Name a famous explorer... please

[swedishmum]

Dd (y5) needs to study a famous explorer for her next school project. Would really appreciate some not-so-obvious choices - maybe women? She googled but lots of very American stuff on there. Leif Erikson is top choice right now.

Would really appreciate any input.

Many thanks.

If your dd likes plants, flowers and paintings then Marianne North might be nice (there's a whole gallery of her work at Kew Gardens). Here's a link to a book about \link{http://www.jeannineatkins.com/books/jcahowhigh.html\women explorers}.

Isabelle Eberhardt

Thanks so much for all the great suggestions - loads I've never heard of
Will look at them with dd tomorrow. I can learn something too!

DS's school houses are named after explorers:

Frobisher
Livingstone
Shackleton
Magellan

Got the DK explorers book today - will show dd this list and the book. There are so many fascinating stories to choose from.

Doris Lessing
Robyn Davison - I love both her books about camel teks - one in Australia and one in India.