[Birding-Aus] Desert birder death
john hammond
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L&L Knight
the outback than you are doing a real bushwalk.
I never had any qualms about doing week-long bushwalks on my own in SW
Tasmania when I was a uni student. I saw no-one during the first 6
days of a walk to Melaleuca via Precipitous Bluff and no-one at all on
a traverse of the Wilmot and Frankland Ranges.
There were no GPSs or EPBs in those days, but I had access to maps and
guidebooks, the requisite skill, physical ability and bushwalking
gear, and I knew what I was doing. The downsides were not having
anyone to share the load with [meaning I was carrying up to 30 kg] and
not having anyone around when things got tricky.
It's important to know what you can do, what you are doing, what you
need to have and where you are going before you venture out the door.
That said, it is definitely worth venturing out the door.
Regards, Laurie.
On 10/10/2008, at 2:26 PM, john hammond wrote:
> I find myself sitting here contemplating that poor blokes demise and
> i realise the risks i have taken in my pursuit of birds. Chasing a
> night heron has taken me into a swamp chest deep in water and
> sinking in the mud. If those waders of mine had filled up with water
> or i had become stuck i am sure it would have been game over. I
> often walk for a couple of hours into bush land with no water back
> up or even a snake bandage (usually wear shorts). My wife never
> knows where i am and i do all this because i assume nothing will go
> wrong and i will be back safe and sound in a couple of hours. On a
> desert trip it would be just like me to get caught up in the thrill
> of the chase and leave the water back at camp thinking of nothing
> but that "grass wren". I guess a tragic event like this wakes some
> of us up to the fact that even close to a city it doesn't take that
> long to take yourself to a place where no one can hear you
> scream.... John
> _________________________________________________________________
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Chris Charles
happening. There is nothing like a near miss or a day spent
backtracking to a known point to give you something to think about
and learn like no amount of lecturing ever will.
This process made you who you are today.
Evan's climbing has its obvious risks vs consequences that are
difficult to ignore, demand full concentration & the cerebral/
physical conquering of the danger is a good part of the allure. The
taking on the risk & beating it is a very human pleasure.
However going out of town for a few hours in the 4WD does not have
the same immediacy & it is the compounding smaller setbacks that can
be just as catastrophic & so much harder to contemplate.
Johns thrill-of-the-chase must be familiar to many of us. The
bushcraft is part of why we bird. Bushcraft is partly preparing for
any eventuality & partly dealing with the one you didnt prepare for.
What I am trying to say is that sometimes getting all the ducks in
row before taking off means that you never get to take off & there
lies bored to death.....definitely worth venturing out the door as
you say Laurie.
Chris Charles
0412 911 184
lic...@ozemail.com.au
33deg 47'30"S
151deg10'09"E
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gary wright
I have been lost in the mallee a couple of times(only for a few hours, but
long enough to loosen my bowels!) in exactly the way that you describe,
criss crossing the track to chase a special bird, then going deep into the
scrub and not knowing which side of the track I am on and therefore not
knowing which way to walk. This is 20 years ago and since then I am very
careful. Compass reading when leaving the track even when catching a
glimpse of possible sought after species that has to be pursued. Usually a
GPS location for car and precheck batteries before I go!
So far, so good!
Gary
----- Original Message -----
From: "john hammond" <joh...@live.com.au>
To: "birding aus" <birdi...@vicnet.net.au>
Sent: Friday, October 10, 2008 1:56 PM
Subject: [Birding-Aus] Desert birder death
I find myself sitting here contemplating that poor blokes demise and i
realise the risks i have taken in my pursuit of birds. Chasing a night heron
has taken me into a swamp chest deep in water and sinking in the mud. If
those waders of mine had filled up with water or i had become stuck i am
sure it would have been game over. I often walk for a couple of hours into
bush land with no water back up or even a snake bandage (usually wear
shorts). My wife never knows where i am and i do all this because i assume
nothing will go wrong and i will be back safe and sound in a couple of
hours. On a desert trip it would be just like me to get caught up in the
thrill of the chase and leave the water back at camp thinking of nothing but
that "grass wren". I guess a tragic event like this wakes some of us up to
the fact that even close to a city it doesn't take that long to take
yourself to a place where no one can hear you scream.... John
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Denise Goodfellow
families when something goes wrong, and I can't tell you how glad I am that
my special men (husband, son and son-in-law to be) are not like you.
Such behaviour is a major reason why I now weed out the gonzo birders who
email me - I grew sick and tired of trying to look after men who risked
heat exhaustion and crocodile attack to get that special tick. And there is
no way I'd recommend such visitors to my Indigenous relatives. The serious
injury or death of any visitor to their country would cause them
immeasurable distress.
Sure, I've taken risks, as a buffalo shooter, and a biological consultant.
But they were calculated risks - I knew the country, animal behaviour, and
my limits. And while I often guide birders into mangroves, I avoid areas of
deep mud, and places where I know, or suspect there, might be crocodiles.
By the same token I wouldn't walk around lonely streets or parks of Darwin
at night and advise my clients accordingly.
Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
PO Box 3460 NT 0832
Ph. 61 08 89 328306
Birdwatching and Indigenous tourism consultant
PhD Candidate
http:// www.denisegoodfellow.com
http://web.mac.com/goodfellowdl
http://www.earthfoot.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/baby-dreaming
http://www.ausbird.com
http://birderstravel.com
on 10/10/08 1:56 PM, john hammond at joh...@live.com.au wrote:
> I find myself sitting here contemplating that poor blokes demise and i realise
> the risks i have taken in my pursuit of birds. Chasing a night heron has taken
> me into a swamp chest deep in water and sinking in the mud. If those waders of
> mine had filled up with water or i had become stuck i am sure it would have
> been game over. I often walk for a couple of hours into bush land with no
> water back up or even a snake bandage (usually wear shorts). My wife never
> knows where i am and i do all this because i assume nothing will go wrong and
> i will be back safe and sound in a couple of hours. On a desert trip it would
> be just like me to get caught up in the thrill of the chase and leave the
> water back at camp thinking of nothing but that "grass wren". I guess a tragic
> event like this wakes some of us up to the fact that even close to a city it
> doesn't take that long to take yourself to a place where no one can hear you
> scream.... John
> _________________________________________________________________
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john hammond
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Denise Goodfellow
I'm so glad you're listening to your wife.
And on getting into trouble in the bush -
some years ago a colleague and I were carrying out biological surveys at Mt
Bundey, when we ran into a bunch of armed men rustling cattle and buffalo.
They threatened to shoot us if we didn't move. We did.
Next morning my colleague discovered an Elliot trap missing and decided to
find the men and confront them. The men had left for the morning's work so
instead he searched their tents. I pleaded with him to desist on behalf of
his wife and young child, and of course my kids as well. Also I was very
fond of this man and didn't want to see him hurt.
A few days later while surveying another area they'd visited we came across
signs of what could well have been a murder. I'll never forget K. walking
through the sand of that creek bed saying, "Cripes, what if there's a corpse
around the next bend"!
He was so worried that as we ate our dinner I made up fairy stories to
lighten the mood! I told him for instance, that those dirty big men had a
secret wish to be fairies, and while out in the bush wore pink tutus!
Best wishes
Denise
on 13/10/08 2:31 PM, john hammond at joh...@live.com.au wrote:
> My wife would love you for that post Denise. She has lectured me in the past
> for some of my birding habits. All this hasnt fallen on deaf ears as i now
> plan to take a pack with some essentials for those days i get carried away and
> walk a lot further than expected. Think i will even get a GPS for the big
> christmas birding bash. Regards all......John.
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Stephen Ambrose
The thought of encountering big, burley men wearing pink tutus while in the
bush is probably more frightening than the thought of meeting up with armed
rustlers!
Cheers,
Stephen
Dr Stephen Ambrose
Ryde, NSW