Dune Is a Four-Letter Word: Desert Crossings and Dusty Memories

by Griselda Sprigg, Rod Maclean

'Dune is a four-letter word', said Griselda Sprigg on the first day of her family's attempt to make the first motorised crossing of the forbidding Simpson desert. 'And so is bloody spinifex.'

Dune is a Four-letter Word tells the story of Griselda and Reg Sprigg's pioneering desert adventures - not only in the Simpson Desert but all over the vast Australian outback. Griselda's story is also the story of Arkaroola Sanctuary, how she, with her husband, Reg, turned a drought-stricken sheep station into the magnificent flora and fauna reserve and tourist mecca it is today.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Australia

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Kelly Theobald · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing description of an amazing life. Griselda Sprigg tells her stories of a life of outback exploration with open humour and witt. I would have loved to meet her. A strong woman who was dedicated to her man and children, Griselda made the outback her home and her love of the remote Australian wilderness is heartwarming and inspiring. An absolute must read for any outback traveler, particularly if they're exploring the beautiful Simpson Desert.

[Tammi Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say, Griselda, you are from whence legends come. It was your story, but you painted so vividly the portraits of your family that I felt part of it. I am a geologist, who was fortunate enough to meet you and Doug on a trip to Arkaroola before you took flight to the stars that Doug once showed me. I cried when you write of Reg's passing, as I cry now at your memory. I shall always remember Reg's geo pick embedded in the rock forever.

[GregL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Read it on a cold wet day straight through, with my Hema maps beside me to follow where they went.

An amazing story by amazing people.

[Samantha Rivet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got me into geology

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I respect Dick Smith’s opinions so his promise that you can make the discovery of a great Australian (Griselda Sprigg) in reading this book was good enough for me to read it. That, and a friend saying he would like to read it as he had just enjoyed reading Reg Sprigg’s book and the husband/wife relationship was excellent and he was keen to see their life from the other side of the pairing. So I got ready for the swearing and dove in. But there was very little swearing and Griselda’s reminiscences are retold with charm and humour.
I got a little bogged down (no pun intended) in the middle of the book as there is a lot of information, geographical and geological, contained within. If, like me, you have a terrible sense of direction and have only once ventured across the vastness of the Simpson Desert, you may require some topographical maps better than Reg’s scratchy mud map on the frontispiece to help with orientation and understanding.
But what real Aussie characters and achievers are found inside the covers of this book.

[Berni · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an inspiring couple! They achieved so much together! This reads like a love letter to the Australian Outback.