Ranger Tactical XTA-SURVIVOR 1 survival kit - Review

Ranger Tactical XTA-SURVIVOR 1 survival kit

  You never know when a good situation can turn bad. But when it does you need to be prepared.

  The Ranger Tactical XTA-SURVIVOR 1 survival kit offers all the essentials to help ensure survival if things do turn for the worst.

     Includes: - Jets Sream Whistle
                   - Arctic Emergency Blanket
                   - 37-piece 1st aid kit
                   - Starflash Signal mirror
                   - Compass
                   - "Strikeforce" all weather fire starter w/"Wetfire" tinder
       
  Contents are packed into a "Mil-Spec HD heavy duty military grade belt pouch". The pouch is versitile, and able to be worn horizontally or vertically, meaning you can place it exactly where you need it with no hassle.

  While trekking across the outback I often found myself straying far from camp, and getting into some pretty sticky and intense situations, especially during rock climbing and tricky ascents in the West MacDonnell Ranges of the Northern Territory. I made sure to always have my kit on hand - some days, carrying it alone.

  With some careful packing the pouch will also hold a standard 500ml water bottle - an absolute necessity when setting foot away from camp out there - which can allow you to get away with not carrying a full pack when you really want to get away from it all.

(Left) The kit I never left camp without. Knives and flashlight not included in kit, but all available from Ranger Tactical.

I also added a medium carabiner to the pouch for fast and easy access on and off of my belt or pack.

The pouch is still holding up strong eight months later, after taking quite a beating. Excellent abrasion resistance and high capacity in a kit that won't get in your way.

  Thanks to Peter and Julie at Ranger Tactical for setting me up with this little lifesaver.

  Check out this, and many other Survival kits and tools at www.rangertactical.com

Larapinta pt. 2

  Its been quite some time since I have properly updated you all on the journey. We left off at my departure into the West MacDonnell Mountain Ranges of the Norther Territory, north of Alice Springs. Although my original intention was to walk you day-by-day along my trek there, it doesn't seem to do justice to just how incredible the trek really was.

  I would safely label that time as my life's biggest "You had to be there" moment.

  With the Larapinta Trail as my guide I was gone 'walkabout' across some of the most amazing country I have ever seen.

  I was over a week in the mountains, tackling 200km of mountains and valleys, gorges and river-flat plains, headed west towards the Tanami desert.

  In a situation like this, proper water consumption should be priority (right up there with NOT getting bitten by snakes). On only day 2 of my trek I felt the effects of dehydration and heat stroke - only 49Km in. Not cool. I saw first hand just how easy it is to fall victim to dehydration, one of the leading causes of death in the Outback.

  Drink little and drink often. Drinking too much water can be damaging just as under drinking can be. You can't afford to forget to drink enough in a situation like that. 28-32 degree days, a lot of ascent, and day after day of beating sun while you are constantly on the move.

  My best bet would have been walking at night by the light of the moon. The skies were so clear that even a half moon would have given ample light to walk by, not to mention I was carrying so hefty fire power for lighting. But instead I kept to the light, waking early before sunrise and setting up my nights camp in the fading evening light. I made camp each day in the hottest hours of the afternoon. I would set up my tent and do my best to create at least some shade, which wasn't always easy.


  One afternoon I stopped to make camp on a high ridge spanning mountain peaks, there were no trees, and almost no bush or scrub of any kind thanks to the bush fires. And with the sun directly overhead its hard to make any escape.

  The only real shelter at that point was to pitch my tent - which was no cup of tea in the wind at 1100' on a 5m wide ridge - and use my sleeping bag to line the roof of the tent in order to cast at least a bit of shade to get myself out of direct sunlight. This method was pretty effective, however it doesn't compare to the shade of a nice big river gum. The down insulation held the heat in more than I would have liked, but it was good to get out of the sun!


  My biggest concern throughout the trek, and across the whole country really, was mainly the snakes. And considering there are some 140 different species of land snakes in Australia, not to mention about another 32 water snakes, the odds of running into one in some of the places I went was a given. And boy I saw a lot. I was averaging 3 snakes a day in the mountains. Mainly browns(like the one to the left) thankfully. Though I did encounter one smaller python and what I believe may have been a small fierce snake - the most toxic species of land snake known to man. However, it is NOT the worlds most toxic venomous snake.

  I was actually fairly impressed at how much surface water there was to be found across the West Mac's. Now mind you, a large portion of it was far from drinkable, however I did find a few water holes suitable for a refreshing swim, and apparently drinkable too! But there was a lot of tainted water out there, mucky, slime filled, orange-green-brown sludge pools. And at one point I thought I had found a nice little pool, possibly something I could filter and store for boiling, coming from an underground spring in the rocks at that. But... I am glad I took my time to check out the scene before I dove in. See the below picture.

Warning... the following images may make you squirmy and icky...

 
 

  Yup, a kangaroo carcass had spoiled the waterhole.
 
  This is something you need to be extremely careful about when searching for water. You can't be too careful when scouting the source of you water, making sure you aren't drinking from a stale source. But you must also be sure to inspect the area AROUND the water. Even though the majority of the roo was not in the water, it lay on a ledge above the water, and you can bet your boomerang there has been more than enough wash in to that pool to taint the water beyond salvage. On top of that, a skull in my drinking water is enough to turn me off as it is.

  But these weren't the only "left-overs" I found around Oz; camels, cows, wild pigs, roos, wild goats. The camel bones looked like dinosaur bones, an exciting find out in the mountains.

 

  

  My gear held up well, and I was more than impressed, especially with the performance of my shoes. I definitely stretched the capabilities and boundaries of my Ospray Atmos 50L pack though. Between my 5L of water, food rations and my gear I well exceeded the recommended weight to be carried in it - avg. 35Lbs. But it held together. I did feel the repercussions, and they weren't pretty, but it was one heck of a pounding test for it. That bag has been dropped, dragged, banged, tossed and everything in between and she still holds tough. Can't beat it. 

Larapinta pt. 1

  Light smoke still lingered in the distance surrounding Alice Springs on the morning I set out for the Larapinta Trail.

  I left just before first light, crossing town and making my way up the dry river bank to the trail head. My starting point was the old Alice Telegraph station, several Km north of town.

  It was light by the time I reached the trail head. It was also very cool, but by that point I was used to the cool Aussie mornings. My goal for the day was to complete the near 24Km first section of the trail as far as Simpsons Gap.

  I'll be honest, I really had no idea what to expect setting out. I was in for the long haul. Set to travel light. Set to travel fast. Leaving behind the majority of my gear, including my camp stove and water filter, I was traveling with more weight in water and emergency rations than gear! Not quite what I expected "light" to feel like.

  Climbing out of the river banks, I set up across the rocky hillside, entering the West MacDonnell Mountain Ranges.

  I remember thinking after the first two Km or so, "If it's all like this, I'll be out and back in no time." But I quickly found out that it definitely was not  going to be that easy. The beginning of the trail is somewhat deceiving compared to what lay several Km in. But this hasn't been ranked as one of the worlds premier hiking trails for nothing. In fact, I had no idea what lay in store for me... not at all.

  I would definitely urge anyone interested in hiking this tail to obtain a copy of the trail info pack (available online and at the Info Center in Alice Springs), and study it well. I had a copy. I glanced at it the night before setting out, read a few of the pointers they outlined, and tucked it away. I figured I would wing it for the most part. The trail was marked out... sort of. I had my bearing... West... ish. After all, whats adventure without a little surprise?

  I had decided to pull up and make camp on the first day for lunch and a short rest at Wallaby Gap, about 13Km in. The hike to Wallaby Gap after crossing the Stuart Highway (what I considered to be my real entry into the wild from Alice) had been a constant slow ascent until reaching the base of Euro Ridge. It was quite a climb to the peak, where I had a great view of Alice Springs and the surrounding desert and mountains. What a view. Sitting with my feet dangling over the 750m cliff, I tried to work out where the path on the next ridge would lead down to my next rest point, and lunch! At Wallaby Gap.

  From there the terrain flattened out a bit more, and it was smooth sailing for the next few Km before the push to reach Saddle Hill Hat. The ridge marked the final stretch of the day, with a gradual descent to Simpsons Gap.

  The effects of the wildfires which had torn through the ranges were wide spread in every direction. But rather than just one constant strip of scorched hillside, what I experienced was huge patches of burnt area, followed by several hundred yards of fresh green growth, then more burn area. It definitely made for an interesting trek. Lots of areas (like the one shown in the picture to the left) are covered in chard shrubs shooting out of a bed of white ash, which completely covered the ground in areas.


  I was exhausted when I reached the gap, dehydrated and ready for a solid nights rest. I knew I hadn't drank nearly enough water over the day, in fact no where near enough.

  Until this point The Outback and I had been on fairly even ground, I had handled the terrain and changing elements well. But the West MacDonnells were quickly shaping up to be a whole new ball game. My toughest challenge yet? You bet ya! I hadn't felt this out of shape the whole trip, and considering it was only the end of day, it was seeming as though it was going to be quite a battle.

  Sunset over the Gap that night was certainly a spectacle to behold. Similar to Uluru, the Ranges here turn amazing colours as the sun sets.

  I bunked in as the sun went down to look over the next days route and see what lay in store. I'd be looking to make at least 25Km before sunset. The majority of the day would be ascent, with the exception of the last 3Km, descending to where I'd hope to make camp for the night.

Kings Canyon - Kata Tjuta - Uluru pt. 3

Uluru

 Our first real taste of Uluru - more commonly known to the western world as Ayers Rock - began with a visit to the Uluru - Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, owned and run by the Anangu people. These aboriginal peoples are known as the keepers, or owners, of Uluru, and they are very happy and keen to share their knowledge and history with visitors.
 After our self guided tour through the visitors centre, where we learned about the history of the aboriginals who inhabited the area, as well as their Dreamtime stories and significances of Uluru in their culture, it was time to get up close and personal with the famous monolith.  

 As it was already pretty late in the afternoon by the time we reach the base of Uluru. We were guided along one of short tracks called the Mala Walk, which features many old aboriginal sites and rock art. 

 Now, scientists and geologists have many explanations and theories describing and unfolding the mysteries behind Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon. But the aboriginals have their own explanations for all of these things. And I have to admit, I think I like the aboriginals explanations better.

 Rather than talking about erosion and sediment and fluvial channels, the aboriginals have ancient stories from the "Dreamtime" that explain every significance in the area. Every rock form, crevasse, cave and green space has a significance and a story explaining its creation and being.

 After our walk wrapped up, we headed for a lookout to grab a prime spot to watch the world famous Uluru Sunset! It is quite spectacular to watch the rock change colour as the sun sets. Such drastic changes in such a short period of time. It is quite a sight to see.

 We spent the better part of the evening at the lookout, till well after dark. The full moon provided some very interesting photo opportunities. And while all of the other tour groups had arrived right at sunset and left instantly after, our crew arrived early to grab a prime spot, watched the entire sunset, ate dinner and stuck around much, much longer than anyone else. I almost feel sorry for the other people for missing out... Almost.


 Finally we packed up and headed to make camp. It wouldn't be a long night, as we were waking in the wee ours of the morning to once again snag our prime spot for the sunrise view. 

 The nights were pretty cool, but not like many of the nights I had spent in Queensland - the coldest I was aware of had reached -5C. So these nights around Uluru were refreshing for me. But with a big fire rolling we all curled around with our swag and before we knew it, everyone was fast asleep except for myself and new friend Boris. Being our last night on the trip, and with such a large pile of firewood remaining we felt it was only right, our duty, to stay up and finish off the wood pile. 

 Morning has never come so early...

  It was right up and at 'em the last morning of our trip. If I had checked the time I would say it had been around 4:30am. We rolled up our swags and had camped packed up surprisingly quick considering he hour of the morning.


 It was great to spend those few nights out in the swags, not too, too cold, clear star-lit sky's and not a bug in sight. Though we were kept company by what I would have considered a small heard of aussie kangaroo mice. They were quite friendly little buggers.


 So off we set for our lookout to watch the sunrise over Uluru - where we would also be having breakfast, and very much needed coffee. It was quite an experience all-in-all, and I have to give props to The Rock Tour for putting together such a well structured agenda.

 Sunrise was nothing short of spectacular. Cameras went off like mad, here there and everywhere. And for a moment, I think everyone even forgot that they could see their own breath. 


 Once the sun had risen, we set off back to the base of the rock. We had the morning free to explore and wander some of the tails surrounding Uluru independently. This was our first chance to really get up and close for a little one-on-one time with one of Australia's oldest and most significant pieces of the countries culture and history.


 Myself, and several others completed the entire base walk around the rock. The roughly 10Km loop is definitely the best way to take it all in here. There is so much to take in if a person is willing to open their eyes and their imaginations. Despite all the geological significances, it was the stories and the history of the aboriginals that caught me more than anything. 


  As I have said before, everyone experiences these place differently. Ten people visiting these places together can walk away in the end having had ten very different experiences. That is one of the beauties I discovered out here, but not just in the park, but the entire Outback. It holds something different for everyone. But little did I know just what the Outback had in store for me next...

 Though one thing several of us did share was an encounter with two dingoes as we were walking the trail. They were so tame and in such good health that we mistook them for domestic dogs that had gotten loose from their owner. A bit father down the tail we discovered what we believed to be these dingoes den. Someone was certainly living there!

 

Kings Canyon - Kata Tjuta - Uluru pt. 2

Kata Tjuta

 Our second stop on the three part trip took us into Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park to Kata Tjuta.

 The English translation of Kata Tjuta from the Aboriginal language means "Many Heads". The aboriginals were very straight forward in the naming process, and for the most part called things as they saw them. Kata Tjuta is a large rock formation spanning nearly 22 square Km and does in fact look like several heads poking out of the ground. Also referredto as The Olgas, named after Mount Olga, the sites highest point. 

 It was still dark as we started packing up camp that morning. Orion's Belt as clear as day in the north eastern sky. It felt like I had barely even gotten my eyes closed when we were all woken by the crackling fire and the smell of coffee catching everyone's attention.
 Several cups of coffee later we had camp pretty well cleared and were ready to make our way. Daylight was just coming on as we headed off.

 It was an incredible sight to see as we approached The Olgas, jetting out of the ground, these massive rock domes towered over the landscape. Our trek began through the Valley of the Winds, passing between huge rock faces. Several of us commented on what an awesome climb it would be going up any part of the rocks. But, climbing is forbidden at this site, and it is strongly reinforced. Regardless, I was more than satisfied with a look by the end.
 
 After we made our way through the entrance and into the center of the domes, the land opened up into lush (for the desert kind of lush), green rolling hills, with amazing rocky outcrops in the background. Everyone kept a sharp eye for snakes and any other critters we might spot as we wandered along the trail, through tall grass, under shade patches and over rocky terrain.

 Now I don't know if it just me here, or if everyone gets sucked into the moment like I did here... again... But give me a whip, pistol and a cool hat and I would have felt like Indiana Jones diving in to yet another adventure.
 Hmm... That happens a lot. I really need a cool hat.

 You'll hear guides here talking about how places like Kata Tjuta and Uluru feel, and how everyone who visits may feel something different or significant. They are certainly right.

  While I did hear some people comment on how they felt nothing at all around any of these ares, I know I sure did. What exactly it was, I'm not sure. But for those of us that did we all knew it, and though we couldn't really explain it we understood at least that we each knew it was there. Personally, and this comes not just from this outing, but my entire experience out here, it seems as though too many people spend their lives watching, and never spend any time looking at/for, or feeling what is around them. I was asked several times on our trip why I was so good at spotting animals and tracks, and I would just answer that I was looking for it.
 The way the caverns closed in around certain areas definitely made it feel as though you were being watched I found. Dozens of small caves fill the rock walls all over the place. Even the rocks on the ground seemed to be watching you!

 
Seeing these places with a guided tour like ours really is the best way to spend your first experience. There is so much culture and history to the areas which otherwise would go unknown to the lone traveler. The aboriginals have a meaning and significance for everything. The rivers, the rocks, forests. And not just the items themselves, but their shape, markings, colour... It all has a purpose, a meaning. And to discover that so many people still share a connection to this meaning, the Dreamtime and the culture was, for me, quite pleasing and relieving to find out.

 We didn't encounter too many critters on this trek, however, just before returning to the parking lot to make our way out I spotted a small lizard crouched in the rocks along the side of the trail. He was a little skittish at first, but warmed up to me quite quickly!

 Soon after, we hit the dirt again and set off for a quick lunch before getting our first taste of Uluru (Ayers Rock).

Kings Canyon - Kata Tjuta - Uluru pt. 1

Kings Canyon

 I didn't waste any time in hitting the sights upon arriving in Alice Springs.

  I had found out while still in Darwin that half of the Larapinta Trail - which I was intending to begin hiking right away on arriving in Alice Springs - had be burnt right out and was still at high risk of wildfires. By the time I arrived in Alice things hadn't changed.

 So rather than sit around and wait for the tides to turn on the trail I decided it was time to see some sights and jumped in on a guided Camping tour to Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kings Canyon and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas).

 The trip started off with a bang. The morning we were due to leave there was a huge thunder storm which was responsible for starting several fires in and around Alice Springs. Luckily things cleared up as we pulled away from town.

 Because of the higher than average rainfall last year, more vegetation has grown across the and around the Red Center, creating high than average fuel for fires. And being the end of the dry season, things were DRY!
We passed miles and miles of blackened, scared land on the trip. Similar, I imagined, to what the Larapinta may look like at that moment.

 Kings Canyon was first on our agenda of amazing sights. And it was, in short, spectacular! We hiked to the top of the canyon and along the 'Rim Walk' across some amazing landscape, at times treading only inches from the over 300m high cliff's edge.

 Mid way around the canyon we descended into a valley known as The Garden of Eden. A tropical, lush forest leading to a permanent waterhole found deep in the valley. I was completely shocked when I found out I was the only person eager to dive into the waterhole. Such a peaceful, refreshing pool, on a hot active day, I wasn't saying no! So in I dove. I mean really, who wouldn't want to be able to say that they swam in the Garden of Eden? Apparently everyone but me? At least on that day.

 Afterwords our trek continued back to the top of the canyon and across a long, dome-covered, sandstone plateau, where i spotted a giant Perentie sitting right beside our trail. I'm not sure how the rest of the group missed it, but this huge monitor lizard caught my eye instantly!

 While Perenties have been known to reach lengths exceeding 8 feet, our boy was roughly four and a half to five feet long. These guys are very similar to the Goulds Goanna which I encountered many of in Queensland, but are much slimmer and apparently to see one in the wild is quite rare, as they are known to be extremely timid and shy. However, this particular monitor couldn't have been happier to pose, basking in the sunshine as I snapped away all the photo's I could. This could probably be classed as another foolish situation where I got far too close to something. The claws and teeth alone on these guys is enough to do a person in, never mind the fact that scientists believe that Perenties may produce a venomous bite to top it off.

 One highlight of the tour for me was the amount of knowledge our guide, Karmen, had about bush medicines and wild food. Karmen and i hit it off very early into the trip exchanging tips, stories and experiences in the outback. She was just as eager to hear about how the Canadian wilderness compared to Australia's as I was to learn all I could get out of her on Oz.

 The view as we descended back to the bottom of the canyon was breath taking. It, and the whole area we had passed through reminded me of something out of an Indiana Jones movie, or The Mummy. Absolutely amazing country.

 We pulled into camp that night just after dark. Our group seemed to all connect very well, very early on. Everyone pitched in and pulled their weight right from the get go, and in only minutes our camp was shaping up nicely. We had a nice big fire rolling, plenty of firewood for the night and the next morning (Following the 3:1 rule - Gather as much wood as you think you need for a night, then triple it), swags rolling out in all directions and dinner as on.
 A night under the outback stars, sitting by the fire wasn't a new experience for me by this time - it felt like home. But there was something about being there with new friends, sharing new experiences (and tell tales of many of my past experiences as well) and just being in the moment that was very refreshing, and as exciting as your very first camping trip.

 The outback has been very good to me. It has taken me a long way, in what I must admit has been a much safer manor than I had anticipated. For that I am very grateful. And even though I chose the path I did... alone... Aware of the potential danger and anticipation of loneliness, I don't regret the decision, though to be able to share  part of that experience, even though only a small fraction, made it all worth while.

 As we all tucked in that night after a mighty feast of mince chili and rice over the open fire, kangaroo mice bouncing rigorously throughout our campsite, and the milky way high over head, I couldn't wait to find out what the following days had in store.

Recap pt.2 From Lochinvar

Recap pt.2 From Lochinvar

Echidna Surprise!

                After a long morning of breaking in wieners, Davie and I had just sat down for a much deserved cup of coffee – smoko as they call it – when the station owner’s wife showed up in a tissy. The water wasn’t working, a pipe must have burst. She asked if we would find and fix the problem. A fairly simple, quick task. Yup, we’d get right on it, after coffee.

                Turns out, in order to locate the leak, someone, had to squeeze under the house and inch along the ground between floor joists up and down along the whole house. It wasn’t a short house! And you can guess who ‘someone’ was. Me! So off I went.

                Luckily the water was running out at a pretty decent rate, enough to have made a sustaining puddle, from which I could hear the “drip, drip, drip”. As I inched up alongside the pipe, which had been cut miles too long to begin with, I found the leak. It was no ordinary leak, definitely not a burst from cold or pressure. I called for someone to toss me a torch to get a better look. Sure enough, the pipe was covered in bite marks over about a 3 foot section.

                It hadn’t dawned on me till this point one bit all of the critters that could be living under there. The thoughts that quickly filled me head did seem to speed up the repair job though. But half way along the fixer-upper one of the hoses slipped out of my hand and began pour water into the hole in front of me. I put down my pliers and inched over the whole to reach for the pipe. My entire upper body covering the whole I got hold of the pipe again and rolled onto my side to finish the job when I noticed the tennis ball, which I had rolled into the hole earlier, starting to move a bit. I grabbed my torch for a closer look, praying that I hadn’t been lying in a snake’s nest, to find three giant echidna (kind of like an Aussie porcupine) lying in the hole. The same hole I had just strung myself across, dangling a mere 3” over these fellas.

                Now, we all know that porcupines are not very vicious animals, and echidna are known to be quite sluggish and shy, but we all know what happens when a dog sticks his nose up to a porcupine for a closer sniff... he gets a snout full of quills! And since the last thing I wanted was a snout full of quills I made an executive decision that the job could be completed much more efficiently from the outside and that I should probably hurry up and get out of there, you know, ‘cause we had other work to do. 

                 Interesting fact - Echidnas are an egg-laying mammal. One of only four extant species in the world - Along with the platypus. Who knew!

It Does NOT Taste Like Chicken

It seems the world is fascinated by the claim that so many things taste like chicken. I personally don’t see it, or well, taste it. In several different instances crossing Queensland, I heard people refer to many different animals all tasting like chicken. Not every white meat taste like chicken folks!

Snake, goanna, frog, yes are all white meat, but taste nothing like chicken! The meat may look quite similar once cooked, but the taste is very different. Unless you are just frying everything in heaps of butter, then it all just tastes like cooked butter... If you want the true taste nothing beats roasting over an open fire.

Personally I find snake reminds me of catfish, but that’s just me.

                Interesting fact – Goanna’s have two different types of meat on them, white and red, in their tail and hind quarters.

Hog Tied

Working on cattle station for the first time meant learning all the ropes really, really quick. This included: how to muster properly – using formations and controlling the heard effectively; how to keep up in the draft ring; branding; and, how to hog tie a full sized bull without getting impaled or trampled.

Most of these things got some sort of brief explanation before we got started. Most of these things I was told we were doing before we started. Not the hog tie.

We had just finished up what had seemed like a pretty flawless muster. Just when I thought I could kick back for a quick breather and take in the morning’s good work, Davie flies past me on the bike heading back out into the paddock.

“Get up on side of him,” Davie yells over the two-way.

I had no idea what he was talking about. “Righto!” and off I went. Flying down the fence line to god only knew where. I cleared the brush line just in time to see the big bull break out at full speed from the trees heading away from me. On the far side Davie flew around headed straight for the bull.

Ok, now I think I kinda get it... almost. Kicking it up one more gear I headed in towards the bull, trying to follow Davies lead.

“Get up, get up!” he was yelling and waving an arm for me to move in.

Before I even knew what had happened, the bull was down, Davie was yelling for me to pin it down. Rather than ask questions I figured ‘what could it hurt’ (aside from getting kicked in the chest) and dove off my bike onto of the bull, and without even thinking, reached in, hauled his tail in and around a hind leg and heaved with all my might to keep him down while Davie tied the hind legs.

No sooner was that done than the bull kicked up, knocked me off and was standing pretty aggravated on three legs. Needless to say we wasted no time in putting the bikes between us and the bull and waited for the truck to pull up. When it did Davie scrambled to get the trailer set up to haul the bull on and prompted me to rope the bull and get ready to haul him in.

“Rope and haul?” I thought. Then it struck me why Davie had passed off this coil of rope earlier on. Joy, lets lasso an angry bull with a short rope. Good idea.

I was shocked at how easy it actually was. Whether it was just natural skill, or the fear of getting it wrong the first time and getting mauled, I made pretty quick work of getting the bull roped, and with a solid tug had him back down into a manageable position.

It wasn’t long before we had the bull on the trailer, tied down and were heading home for lunch. All in a mornings work.

Not bad for my first time. We had three other instances like this during my weeks on the station. Always a different situation. Always happening in the blink of an eye, and never an extra hand to hold the camera. But man what a rush.

Recap: Lochinvar to Darwin - Part 1

            Recap: Lochinvar to Darwin - Part 1

Working on a cattle station had its ups and downs. Many more ups than downs though. While I didn’t get very much time off away from work I did manage to find ways of making use of my time to turn work into more of an adventure than one may have thought possible.

            As I mentioned before, Davie, the station Manager/Ringer was very helpful and extremely knowledgeable about the bush: wild foods, medicine, identification, you name it. I was very impressed.

            I spent many afternoons quizzing him about different plants and animals we would stumble onto. He even began pointing out a lot on his own after a while. I think my sense of adventure rubbed off on him. He would get nearly as excited as I would when we would stumble onto a snake track or goanna hole.

            I was given a 4-wheeler to use during my time on the station - For work and for play. This made getting away to the far reaches of the station much easier whenever I had a little time to kill.

            I had a pack sitting beside the door ready to go for anytime it looked like the work day might finish up with daylight left to spare. Wasting no time I’d be off across the country side flat out to see what I could bump into in the fading light. Every good explorer knows that dusk is the best time to go searching for critters. They are all just poking their noses out for the night, AND there is just enough daylight left to hopefully snap a good picture or two in the process.

            Everyday held no shortage of interesting and exciting elements. Hope you enjoy these highlights of the last two months...

            Warning: The following may contain slightly disturbing and icky content... But this is real life folks.

                Piggin’

                How much more fun could you get in a day of complete and utter failure!

                I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon with a local roo-shooter, Reece, who is also an avid wild pig hunter. Hunting pigs Aussie style is quite different than anything I have really seen, but completely up my alley!

                There are no guns, or bows or firearms of any kind used with these guys got out for a day of piggin’. A good dog and a big knife is all you need to get the job done. I had the knife!

                These guys spend the day cruising the river banks, fields and tree lines looking for tracks, poop, pig holes, any sign of animals in the area. When sign is found the dogs are put on the trail to track down the pig. If the trail is hot the chase is on! We had several exciting starts on trails with the dogs going wild, unfortunately none of them turned up any pigs in the end.

                But, when the dogs get onto a trail and track down a pig, the run it down and corner, or pin it, and hold it until you can put that trust big knife to work.

                While our day ended empty handed, just the thought of racing along through the trees with your dog – in hot pursuit of the pig – to down your catch with your bare hands is, well, well that’s just kind of epic, no?

                I did make many attempts after that day to down a pig, but was eluded by the same huge porker every time. I think he could tell when I was coming, and if I was armed or not, as I would usually only catch sight of him with I was completely unarmed or was racing off to finish a job or round a mob of cattle.

                Going Banana’s over Goannas

                A LOT of people give me strange looks out here when I talk about goannas. Most people find them to be quite a filthy and disgusting animal – at least when eating them is in context. I suppose that is understandable when you have seen enough, watched them feeding and actually understand what they feed on. But, now fully educated on the subject, I still like the buggers!

                So what is it that they feed on? Well I am glad you asked!

                For the most part, the species that I encountered most often, the goulds goanna, feed on rotting, decaying animals. Yummy! There’s nothing quite like pulling up in front of a dead cow and finding a large lizard chowing down, buried waist deep in a rotting carcase.

                Grilled goanna for dinner anyone? I suggest a back leg or the tail.

                Goannas have been a crucial part of bush tucker for hundreds of years. It is a classic dish usually cooked by laying the whole lizard on hot coals and slowly roasting it whole. This is the traditional and probably best way to cook them, as the skin is very tough and protects the meat while cooking, then peels off effortlessly after cooking. But if fired lizard guts aren’t you thing then skinning and gutting them also does the trick, in which case it is recommended to roast them on a spit over a fire, or, if available, marinade the meat in vinegar and roast wrapped in foil (or leaves, whichever is handy!).

                It was winter, the dry season, while I was at Lochinvar. Most reptiles were hibernating for several months in our area of South West Queensland. But who could blame them! I never would have expected that I would be waking up to frost every morning in Australia! Regardless, the odd goanna poked about on the warmer days in the earlier months, but as the season died and what you would class as spring came upon us, they were everywhere! Green goannas, blue goannas, yellow goannas, brown goannas! I was blown away!

Day 124

 Day 124
 Wow, How have I kept count!

 We are well into spring here in Alice Springs, and it's feeling like an Ontario summer heatwave.

 I have just emerged from an incredible walk-a-bout across the West MacDonnell Ranges. While I did fall short of my sightly over ambitious goal of 450Km in 15 days, I feel like what I took away from the experience was exactly what I was intended to get.

 The Larapinta Trail is a [roughly] 225Km track stretching from Alice Springs historic Telegraph Station across the West MacDonnell Ranges to the summit of Mount Sonder (1297m). It is now rated as one of the Worlds Premier hiking tracks, and I couldn't resist the chance to take it on! On average it takes 12 - 14 days to comfortably reach the end from Alice Springs. My goal was to reach the summit of Mount Sonder and return to Alice all within 15 days, [roughly] 450Km, carrying all of my food, and supplies, plus 5L of water as I set off each morning.

 Sounds pretty keen, eh? Pretty stupid if you ask me! What kind of idiot takes on something like that? (Never mind the fact that we are sitting in the middle of desert country)

 Well, that idiot would be me! Like they say, better an Ambitious Idiot than Ignorantly Stupid!


 Ok, so maybe I'm the only one who says that, but it makes sense to me! After all where would we be with out overly ambitious yahoos doing rediculous thing? Probably over-crowding Europe...

 The trail varies in grade from section to section, and was, I will admit, much more challenging than I ever imagined it would be. When they say very hard track they mean it! I crossed everything from sand flats, grasslands and mulga flats, to river beds, chasms and gorges, to some of the highest mountain peaks and challenging ridges and scrambles in the Northern Territory.

 Over all it was an incredible experience. 7 days "gone bush" as the Aussies say. Every night camping out under the stars, just in time for the full moon to last my entire stint! There was, and still is a very high fire warning in effect, so a toasty fire to end me off every night was usually out of the question, though. In fact, I was actually two weeks late setting out on my expedition due to bush fires that tore through the Ranges the weekend I was due to arrive in Alice Springs. The effects of the fires were very harsh n some sections, every day I wandered through the burnt out country side, ash and char as far as the eye could see at  times. But, thankfully there were some untouched areas, holding some of the most spectacular wildlife and vegetation I have ever seen.

 But in the end, the heat caught up with me as a result of having to embark two weeks late, as well the weight of my pack played a big factor in my having to leave the trail early. Setting out from Alice Springs with near 30Kg in my bag was pretty stupid, and that kind of weight doesn't drop quickly on rationed food and constantly refilling water supplies.

Bruised, blistered and broken I sit here at Alice Lodge Backpackers happier and far more content than a pig in warm... well, you get the picture. A long story short, I am personally quite thrilled at where my trek took me, the things I saw and did and the awesome people I met.

 Stay tuned for the detailed version of my trip, including some sweet photo's. But first - and I thank you for baring with me on this - to finish catching you up on my earlier adventures out of Queensland and Darwin!