

- OK?

- OK.

- POP:
Bye, darlin'.

- CHILD:
Bye, Aunty Rob!

- Bye, Aunty Robbie!

- MARG:
Bye, Robyn.

- POP:
Call us from Ayers Rock.

- Bye, Diggity!

- (DIGGITY BARKS)

- Diggity, come on!

(POP MUSIC BLARES)

ROBYN:
You've gotta be kidding me.

Hey hey!

That's great. And keep

back, looking at me.

- Alright.

- (CAMERA CLICKS)

Good. Good. And smile.

Great. Great. That's great.

OK. Great.

Oh, let me get this

other stuff right here.

Everybody I keep telling about

this really can't believe it.

'2,000 miles? Is she

crazy or something?'

(CHUCKLES)

(CAMERA CLICKS)

Let me find your light

a little bit. Face a little...

That's great.

OK, what's the camel's

name? Bub! Hey!

- Everybody smile.

- (DIGGITY BARKS)

How do you feel?

Are we done?

Yeah, I think you're...

I think it's good.

Alright, see you in a month.

(ENGINE REVS)

(ALARM CLOCK RINGS)

(HORNS TOOTING, MUSIC BLARING)

WOMAN:
Oi, lady, can we

get a photo? Over here!

Sorry, campground's full.

It would just be for one night.

Besides, camels aren't

allowed in the park grounds.

Why?

'Cause it's a sacred site.

CHILD:
Hey, camel lady!

(CAMELS BRAY)

(HORN TOOTS)

(POP MUSIC BLARES)

Figuring 20 miles a day,

if that's how fast

you're travelling,

determine how long

it takes to get to

the next town with a

mail plane service,

divide that by 20, and I

should, more or less,

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