Australia, bushtucker?

[frogfish]

Hello!

I´m planning to move to Australia (Northern Queensland) in the beginng of next year.
Do you can give me some tips about bushcraft-books down under?

I read the survival manual of the police which I got from Abbe (thanks mate) but of course there must be more.

Tips for plant and animal identification books as well?


Thanks a lot,
Heiko

 

[wentworth]

Les Hiddens aka bushtucker man, has a few dvd's of his series and a few books on bush tucker. It's mainly based around the top half of Australia. "From the rainforests tp Cape York" dvd would suit you.

 

[spamel]

You can get them from dvdorchard and they have a super fast delivery. Obviously, I have absoloutely no connection apart from the fact that I am a very satisfied customer.

I bought Bush Tucker Man: 8 Classic stories of survival, which is not a bad series, but not quite as good IMO as the original Bush Tucker Man series. Both are 2 dvd packs, and you will see lots of stuff that'll make you go "Eh, hang on a minute! Didn't Ray do that in such and such series!" Some of the stories covered are the same and he does the matchbox nut thingy aswell as a few others. Of course, Les did them first, but he goes really into the various bush tucker available.

The series is great, although I didn't think the quality of picture was as good, but hey it is nearly 16 years old! You've gotta love the cheesy music too!

 

[BOD]

Les Hiddens has a bush tucker book as well. Do a Google search and you should be able to find it.

He was compiling bushtucker "snack" maps for the DoDefence. I do not know if these are available.

If they are they would be great for trip planning!

 

[Joeri]

wow... nice to see a thread on bushtucker man. I think that was my first contact with bushcraft. Discovery showed it years ago. I never really linked it to bushcraft back than, but I think he is responsible for catching my interests in the first place. Might buy one or 2 dvd's.

 

[PC2K]

same with me here, still remeber his program from when i was young..

 

[spamel]

They are region 4, although they seem to play in my player that apparently only plays region 2!!

 

[BOD]

wow... nice to see a thread on bushtucker man. I think that was my first contact with bushcraft. Discovery showed it years ago. I never really linked it to bushcraft back than, but I think he is responsible for catching my interests in the first place. Might buy one or 2 dvd's.

There are some older threads. See http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=4768&highlight=Hiddins

He is an original. More recently he has been asking for a part of the Queensland rainforest to be set aside for old Vietnam 'diggers' to mess around in. he believes in the healing power of nature and bushcraft to calm troubled souls

 

[frogfish]

Thank you kindly for the tips.
I ordered the DVD.
As well I found some books about australien bushcraft while googling on the DVDs.
Though, quite expensibe shipping costs from down under...
...get them anyway

I feels realy exiting to move house to the other part of the world with its totally own fauna and flora. So I have to start at the bottom one more time...bushcarftly spoken- at least I can make fire

Heiko

 

[BOD]

Which part of Queensland are you going to?

In my opinion Queensland has the most variety of habitats that i'd like to mess around in

 

[spamel]

I've just spoken to an aussie officer here on an exchange programme. He did officer training with Les Hiddens' son, who apparently crashed a Black Hawk helicopter!! He was saying that Les somehow bent the Aussie SAS' nose out of shape a bit, but he doesn't know quite what he did. Les isn't to be found on Aussie telly that much these days, apparently. I also asked him about the infamous snack maps, and he didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Are they still used by Aussie troops?

 

[BOD]

I've just spoken to an aussie officer here on an exchange programme. He did officer training with Les Hiddens' son, who apparently crashed a Black Hawk helicopter!! He was saying that Les somehow bent the Aussie SAS' nose out of shape a bit, but he doesn't know quite what he did. Les isn't to be found on Aussie telly that much these days, apparently. I also asked him about the infamous snack maps, and he didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Are they still used by Aussie troops?

I'm sure the DoD is not pleased with the youngster too!

Dad's bending the Queensland Governments nose now over the Veterans bush retreat http://www.abc.net.au/austory/transcripts/s690368.htm

If you watch the first episode he is wearing his rank. A few episodes later its gone. Bet you a fiver that some senior officer was shocked by his sloppy turnout and complained about the Army's image going downhill.

Not sure the maps ever were used by the Army.

Their loss our gain

 

[redcollective]

There's a pretty shameful history of poor treatment of Vietnam Vets in Australia (I'm not saying that to get anyon'es back up), but they were widely shunned on return, and worse.

Here's a little more on Pandanas Park.

http://veteransanctuary.tripod.com/images/BacktotheFront.pdf

http://veteransanctuary.tripod.com/


Sorry that was off topic:

You'll find a good selection of books here:
http://www.bushtuckershop.com/category12_1.htm

including a Les Hiddens Bush Tucker map

 

[frogfish]

Hi BOD!

Probably somewhere at the cost in the north...
Cairns? Lite more south or north?
Depends a lot on the job I hopefully get

We really would like to live a bit outside. Now here in Lappland our next neigbour is 4 km away.... wouln`t like it much closer

But we have kids, so...

greetings, Heiko

 

[BOD]

Well,

Australia's population denisty is 2.47 to the mile so that shouldsuit you

No problem finding places to live where you do not have neigbour problems unless you want to live in cities.

Never been to that far north only as far as Proserpine.

Just watch out for tourists!

 

[frogfish]

Tourists?

Are them dangerous?

What is the bushcraft being like in A. Is there any chance to catch upp with the natives if you wasn´t born there?

I feel that this is nearly possible in the north (like lappland etc) but Ißve a lot respect of the diversity of the australien bush...

Heiko

 

[BOD]

They speak English but you may have a hard time understanding them initially.

I have no idea what it is really like in Queensland as I come from the opposite side of the continent.

However many aboriginal communities have been devasted by alcohol abuse and both well-intentioned and not-so-well intentioned policies by various governments over the past 2 centuries. These people have little link to their past and are truly adrift. Violence and degradation is their lot. Do not be surprised if you are rebuffed in your attempts to be 'nice'

That said there are some communities that are trying hard to keep their ways and at the same time come to terms with the modern world. These seem to be more successful in the centre and far northern areas remote from white people.

If you are lucky enough to find such a people and can spend the time to earn trust you may be well rewarded.

However be careful of some of the 'political' aboriginals and their white associates.

Take your time. Go slow. And don't believe everything you read whether positive or negative about native Australians.

Good Luck in Australia!

 

[Ogri the trog]

Good Luck in Australia!

Seconded Frogfish,
After a recent holiday in Aus, I though that everything beginning with the letter "S" was out to get you, spiders, snakes sharks, surf, sun etc. But its just knowing how to live with it all - I'm not keen on thier high summer temperatures, but it looked a great place to go and live.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Mikey P]

Apart from the 1st series of Bushtucker Man mentioned above, there was also the 'Stories of Survival' series; this was entertaining but less informative, being more historical than instructional.

There were also - believe it or not - two PC CD-ROMs with plant ID, travel info, etc.

If you a fancy a laugh and would like to see an excellent Les Hiddins p*sstake, look at the 'All Auusie Adventures with Russell Coight' videos.

Bookwise:

Les Hiddins Bush Tucker Map & Guide (pretty much a 'snack map') - ISBN 0-670-89201

Explore Wild Australia with the Bush Tucker Man - ISBN 0-670-87914-2

Bush Tucker Man - Stories of Exploration and Survival - ISBN 0-7333-0546-6

Bush Tucker Man - Tarnished Heroes - Epic Stories of Bush Survival - ISBN 073330613-6

Bush Tucker Field Guide, ISBN 174117 028 1 and ISBN 0 14 028986 0

All of these are available from ABC books so you might as well have a look at them when you get out there. There are also some other good Australian survival/bushcraft books. Here's my collection:

Useful Wild Plants in Australia, AB & JW Cribb, ISBN 0-7322-2564-7
Wild Food in Australia, AB & JW Cribb, ISBN 0 00 634436 4
(Both old but informative)

Stay Alive, Maurice Dunlevy, ISBN 0 642 05818 0
(Excellent pocket-sized government book - get this!)

Australian Bushcraft, MW Plate, ISBN 7018 0280 4

Australian Bush Survival Skills, Kevin Casey, ISBN 0 9587628 1 3

Book of the Bush, Edward Kynaston, ISBN 0 14 00.4390 X

Bushcraft, Richard Graves, ISBN 0 7100 8862 0
(compulsory reading)

Bush Food (Aboriginal Food and Herbal Medecine), ISBN 1 86302 504 9
(my personal favourite - an excellent book which I cannot recommend too much)

Hope this helps - you'll probably find all of the above are easier to get in Australia itself. I trawled second-hand book stalls and shops for most of them.

Cheers,

 

[BOD]

Frogfish,

In addition to Mikey's excellent list don't forget the WA Police survival manual which you can get on the BCUK site at

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/downloads/pdf/aids22.pdf

You are heading into Crocodile Dundee land where the police encourage you to carry a 15cm fixed blade or at least a 8cm locking folder

BTW are you a diver? I once saw 2 frogfish in a barrel sponge at Sipadan - one yellow and one green