Tying the laces of his hiking boots, a Northern Territory local noticed a small piece of black rock on the ground next to his foot.
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Little did the modern-day explorer know that the rock, just smaller than a 50 cent piece, would send him 60,000 years back in time.
Darwin-local John Beasy was scouting through a remote area of the Northern Territory, on a stretch of land that was once home to the Indigenous Wulwulam people, when the small piece of basalt caught his eye.
"It had carved, sharp edges and a sharp, pointy tip. I nearly stepped on an ancient spear or arrow head."
Across an area of about 30 by 50 meters, Mr Beasy found thousands of rocks that had been turned into small but deadly tips.
"This would have been the place where thousands of years ago Indigenous people gathered to make their weapons. The number of tips and shards indicates that this site was used as an ancient weapons factory."
But even more astounding is the material the spear and arrow heads were made of: black basalt.
"The entire region is covered in sandstone, which means that the rocks the weapons were made of had to be imported to the area. This gives this place even greater importance."
Mr Beasy, who has been exploring the Northern Territory for 25 years, said while he has found numerous artefacts over the years, the weapons factory north of Pine Creek, 150km south of Darwin, was the most prolific he had ever found.
"In the 1880s members of the Wulwulam were believed to have speared four miners. In retribution, more than 150 Indigenous people were shot, almost completely wiping out the clan.
"The Indigenous culture is the oldest culture on this planet and the traditional custodians have been living here for over 60,000 years.
"To think that the oldest continuous living culture on Earth has used this place to come together for rituals and gatherings and to make their weapons, is quite special."
Not the only find
For decades, the helicopter pilot of nearly 40 years, navigated across the land with the use of large maps, but now he uses modern GPS and satellite imagery.
"Sometimes you find a significant established track on a satellite image but when you get out there it's obvious that it's just an animal track.
"But for how many thousands of years would wallabies have to hop along the same track along the side of a hill to carve it into the ground to make it visible for a satellite?"
Wild encounters
"I've always loved spending time out the bush," he said.
"Being out in the bush by yourself forces you to overcome difficulties and challenges to survive.
"Spooked, injured or old animals or those nursing their young will attack if they get a chance."
Mr Beasy said he had lost count of the times when he came close to the most dangerous animal in the Top End of the Northern Territory - the saltwater crocodile.
"I can't put a number to it, but I've seen hundreds of crocs."
One of the closest calls was a fishing trip gone wrong about 40km south of Darwin at a waterhole in the Adelaide River.
"I found a lagoon that was very isolated and very overgrown and it had danger written all over it.
"I was fishing with a popper lure and had just cast the popper a couple of times when a huge crocodile launched at the lure as I was reeling it in.
"It was about 4.5 to five meters long and must have been hiding in the reeds right next to me."
The saltwater crocodile - an apex predator - grabbed the popper when it was about two or three meters from the tip of the rod.
"I had a Winchester rifle in my hand while fishing. I cocked the hammer with a round in the chamber, pulled the trigger to shoot above its head to scared it, but instead of the rifle going off I heard a dull 'click'.
"At that stage I decided discretion was the better part of valour and I backed away from the water's edge in some hurry.
"The entire time the crocodile eyed me off as if it was contemplating if I would make a good meal.
"The croc could have easily launched at me instead of the popper.
"It just illustrated how close these killing machines can come without anyone even knowing. If it had chosen me over the popper, this would have been a really close call."
... and then there's heat
The tropical climate, especially the hot and humid Build-Up between October and December, can also turn deadly.
"The don't call the Build-Up 'silly season' for nothing. It messes with people bodies and it's easy to overheat", Mr Beasy said.
"You just have to stop and sit down and recover. A couple of times I had less than 200 meters to go to the car and just couldn't get there because the body gave up."
The solitary man
"People think it's scary out in the wild, in the dark, on your own. But over the years I learned the only person you need to fear out there is yourself.
"It's easy to let yourself get to a stage where the mind starts playing tricks on you."
The father-of-three said his biggest test alone in the bush was the battle against loneliness.
"There is this romanticised idea of the solitary man who lives on his own, hunts and catches fish, lives off the land and in harmony with his environment.
"Truth is - it's a lonely, harsh existence. It's hard to overcome loneliness.
"The solitary life teaches you the value of being able to get along with other people," he said.
"It reminds you make the effort to communicate with others, and communicate well.
"People may be your greatest affront but they are also your greatest source of satisfaction. In that sense, people are your greatest challenge in life.
"Being able to understand and relate to people is the final frontier."
Annie Hesse
I am an award-winning media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcast, as well as photography and videography. I am the NT Correspondent at Australian Community Media and I write for my hometown newspaper, the Katherine Times. I love telling people's stories, and I am passionate about giving those a voice who may otherwise remain unheard. When I am not busy putting pen to paper, I spend time in my garden, go bushwalking or travel across the Northern Territory, Australia or the world. In my spare time I write, illustrate and publish books.
I am an award-winning media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcast, as well as photography and videography. I am the NT Correspondent at Australian Community Media and I write for my hometown newspaper, the Katherine Times. I love telling people's stories, and I am passionate about giving those a voice who may otherwise remain unheard. When I am not busy putting pen to paper, I spend time in my garden, go bushwalking or travel across the Northern Territory, Australia or the world. In my spare time I write, illustrate and publish books.
