Written and Photographed by Russ Benning
’Tis the season to send your southern dwelling loved-ones a picture of you in summer clothing, bathed in warm sunshine while they shiver, inside, wrapped in all the layers. Apologies to all my Victorians reading this (sorry not sorry; come visit!).
It’s the time of year we (Queenslanders) get to enjoy the warm days and cool nights. We get spoiled by the softer light and extra magical sunsets. We also get excited to celebrate the unofficial ceremony that is the annual wearing of the uggies, jacket and beanie.
Oh and more topically, we get to win the State of Origin. At this point I’d like to note I’m grateful there’s no comments section in a magazine.
What a perfect time to go camping!
If only there were somewhere special to go… Somewhere completely world class. Somewhere with so much biodiversity it feels like you could have travelled four corners of the globe in a day. And if it could be situated ‘just there’ that’d be great.
It exists? It’s K’gari (Fraser Island)? We’re definitely spoiled here on the Fraser Coast.
One man who knows a thing or two not just about the island but camping over there as well, is a long time friend of mine, Jarrad Anthony.
Having run tours on the Island for over nine years, and having perpetually visited the stunning slice of wilderness his whole life, I got the sense that K’gari was not just a destination but a silent character in Jarrad’s story.
The way he spoke about it was quite beautiful to hear.
“There wouldn’t be a year where I haven’t done a couple of [K’gari] trips.”
He goes on to tell me a classic coming of age story—receiving his driver’s license and the next day being on the island with a car full of his mates for a ‘boys trip’. We laugh as he humbly recalls making several ‘rookie mistakes’ and learning from them the hard way.
Still but a wee teen was Jarrad when he had his first experience leading tour groups on the island with Palace Adventures. Operating behind the scenes in the workshop at the time, there were instances where during the briefing it became apparent that the foreigners who signed up for the tours couldn’t actually drive a manual.
“You’re going to the island for three days.”
He recalls his boss giving him the news. The subtext in this exchange is that Jarrad was being asked to be the driver for the self drive tour group. This was the beginning of a solid two years guiding camping tours on Fraser.
Clearly the bug bites, and this initial situation leads to many more adventures (sorry I meant ‘jobs’) all over the country.
The next chapter of his career takes place in Alice Springs. He becomes based there as he leads tour groups to Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kings Canyon and surrounds.
As the company, Adventure Tours, expands, so too do the tour offerings. Before too long, he is now doing long distance tours from Alice Springs to Darwin, visiting all the iconic highlights along the way.
As he accumulates tickets, he finds himself as the sole guide to also have accreditation for Kakadu National Park. Fortuitously, he gets the highly sought after job of taking groups into the breathtaking region.
To give some perspective, these are nine day tours right into the heart of the land including a real taste of outback life.
“That was all swag based camping, cooking over fires, that sort of thing.”
Then Jarrad would say goodbye to that group and hello to another that would become his charge for the return journey to Darwin.
The next big challenge came when he got an opportunity to do a training trip to the truly ‘out of this world’ Kimberly’s region in Western Australia.
“Later that year, right place right time, they were short on Kimberly drivers. Normally you have to wait 3-4 years to get a Kimberly’s gig but I just got that straight up.”
He recounts his fortune and shows his character explaining an exchange when after only one training trip was asked if he was ready and he replied “Absolutely!”
Then shares, “Because I hate training, I’d rather just get out there and do my own thing.”
We spend a significant chunk of the chat going into more detail about this part of his career. I could tell this was especially memorable for him as he vividly points pictures of true remoteness and beauty.
“Apart from the bugs and stuff out there, the views and the stars… It’s just insane.”
And on a more personal note, “It was just so good. I had everything I needed. I’d sleep so well, right through the night, never wake up in the middle of the night.”
Not just a job but a lifestyle, Jarrad goes on to explain he struggled to sleep inside on a bed around that time!
“I actually found it difficult to sleep inside after the nine months in the Kimberly’s. It was so strange. Getting used to a bed again and the silence especially. It was so different to what became normal to me.”
He would only spend an average of three nights per month in a bedroom and at one point he chose to just set up his swag outside and sleep there instead. After the season he recalls it taking two full weeks to re-adjust to regular inside living.
I’ve known Jarrad for close to two decades at this point. We met via the tourism industry up in the beautiful Whitsundays.
We reminisce on the ‘good old days’ and laugh about how we thought we were grown up and knew everything back then.
Long term readers may remember a piece I wrote on another close friend and how much of a delight it was to take the time and focus to ‘interview’ someone you know so well.
This was another of those experiences for me.
“I’ve lived in Airlie Beach, lived in Alice Springs, lived in Darwin, spent a lot of time in Broome; these are all really beautiful places, but they never really felt like home.”
Based back in Hervey Bay, Jarrad now has a position somewhat resembling a ‘real job’, as an operations manager for SeaLink K’gari.
My look of surprise is quickly replaced as he details the amount of time he actually gets to spend on the island.
“I just love getting over there.”
The official theme of this issue is CAMPING but to me it has felt more like friendship. Maybe they’re not mutually exclusive? Maybe that’s the sub-theme and this is your reminder to reconnect with your people and get outside!
And if it gets to be on that beautiful, big island that’s sitting patiently in our backyard, even better!
