Luke Alexander Visuals

I headed out to the Mallee and Desert regions of Victoria & New South Wales for a long weekend away. I wanted to experience some of the ancient landscapes that make these regions so special. I was particularly drawn to the inland dry lakebeds that are rich in salts and minerals and offer a glimpse into the history of this country.

I spent most of the time driving during the hot days, scouting the area, then resting during the night. One particular night the temperature was cool and still, allowing me to work on a night series. Losing track of time, I finished taking photos at about 6am. I naively thought ‘I’ll just sleep during the day’, only to be cooked out of my tent a few hours later from the relentless morning sun.

I had a few scares during this solo trip – one was a flat tyre on a remote 4wd track and another when I was driving across a section of track that crossed the outskirts of a dry lakebed. My tyres ended up breaking through the hard crust layer of track, exposing thick mud and almost leaving me stuck in the middle of nowhere. Despite this, it was refreshing to learn about and explore these ancient and incredible regions of Australia.