A French author has published a book on her solo journey along the 5330 kilometre Bicentennial National Trail from Healesville to Cooktown, Queensland.
In November 2015, Alienor le Gouvello set out from Healesville with a team of three brumbies and arrived in Cooktown in July 2017 after 441 days in the saddle. She became the only person to complete the trail with the same horses and just the second woman to complete the trail alone.
Along the way, she achieved her goal of drawing attention to the plight of Australian wild horses, or brumbies, kept going despite being stricken by a crippling bout of Ross River Fever, and finally found new love in an Aussie bushman who shared her love of the horses and the wild places.
Now she has published a fascinating account of her grand adventure – not the first in an extremely adventurous life – in a book called Wild At Heart.
Ms le Gouvello shared what inspired her to ride the 5330km trail.
“A friend mentioned it to me with the intention to do sections of it,” she said. “It planted a seed in my head and grew until I eventually decided I needed to do the entire thing. I like adventures on horseback and a challenge and wanted to promote the image of the Australian brumby.
“I always had a fascination for them since I had met them working in central Australian Aboriginal communities. After doing research on different brumby associations and understanding better their plight I came across the Guy Fawkes Heritage Horse Association who have a very successful trapping and rehoming program as supposed to culling. I wanted to promote their work and methods.”
Ms le Gouvello’s love for brumbies is strong and she hopes readers learn about the brumbies’ plight and become more aware of the “cruel” methods the government practices such as aerial culling.
“The bond I created with my horses is unique. Winning the heart of a brumby is a very special thing, and travelling 13 months together through all sorts of challenges and conditions is even more special. They have the biggest heart and are the most resilient horses I’ve ever been around in a lifetime with horses.
“On the road, they became my family and I became theirs. They trusted me to provide for them and I trusted them to be sure footed and reliable. In the wild if a horse gets injured it dies. Natural selection is what makes those who survive so remarkable, they are so sensible and resilient. I truly believe it’s thanks to them we made it to the top. They are the true heroes of this expedition. They never sustained an injury or lost much condition and our trust kept us going forward.”
Ms le Gouvello recalls her journey through the Yarra Valley.
“The flora and fauna were magnificent. I loved seeing lyrebirds amongst beautiful tree ferns and gums forest and listening to all the sounds of nature, and going through little bursts of sub-tropical rainforest. The vegetation is so luxuriant and dense.”
As she approached Cooktown, in agony because of the open sores from her fever, Ms le Gouvello wrote: “At the end of the road is the sea. I’m dreaming of a camp on the beach… I’ve reached this extremity of the world, where the earth touches the sea. I’m so grateful to Australia for being the country that has given me the strength and energy to bring this adventure to its fruition… I haven’t conquered the immensity of the bush, but it lives within me now.”
Before setting out on the Bicentennial National Trail, Ms le Gouvello had ridden horses across Mongolia and worked in remote outback Aboriginal communities.
Book details: WILD AT HEART by Alienor le Gouvello, translated by Catherine de Saint Phalle, with photography by Cat Vinton. $35, out now with Affirm Press.
