The Barefoot Corporate Warrior: Spring 2023
I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of drought and flooding rains, I love her far horizons, I love her jewel sea, Her beauty and her terror – The wide brown land for me. – My Country, Dorothea MacKellar
Are you afraid of Australia? Do your international friends and family feel fear when they think of the place we call home?
If they do, if you do, it seems high time for some individual and collective action to emphasise the “beauty” over the “terror”.
Check out this passage from Bill Bryson’s book Down Under:
“[Australia] is the home of the largest living thing on earth, the Great Barrier Reef, and of the largest monolith, Ayers Rock (or Uluru to use its now-official, more respectful Aboriginal name). It has more things that will kill you than anywhere else.
Of the world’s ten most poisonous snakes, all are Australian. Five of its creatures – the funnel web spider, box jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, paralysis tick, and stonefish – are the most lethal of their type in the world.
This is a country where even the fluffiest of caterpillars can lay you out with a toxic nip, where seashells will not just sting you but actually sometimes go for you…
If you are not stung or pronged to death in some unexpected manner, you may be fatally chomped by sharks or crocodiles, or carried helplessly out to sea by irresistible currents, or left to stagger to an unhappy death in the baking outback. It’s a tough place.”
This passage reminds me of a song by the Australian comedy music duo Scared Weird Little Guys called Come to Australia which consisted of a long list of deadly animals topped with the reassuring chorus line ‘Come to Australia You Might Accidentally Get Killed’.
No wonder some of us living here, as well as those who live in foreign climes are afraid to venture forth into the Bush.
It seems there is a kind-of fascinated dread at work – an Australian mythology of danger lurking which is not really helpful. While it may fascinate it does not engender calmness of spirit.
I don’t mean to downplay the obvious reality that tragedies happen every year on land and water.
It’s just that it seems our international brand and a fair modicum of our Aussie psyche inhabits the brain’s fear zone – next level pit-of-the-stomach fear which is often unreasoning and out-of-proportion to the reality.
Take a test.
How do you feel on a moonless night alone in the Bush?
I remember as a boy in western Queensland, lying in bed on such nights and looking out the window.
It was blacker than black. You could not see a thing. It was so black, squiggly lines on the inside of your eyeballs were the only things you could discern.
Complete darkness, complete stillness. Nothing.
Disconcerting to a hardened, western 12 year-old then, somewhat terrifying, confronting and nerve-jangling to a full-grown city slicker now.
I have a reputation for being somewhat eagle-eyed when it comes to spotting wildlife. It has been my great reward to see creatures and other natural features which others have passed by, oblivious.
The beauty is all there for you if you simply remain alert. A focus on the terror will indeed blind you to the beauty that is all around us.
Yes, our land demands a certain level of awareness and respect, preparation and an understanding of the potential for things to go pear-shaped. And indeed you might just suffer at the hands of rotten luck.
But I don’t think our land has to be menacing. It simply means we need to be prepared and thoughtful prior to venturing forth.
I hope to one day hike the mountain trails of North America. I know there are dangers there which I have no experience of – extreme cold and sudden weather changes, bears, wolves and mountain lions come to mind.
While I feel some trepidation I know that with good advice and the right sort of protective equipment (bear spray, loud horns/noisemakers) I can have confidence that all will be right which means I will be able to enjoy my adventure rather than spend my time nervously jumping at shadows.
How do you feel when you venture forth from your city or town cocoon?
Are you aware of a slight uneasiness when you find yourself an hour’s walk from the trailhead, surrounded by virgin bush? Or cruising down a country laneway or road, not another car in sight? Does Big Sky country inspire or intimidate you?
We must take a stand against this corrosive fear.
I suggest opening your eyes and ears to the “beauty” might just chase the “terror” away.
It will make for a more vibrant and enjoyable interaction with our Great Southern Land.
All those creepy crawlies, as dangerous as they are, are simply a part of being here in this place and if we keep our eyes open most interactions can be managed with positive outcomes. For me, we are all a part of this natural environment.
So, how do you see Australia?
Is the Continent a brooding, sullen toad ready to snap an unsuspecting you up like a naïve beetle?
Or is it a kindly old soul, scarred and riven by the ravages of time, and always looking to give you a gentle reminder about the dangers of being unprepared, but always providing – food, shelter and a calming solace for the soul?
Let’s change our approach and maybe the narrative will follow.
