Robyn Davidson Quotes

Powerful Robyn Davidson for Daily Growth

About Robyn Davidson

Robyn Davidson (born August 7, 1950) is an Australian author, photographer, and explorer whose extraordinary life journey and profound writing have captivated readers worldwide. Born in the small town of Maryvale, Victoria, Australia, Davidson grew up feeling isolated and restless, leading her to pursue a nomadic lifestyle that would define her early adulthood. In 1975, at the age of 26, Robyn embarked on an epic solo journey across the Australian outback, accompanied only by her dog, Camel, and four wild camels. This life-changing odyssey spanned over 1,700 miles and took her nearly two years to complete. The experiences she encountered during this time would form the basis for her acclaimed book, "Tracks" (1980). "Tracks" chronicles Davidson's incredible journey and her relationships with Aboriginal Australians along the way. It was met with widespread critical acclaim and has since been translated into 28 languages. The book also inspired a successful film adaptation in 2013, directed by John Curran and starring Mia Wasikowska as Davidson. In addition to "Tracks," Davidson has authored several other books, including "Desert Places" (1979) and "Sunset over Water: Travels Along the Indian Ocean" (1996). Her works continue to inspire awe and admiration for her resilience, courage, and deep connection with nature. Robyn Davidson's life and work stand as testaments to human spirit, perseverance, and the transformative power of travel and self-discovery. Her legacy lives on not only in her written words but also in the countless lives she has touched and inspired along the way.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The journey is the destination."

This quote suggests that the process or journey, rather than a specific destination or end goal, is what truly matters in life. It encourages us to find value and joy in every step we take, rather than solely focusing on the outcome. The idea here is that personal growth, experiences, and connections made along the way contribute significantly to our overall fulfillment and satisfaction, making the journey itself a valuable and rewarding experience. This perspective invites us to savor each moment of life's adventure.


"I had no idea that at the end of all my wandering, I would return to myself."

This quote highlights the transformative power of travel and self-discovery. The journey, in this case, symbolizes a physical or emotional exploration, where one is detached from their usual environment and routine. In her wandering, Robyn Davidson found herself disconnected from her previous identity, undergoing personal growth and change. Upon returning, she finds that she has indeed returned to herself – not the self she was before embarking on this journey, but a new, evolved version of herself, enriched by the experiences gained along the way. Essentially, it underscores the idea that sometimes, stepping out of our comfort zones and embracing change can lead us back to ourselves in a profound and meaningful way.


"Travelling is a way of living, and I wouldn't trade it for any amount of money or security."

This quote by Robyn Davidson emphasizes that traveling is not just an activity or a vacation, but a lifestyle choice that transcends material wealth and comfort. It suggests a deep appreciation for the experiences, learning, and personal growth one gains from travel, valuing them above material possessions or stability. Essentially, this quote highlights the transformative power of exploration and adventure on an individual's life.


"If you're feeling small, which is a perfectly natural condition, don't think that something outside yourself is lacking. Think instead that something inside yourself is in the wrong shape."

The quote highlights that feelings of smallness or insignificance often stem from self-perception rather than an objective evaluation of one's worth. Rather than seeking validation externally, it suggests that individuals should focus on personal growth and development to overcome these feelings. By cultivating inner strength, resilience, and self-confidence, one can transcend a limited self-image and embrace their true potential.


"A camel is a horse designed by committee."

This quote by Robyn Davidson, who traveled across Australia on camels, suggests that a solution or design (in this case, a camel) created through the input of many people may lack elegance, efficiency, or cohesion, due to compromises required during collaboration. In other words, a 'camel' is a complex and somewhat awkward creature because it was designed by multiple perspectives and not one clear vision.


Much of the time I'm an introvert, by choice spending a lot of time on my own. I suppose liking my solitude is part of a writer's sensibility.

- Robyn Davidson

Own, My Own, Part, Sensibility

Some of the best conversations I've had are sitting around a camp fire.

- Robyn Davidson

Best, Fire, Some, Conversations

The agricultural revolution transformed the earth and changed the fate of humanity. It produced an entirely new mode of subsistence, which remains the foundation of the global economy to this day.

- Robyn Davidson

Fate, New, Which, Subsistence

I do not mean to say that we should, or could, return to traditional nomadic economies. I do mean to say that there are systems of knowledge and grand poetical schemata derived from the mobile life that it would be foolish to disregard or underrate. And mad to destroy.

- Robyn Davidson

Life, Disregard, Nomadic, Poetical

The French word for wanderlust or wandering is 'errance.' The etymology is the same as 'error.' So to wander is to make mistakes. In other words, to make mistakes, to make errors is sort of the idea of learning through trial and error, allowing the mistakes to be part of the process.

- Robyn Davidson

Through, Other, Idea, Error

If you think of all the enduring stories in the world, they're of journeys. Whether it's 'Don Quixote' or 'Ulysses,' there's always this sense of a quest - of a person going away to be tested, and coming back.

- Robyn Davidson

Away, Tested, Journeys, Quixote

Australia's arid western region, from the town of Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean coast, is a beautiful, haunting, but largely empty land. Dominated by the harsh, almost uninhabited Great Sandy and Gibson deserts, the region is known only to Australian Aborigines, a handful of white settlers, and the few travelers who motor across it.

- Robyn Davidson

Springs, Motor, Almost, Deserts

That odd idea that one person can go to a foreign part and in this rather odd voice describe it to the folks back home doesn't make much sense in the post-colonial world.

- Robyn Davidson

Voice, Idea, Rather, Odd

Life's the adventure. You don't have to drop your bundle and go bush. It's about being brave within the context that you're in.

- Robyn Davidson

Drop, Within, Bush, Context

My own memories are packed tightly away. I very rarely bring them out for viewing.

- Robyn Davidson

Away, My Own, Very, Tightly

People who wander are nicer to be with. Movement militates against hoarding possessions and against bigotry, because you are constantly moving across boundaries and having to negotiate with people.

- Robyn Davidson

Against, Negotiate, Having, Wander

I try to factor solitude into my life because more and more, that's becoming a very precious and rare commodity.

- Robyn Davidson

My Life, Very, Commodity, Solitude

London sort of wore me down. I can't cope with the winters!

- Robyn Davidson

Me, London, Winters, Cope

You have to remember that I was an Australian girl of the Fifties and Sixties. For Australians at that time, it was imperative to get out of the country and discover the world.

- Robyn Davidson

Discover, Country, Sixties

My thoughts can sometimes be spurred by what I read, but my reading is extremely eclectic.

- Robyn Davidson

Thoughts, Read, Extremely, Spurred

You apply the skills you use to produce your own book to make an anthology. Shaping. Rhythm.

- Robyn Davidson

Skills, Apply, Use, Shaping

When 'Tracks' first came out, I was courted by Sydney Pollack. I had lunch with him, and he opened the conversation with, 'Honey, you ain't gonna like what I'm gonna do to your book.' I really liked him, but I turned him down, because - well, I was stupid. I also turned down a great deal of money.

- Robyn Davidson

Stupid, Lunch, Deal, Courted

During these last ten thousand years, we have made massive, unprecedented changes to the environment, creating problems for ourselves that we may not be able to solve.

- Robyn Davidson

Last, May, Thousand Years, Unprecedented

If you are fragmented and uncertain, it is terrifying to find the boundaries of yourself melt.

- Robyn Davidson

Melt, Find, Terrifying, Uncertain

I think people are frightened by different things, so I don't see myself as particularly courageous.

- Robyn Davidson

Think, I Think, Particularly, Frightened

You really can expand the boundaries of your life and do risky things and prove yourself by doing them.

- Robyn Davidson

Doing, Prove, Expand, Risky

The genre has moved into this commercial aspect of itself, and ignored this extraordinarily rich literature that's filed everywhere else except under travel.

- Robyn Davidson

Ignored, Commercial, Moved, Extraordinarily

I don't want to be bored; I don't want to be with someone I don't respect.

- Robyn Davidson

Respect, Want, Someone, Bored

When I was young, I thought I wouldn't be a good mother. Now I think I would be, but I'm too long in the tooth.

- Robyn Davidson

Thought, Think, I Think, Tooth

In every religion I can think of, there exists some variation on the theme of abandoning the settled life and walking one's way to godliness. The Hindu sadhu, the pilgrims of Compostela walking past their sins, the circumambulators of the Buddhist kora, the haj.

- Robyn Davidson

Life, Some, I Can, Variation

I think a lot of writers are unrealistic about having their books translated into film.

- Robyn Davidson

Think, I Think, Having, Translated

I do believe that the genre reached its peak before the First World War.

- Robyn Davidson

World, First World War, Reached

By taking to the road, we free ourselves of baggage, both physical and psychological. We walk back to our original condition, to our best selves.

- Robyn Davidson

Original, Psychological, Selves

The two important things I did learn were that you are as powerful and strong as you allow yourself to be, and that the most difficult part of any endeavor is taking the first step, making the first decision.

- Robyn Davidson

Strong, Part, Allow, Taking

Its highest point was The Worst Journey in the World. Then you see this decline, and this harking back, using the 19th-century form when we're not in the 19th century. That way of writing a book about the world out there - you just can't do it anymore.

- Robyn Davidson

Book, About, 19th Century, 19th-Century

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