Walk Softly – Never Lose Focus

by Geoffrey Carpentier

As many of you know, I do some international nature guiding, both on land and at sea. Recently, I had the opportunity to work in northwest Australia (The Kimberley Region). This was one of those trips where I was able to blend both shore and sea, to help our guests experience their personal adventure.

One of the things we instill in travellers is, nature is tricky and unpredictable. Familiarity with your home terrain, where you might know each tree and rock, is very different than in a remote wilderness. In Kimberley, you can easily be distracted by all which surrounds you, and each rock may be slipperier, sharper or steeper than you think. Couple this with the fact, tidal movement is fast and bigger here than in most parts of the world. Then add in dangerous wild animals, and weather which may come in hard and fast. This can be a recipe for disaster! People tend to over-estimate their own mobility and ability; thinking ‘I can do that’.

Much of what I did on these trips involves a rubberized boat, called a Zodiac (of Jacques Cousteau fame). Guests are loaded into these boats every day and taken to shore. The hardest part, of travel in Zodiacs, is getting on and off them, both at the ship and the shore. The guides help by taking the guest’s arm, in what’s called a sailor’s grip; a secure, comfortable and safe way to ensure no-one falls in.

I am very experienced with boats, the changing sea, remote shores, and weather. In this line of work, I need to be. One thing I must never do is become complacent and unfocused. I see everything; I watch for risks and dangers; and I look for unforeseen or obscured hazards.

One day, we landed ashore at a remote location, where a plane crash, in 1942, left a C53 intact on the ground. Generally, a shore party comes in first and we set up for the guests, and on this day, I was part of that team. The guides at the front of the Zodiac disembarked first and started to offload. I had to wait, since the gear in front of me blocked my egress. Eventually, I had a clear path to the shore. The waves were calm, the bottom clear, and the winds light. I could easily step out of the zodiac into shallow safe water. Just as I had straddled the pontoon of the Zodiac, a rogue wave hit the boat and pulled the Zodiac out from under me. I instantly was in neck deep water, fully loaded with packs, first aid kits, my camera and binoculars. Luckily my life jacket inflated, and I was quickly able to scramble to shore.

Oh, did I mention, there was a 3.5 metre crocodile swimming about 50 meters behind me!? Crocodiles are a real and ever-present part of a journey to the Kimberley, and we always had a guide watching for them. Today was no different, and again, luckily, the croc wasn’t interested in having me for dinner.

The day continued, as I led the first group across a salt pan towards the plane wreck. Hidden in the mangroves, at the edge of the opening, was a large bull, called a Bush Bull. This is a feral cow which can be very unpredictable and extremely dangerous. Fortunately, I had seen it immediately and took evasive action. Once it was safe to cross this open area, we ventured on. Okay, so far so good. Now, as we entered the woods, on the far side of the dried-up lagoon, I was standing and talking to guests when they seemed distracted. Apparently, about a meter behind me, a 2-meter King Brown Snake (one of the deadliest snakes in Australia), crossed the path. It looked briefly in my direction then carried on into the undergrowth!

Hmm, so let me see, I didn’t drown, didn’t get eaten by a croc, wasn’t gored by a bull, and wasn’t bitten by a snake, not a bad day! Lesson learned; Never Lose Focus!

Geoff Carpentier is a published author, expedition guide and environmental consultant. Visit Geoff on-line on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.