London to Johannesburg

A pyramidal peak of a sand dune against the undulating waves of the Ubari Sand Sea.

Poster of Colonel Mu'Ammar Gadaffi, known to the trendy youth of Tripoli as "the man".

The floor of the ancient megalake with Messak Settafet in the background.

Rolling sand dunes show more intricate ripple patterns when channelled through the obstacles of vegetation.

1932 - The routes of Major R. A. Bagnold's expedition in the Libyan Desert.

A towering sand dune in the Ubari Sand Sea.

The staggering Libyan Desert in the Fezzan region.

A view of the dried lake bed in the Fezzan region of Libya.

Poster of Colonel Mu'ammar Gadaffi; born to poor Bedouins near Sirt in the Libyan Desert in 1942.

A satellite image of the huge dune formations which make up the Marzuq Sand Sea, in south west Libya.

Poster of Colonel Mu'Ammar Gadaffi, known to the trendy youth of Tripoli as "the man": he seized power in 1969 when he was only 27.

Messak Settafet from space, running down the right hand side of the image.

Dunes as far as the eye can see from the edge of the Ubari Sand Sea into the interior of the Fezzan region.

The Umm al Maa "Mother of Water" oasis is a tiny pool compared to the vast body of water that once filled Lake Mega-Fezzan.

Pivot irrigation systems from ground level stretching across the desert floor.

Libyan pivot irrigation systems from the air.

Part of an old irrigation system supplying the desert with water.

A view of Lake Gebraoun - a salty oasis near the Messak Settafet.

A camel herder in the desert off the road to Tobruk.

The Ain Wif oasis is a splash of green in the desert, supporting palms and other hardy vegetation with its valuable moisture.

Geometric pivot irrigation systems from space.

An oasis in the Fezzan region where the Dawada tribe harvest their shrimps from.

Pipes for the Great Man-Made River Project await installation, which will be the largest underground network of pipes in the world.

Touareg man, often given the name Imohagh, near an oasis.

Huge pipes for use in the Man-Made River Project, bringing water to the desert.

Pivot irrigation systems from ground level.

Traditional rock carvings in Messat Settafet.

Naturally sculpted sanstone in the Fezzan Desert - the cross cutting waves of sand show the history of the dunes over thousands of years.

Carvings of animals hunting suggest abundent wildlife in previous times.

Rocky outcrop in Fezzan, a typical place to find rock art.

A hunting scene carved into the rocks in west Messak Settafet dating from 12,000 BC to 100 AD.

Traditional rock carvings in Messat Settafet.

Cattle with large horns are depicted on these ancient rock carvings.

The famous "Fighting Cats" found in the Messak Settafet, which are roughly 10,000 years old.

Strange human shapes found in the rocks of the Messak Settafet.

Traditional rock carvings in Messat Settafet.

Rock paintings found in the Acacus mountains to the West of the Messak Settafet.

Traditional rock carvings in Messat Settafet.

The Fezzi Jaren Arch, a naturally formed feature within weathered sandstone, surrounded by dunes.