Recently Marianne burnt her hands whilst cooking. Within seconds, the pain that was clearly visible on her face disappeared as she realised: This was a perfect way to test the burn cream we bought for our first aid kit! I was inspired by this level of commitment to testing our gear, and put my mind towards how I could also contribute.

I decided to familiarise myself with the kind of lifestyle we are signing up for by watching Malcolm Douglas movies, and thinking of my recent 4WD driver training with Vic Widman. It was clear I was missing a vital part of experiencing the outback, something which most of the great explorers all had with them: A Beard (or a ‘Strange and Weird’ in Australian Slang).

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Hello everyone. This is my first post here and I have something to get off my chest.

Growing up in Australia somehow we inherit a ‘perception’ of our default path for life. Many of us don’t walk this path but we all are aware of it.

It follows a formula something like this: Finish school, attend uni or pick up a trade, get a job, save some money for a year or two, travel abroad, perhaps live overseas and socially challenge yourself (not) by moving to London, return to Australia and work on your career, find a partner, marriage, mortgage to pay for the wedding, mortgage to pay for the house, children perhaps, occasional trips to Bali until you retire at which point you travel Australia in a motor home. Its not a dream per se but perhaps can be labelled ‘The Great Australian Default’.

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