Past Projects
- 1977 Burke & Wills
- 1988 Bicentennial Camel Race
- 1995 Down the Darling River by Camels
- 1997 Established the "Boulia Desert Sands"
- 2001 A Journey Across the Country
- 2002 The Harry Redford Cattle Drive
- Skydiving
1977 Burke & Wills
When I was 19 I retraced the ill fated steps of Burke and Wills, with Tom Bergin, Nugget and Frankie. It was a 1500km trek from the Dig Tree near Innamincka in the South west corner of Queensland to Karumba in the Gulf of Carpentaria at the top of Queensland.
The journey took 3 months and as this was my first major trek, it was to be a steep learning curve. Through some pretty tough country, not much camel knowledge especially for a trip such as this, it had its moments when you thought “what the bloody hell I am doing here".
We where meant to go to the Gulf and back, 3,000km in under three months to prove what Burke had said to be possible. “ Wait three months and then return down the line”.
But it proved a bit tougher then we predicted, on arrival at the Gulf the trip disbanded, Tom flew back to Sydney and I took Nugget and Frankie back to Alice Springs then returned to Karumba to walk the camels another 600 km to Townsville on the coast.
The ABC made their 200th Big Country, called The “Bergin /McHugh” Expedition and a book was also released, called “In the Steps of Burke and Wills” by Tom Bergin the National Geographic Magazine also covered the event as well. Readers Digest later released Toms version of the book in there branding.
It is inspiring and eye opening to wander along the route looking at the land and just where they went, you quickly get a pretty good grip on just how incredibly difficult it would have been.
In 2007 I will once again be following the route of Burke & Wills and looking at all aspects of the ill fated journey. You can either tag along in your own vehicle or let us take care of the whole thing. To find out more more >>>
back to top ↑1988 Bicentennial Camel Race
In 1988, Australia’s Bicentennial year there was a 3300km camel endurance race from Uluru in the Northern Territory to the Gold Coast in Queensland. Some 69 camels entered this arduous event with only 24 finishing. I entered a team of 5 and out of our five 3 completed the race. It was an extremely hard core race. In one section alone I completed 190km in 25 hours. Endless problems and dramas unfolded over the three months of the race.
In our team there where 5 competitors and 5 back up crew but it seemed that we used to swell in size as we moved along and it was nothing for us to feed 25 people and 12 camels in this traveling road show.
The feats of endurance where second to none, the odd punch, confusion, fly’s, sleep deprivation, camels going mad, an occasional life threatening disease, romances where born every day and hundreds of miles run, walked, ridden and sometimes crawled.
You pushed your self to the edge and then a bit !
A 2-hour documentary was made by Orana Films which earned the camera man the award of the Golden Tripod for documentaries in this country, it was a remarkable story and one that I will not forget.
back to top ↑1995 Down the Darling River by Camels
In 1995 we completed a scientific and recreational trek down the full length of the Darling River. From Burke in the north of the state of NSW to the border of Victoria & NSW where the Darling joins the Murray at the township of Wentworth. It was some 800km long and took 7 weeks to complete.The group included two scientists who carried out a whole range of experiments looking at the problems of this complex river system. Each night we would have guest speakers in our camp telling us their life stories or their thoughts and ideas on just what the problem of the river was.
We had 12 people and ten camels and a wagon, the pace was very laid back, all though we did have our share of incidents and a couple of accidents, we all survived. Towards the end of the trip when all camels and people where relaxed and the animals found there way along ok, we would sometimes find ten people sitting rather cramped on top of the wagon telling story’s and having a beer with the ten camels tied on behind.
It was a fascinating trip, lots of bonfire magic, incidents and accidents and the odd rum drunk on the colder evenings. The Darling river is a journey in itself, but to camp along side its banks every night for 7 weeks was a great joy.
back to top ↑1997 Established the "Boulia Desert Sands"
After selling potential racing camels to the United Arab Emirates and traveling there to watch and learn about their camel racing industry I came back to Australia with the idea of attempting to steer camel racing towards a more serious sport. To start a professional camel racing industry in this country. Hence the birth of the “ Boulia Desert Sands”.
We changed the predominately tourism orientated camel races to a full blown professional affair. The distance of the races was lengthened, drug testing and micro chipping of the camels were put in place and an act of parliament for the first time allowed legal bookmakers at camel races in Australia. We also for the first time introduced substantial prize money with $30,000 being put up for the event. The concept behind the change was to make camel racing professional with the hope of one day being able to sell real racing camels back to the UAE.
One year there where nearly 100 registered racing camels at the event with 3000 plus Spectators, Boulia, that normally has a peak population on a good day, of 300, was overflowing at the seams.
It won the prestigious Outback Queensland tourism award for the best Event in 1998 and has received many accolades for its contribution both financially and socially within the outback region.
back to top ↑2001 A Journey Across the Country
This is a trek that was planned as a celebration of Australia’s “Centenary of Federation”.
It was a trek that would recognise the Outback and Cobb & Co’s contribution to the development of this country, it was also an event that many people could take part in and share in the spirit and the atmosphere of the journey.
Travelling from Winton to Boulia in Western QLD some 360 km, were 100 camels 30 or so horses, a dozen wagons and nearly 200 people. After 16 days of riding, walking and partying along the way they arrived in Boulia for the Boulia Desert Sands Camel Racing Festival.
Starting in Winton with the Australian Poetry Championships and Yarn telling festival then proceeding to a formal ball at Middleton and finishing with the Camel Racing Festival in Boulia this event brought many hundreds of people together in celebration of our unique history.
A coffee table book titled “The Nine Pillars of Cobb & Co” was produced and a one hour documentary was privately made called “Trek” a Camel Odyssey”.
back to top ↑2002 The Harry Redford Cattle Drive
After the success of many Outback events and treks the Aramac Shire Council approached me to run their event “The Harry Redford Droving trip” for their contribution to Australia's year of the Outback celebrations. This was a three month Droving trip through the heart of the Queensland's Outback.
It was to be Queensland's main event for the “Year of the Outback”.
Some 600 cattle, 60 horses, 200 people and 15 different communities later we finished at Roma in Central western QLD.three months of party’s and festivals in every town, cattle this way and horses that, there was never a dull moment in the droving camp on the road.
It was a huge success with people coming from all over the world to take part, this was the heart and sole of the true Australian Outback, it still lives on as a smaller but yearly event in the Aramac Shire.
back to top ↑Skydiving
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| Canadian world cup in 1983 |
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Diving over Sydney |
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At the age of 17 I started skydiving in Townsville and by 19 I was the youngest person to gain their instructor rating in Australia.
At the age of 21 I was a member of the Australian 8 way team that competed in the World meet in France.
From here I travelled the world and lived and breathed the sport.
I represented Australia twice at international competitions and was the Australian Team Leader at the Canadian world cup in 1983.
My involvement in the sport was extensive not just competing and instructing I was also worked extensively with air to air photography and designed and built a state of the art ground to air video system. I was a member of the Board of Directors for Australian Parachute Federation and the Director of Coaching for the South Queensland Parachute Council.
I was a member of various skydiving display teams jumping into such events as football grand finals, rock concerts and was a member of a nine-man team that jumped into the closing ceremony of the Brisbane Commonwealth games.
I completed some 3,500 jumps in a 13 year period
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