Rollicking outback adventures and offroad battles with harsh terrain are usually remembered by stockmen and drovers. But heres the story of people who went deep into the remotest parts of Australia, year after year, without any livestock at all. Geologists, cartographers and field workers reached places only known to Aborigines, to put details on our maps for the first time. Alistair Stewart was one of these modern explorers, who vividly recalls months living in a swag-meeting wildlife, escaping hazards, unlocking the mysteries of ancient rocks. Their work made the resources boom possible. But for readers, the richer yield is unforgettable adventures with creatures, crackpots and campsites, meals, sports and music, four wheel drives and helicopters-experiences from a world where extremes are the everyday norm.