1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: We'd like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: on which this podcast was produced, the Galligle people of 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: the orination. We pay our respects to elders past and present. 4 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 2: It's twenty twenty three and we're on the Father Son 5 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 2: Expedition of a lifetime. Aboard this small boat are doctor 6 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 2: Jeff Wilson and his twenty three year old son Kit. 7 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 2: They're on a carbon neutral mission to show the world 8 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 2: the effects of climate change. Jeff holds a record for 9 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 2: the longest solo, unsupported polar journey in history. He's no 10 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 2: stranger to dangerous situations, but he's about to have one 11 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 2: of the most stressful nights of his life. Having just 12 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 2: made it through the treacherous Drake Passage with no issues, 13 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 2: It's now one am and pitch black. 14 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 3: The boat careers into an iceberg field. They're hit with 15 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 3: a severe blizzard. 16 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 2: They can barely see anything, the snow and sleep completely 17 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:10,119 Speaker 2: impairing their field of vision. Jeff squints, you can see 18 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 2: rocks and ice coming and disappearing back into view. He 19 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:19,679 Speaker 2: and Kit must think and act quickly. If they don't, 20 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:26,759 Speaker 2: the expedition and their lives could be over. I'm at 21 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 2: Middleton and this is head Game Today. Life lessons from 22 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 2: the world class polar explorer, Doctor Jeff Wilson. Dr Jeff Wilson, 23 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 2: Welcome to my podcast. If you are quite the adventurer 24 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 2: doctor as well? Is that a veterinary doctor? 25 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 4: Yeah? 26 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 5: Yeah, I patch up a gun and shot Wayne, But 27 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 5: I might take your temperature slightly different way to what. 28 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 4: No. 29 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 2: Trust me, I'm I'm probably used to that being ex military. 30 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 2: So it's great to have you. 31 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 3: On my podcast. 32 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 2: Jeff, you are an explorer extraordinary. You've done the longest solo, 33 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 2: unsupported polar journey in human history, the first Summit Dome 34 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 2: Argus solo and unsupported, the fastest unsupported crossing of Greenland 35 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 2: south to north, the fastest solo unsupported crossing of Antarctica, 36 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 2: the first across the tour is straight by kiteboard, the 37 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 2: first and only wind assisted crossing of the Sahara Desert, 38 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 2: and your latest one, the first wind powered crossing of 39 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 2: the Simpson Desert, Australia, solo supported. So when I read that, 40 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 2: I was like, what's going on here? When did this 41 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 2: excitement for adventure take place? Take me back to your childhood. 42 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,639 Speaker 5: Yeah, I think it's it's just that that explorer gene. 43 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 4: You either have it or or you don't. Some people 44 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 4: don't care what over. 45 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:04,119 Speaker 5: The horizon, and other people are just wired to see 46 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 5: how far they can pustion. And I think it was 47 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 5: always a lifestyle. I was born in Africa during a 48 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 5: pretty wild time in Uganda when idiom In the dictator 49 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 5: was doing some wild stuff. So my old man was 50 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 5: an adventure before it was kind of labeled that way. 51 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 4: And he packed a light. 52 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 5: Aircraft with myself, my sister, and my mum and flew 53 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 5: forty two days to emigrate to Australia in this light aircraft. 54 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 3: Oh well, how old were you then? 55 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 5: I would have been five, my sister was seven, So yeah, 56 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 5: it was one of those sort of foundational adventures. I 57 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 5: didn't have a lot of memory from it, just kind 58 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 5: of snippets, and it's one of those things where you 59 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 5: don't know you're remembering or whether it's just fed in 60 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 5: by photographs. But it kind of set the tone for 61 00:03:55,960 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 5: my whole life. Really, I've always done crazy stuff, which 62 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 5: is why my poor wife gets judged I think a 63 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 5: lot by her mates. 64 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 4: You know, why do you let him do this stuff? 65 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 3: And she's like, I feel your pain. 66 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 4: I feel your pain. Oh no, stop judging my wife. 67 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,040 Speaker 5: She's doing her best to keep me alive and saying, 68 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:23,720 Speaker 5: but I've lost more mates through stasis, depression, suicide than 69 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 5: I have through through avalanche, cravats or exposures. So I 70 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 5: kind of feel like, while my body will hold out, 71 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 5: I'll keep pushing. I'm getting very close to the point 72 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 5: where my recovery time in the tent at night is 73 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 5: too slow. By the next morning, I'm not feeling robust again. 74 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 5: So you're degrading quite quickly in a polar environment. But 75 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 5: I've probably got one or two more foundational journeys in 76 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 5: me yet. 77 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:59,040 Speaker 2: When you're five, that's quite a life changing moment when 78 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 2: you had to sort of up and go. But I 79 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 2: love what you said about it being your first adventure, 80 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:08,359 Speaker 2: because as a kid, you know, that could have been 81 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 2: the complete opposite experience of you know, it's quite a 82 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 2: traumatic sort of we've got to go. Let's why are 83 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 2: we're traveling for so long? You know, why are we 84 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 2: moving away from our home? But having that adventurous gene 85 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 2: inside you and you seeing it as an adventure and 86 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 2: ultimately what kickstarted this this love and passion of yours. 87 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,919 Speaker 2: That's quite the mindset to have. Did you carry that 88 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,479 Speaker 2: on when you came to Australia or was it changed 89 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:37,359 Speaker 2: quite hard to get your head around or did you 90 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 2: just see everything as an adventure from a young kid. 91 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 5: Yeah, I think I've always been an optimist. So you know, 92 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 5: if you look at the human spectrum, we've got people 93 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,160 Speaker 5: that are bit you know, midline in the middle. You've 94 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 5: got your pessimist on the left, optimists on the right. 95 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:57,039 Speaker 5: I've always been an optimist. I think optimists see everything 96 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 5: as an adventure, whether it's a dull day or or 97 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 5: an extreme adversity or just routine, it's always like bright stone, shine, 98 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 5: let's go. And I think that mindset is essential to 99 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 5: survive in a polar environment. So, you know, I kind 100 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 5: of took that into my teens and then the folks 101 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 5: ended up back in Kenya in Africa for a while. 102 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 5: I did adventures there, but I'd never done cold weather 103 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:26,840 Speaker 5: stuff and it was kind of like a bit of 104 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 5: an epiphany. The best way to describe this is probably 105 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 5: to kind of explain the timeline. We were in Townsville 106 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:40,799 Speaker 5: till I was nine, and then back in Kenya until 107 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 5: I was eleven, or twelve, and then in Indonesia from 108 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 5: then on, so I started to learn Indonesia and I 109 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 5: was up and back from boarding school in Brisbane. And 110 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 5: then years later, you know, I met Sarah at VET 111 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,159 Speaker 5: school and I'm still doing adventures in between disappearing for 112 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 5: months at a time jungle, mountain, wilderness, and then coming 113 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 5: back and managed to manage a relationship, get married, have 114 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 5: a few kids, and then the tsunami of two thousand 115 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 5: and four, two thousand and five happens, and at that 116 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 5: point I was I would say it was the beige years, 117 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 5: you know, just focusing on creating a financial base, not 118 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 5: really prioritizing family enough in hindsight, and then by one 119 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 5: thing or another, I end up as a translator for 120 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 5: medicine to mind on the front line in bunda Arche, 121 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 5: with over one hundred thousand dead on the streets. You 122 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 5: couldn't move without stepping into human carcasses, and you know, 123 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 5: there were dogs eating the dead, and a lot of 124 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 5: a lot of images. 125 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 4: I think. 126 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 5: You know, obviously, as a person who's been through war, 127 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 5: you understand that the human brain can handle a lot, 128 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 5: but there's a tipping point beyond which we go and 129 00:07:55,840 --> 00:08:00,080 Speaker 5: there's some permanent damage, and we don't often know. It 130 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 5: doesn't give you a lot of warning when that's coming. 131 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 5: So for me, I felt like I was handling it well, 132 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 5: handling it well. And then over a thousand interviews, you're 133 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 5: kind of taking the pain on like a father would 134 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 5: have a completely lacerated triceps and he's saying the union 135 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 5: in Indonesia and how he did it. The doctors then 136 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 5: saying how did he cut it? And I'm just saying 137 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 5: it's a steel cut. So she's treating it for tetanus 138 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 5: and antibotoics. But your heart's taken on the fact that 139 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 5: he told you he was holding his two year old 140 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:35,440 Speaker 5: and a sheet of iron came out of the water 141 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 5: and severed his arm, and he dropped her and never 142 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 5: found her again, and you know she got washed away, 143 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 5: and that's kind of layer after layer getting onto your soul. 144 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 5: And then I came home after that stint, having lost 145 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 5: contact with a guy called Hallidin who I had kind 146 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 5: of let get through my tafline armor. He was a 147 00:08:57,559 --> 00:09:00,440 Speaker 5: young guy who'd been cut thousands of times, washed in 148 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:05,439 Speaker 5: land five kilometers from his village and developed tetanus about 149 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:08,439 Speaker 5: ten days after the tsunami and I carried him out 150 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 5: of this village, put him in a hospital. 151 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 4: We got him some. 152 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 5: Treatment, and then the next day went back to revisit 153 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 5: him and was told that he had died. 154 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 4: And I didn't believe it. 155 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 5: I went through the morgues, I opened thousands of body 156 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 5: bags trying to find him. Kind of got a bit manic, 157 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 5: and then next day got left it out by the 158 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 5: Royal Australian Air Force in Hercules. Back to Darwin and 159 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 5: then back to Brisbane and kind of fell apart over 160 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 5: the next three months, started drinking two March, playing video 161 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 5: games till two three in the morning and managing to. 162 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:42,559 Speaker 4: Get on with life. 163 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 5: But my wife knew that I had taken a wrong turn. Wow, 164 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:52,680 Speaker 5: and yeah, so falling apart a little bit. She's a 165 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 5: very very wise woman and said, hey, you've taken a 166 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 5: wrong turn up there. If you continue this, you're going 167 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 5: to blow everything up, blow marriage up. 168 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 4: You know, the kids, aren't you know? 169 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 5: The good dad at the moment, he needed to go 170 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:07,720 Speaker 5: back and find Hallidan and then take the other part. 171 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 5: And so you know, while I was sort of making 172 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:15,320 Speaker 5: my way back up there, I'm thinking the chances of 173 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 5: finding this guy are next to nothing. But we've done 174 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 5: kind of a round of money collection from mates and 175 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 5: friends down here to give to his family. But I 176 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:28,680 Speaker 5: never expected to find him. And I made my way 177 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 5: towards a village called Lompoo on the coast of Bunder, 178 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 5: actually one of the worst hit areas, and there was 179 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 5: nothing in the village when in land, and they had 180 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:38,439 Speaker 5: that like. 181 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:39,199 Speaker 4: A little. 182 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 5: Esco built or ox Van built refuge. Went in there 183 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:48,040 Speaker 5: and I saw his brother, Abung, and Abung had had 184 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:51,360 Speaker 5: fed him through a straw because his fla and you're 185 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 5: always clenched for days all right before I found him. 186 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 5: And I saw him and said, Abung, Abung is he 187 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 5: has some funds for your family. 188 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 4: And he looked at me and said, oh, what for? 189 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 5: And I said, oh, for Halladin, And he said why 190 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 5: don't you give it to Halladin yourself? So at that 191 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:14,760 Speaker 5: point I'm like, did Haladan make it? And he said yeah, 192 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 5: heah it, Come with me. So I followed him through 193 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 5: this alleyway and there around the corner was a mandy, 194 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 5: which is like an Indonesian bath, throwing over your top, 195 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 5: and I could just see his back. I recognized all 196 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,680 Speaker 5: the scars and when he turned around. He's like, oh, 197 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:35,080 Speaker 5: the mad Australian returns. And that connection point was really 198 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 5: important in my sort of hole if I look at 199 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:43,319 Speaker 5: the art of my life. Meeting him and realizing, holy crap. 200 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 5: And he told me the story of the wave coming 201 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 5: into his village. His wife was out by the washing line, 202 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:53,320 Speaker 5: he was inside. He ran out, had two daughters, and 203 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 5: he grabbed the wife and the daughters and held their 204 00:11:56,000 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 5: hand while there's sixty foot wall of blackwater with buildings 205 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 5: in it hit them and he got carried five kilometers 206 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 5: in land. He never saw the children or his wife again, 207 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 5: never found their bodies. Under Muslim law, he took his 208 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 5: brother's wife to be his because his brother was fishing 209 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 5: on the beach and was killed immediately. And the amazing 210 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 5: thing was, I came home having kind of found myself again, 211 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 5: but realized that there was no point in me licking 212 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 5: my wounds because what I'd been through was a fraction 213 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 5: of what he'd been through, and he lost his family. 214 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 4: I wasn't going to lose mind. 215 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 5: So I think for me that was the beginning of 216 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:42,880 Speaker 5: really seeing the human being as a bowling ball and 217 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 5: understanding we need that balance, you need your personal dreams, 218 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 5: which for me would be the exploration side. You need 219 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 5: the family side in the middle, you know, looking after 220 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 5: your wife, your kids, your friends, and then business will 221 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 5: work on the outside. If we're off whack in any 222 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:03,319 Speaker 5: of those areas, we end end up with terrible bias. 223 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 5: That's unhealthy over a long term. And yeah, sure there's 224 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:09,319 Speaker 5: seasons like I think the year before last, I was 225 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:11,200 Speaker 5: at sea for five and a half months in the 226 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 5: Southern Ocean Antarctica, Patagonia. That year was out of balance 227 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,680 Speaker 5: and we paid for it. But I've you know, I've 228 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:22,559 Speaker 5: managed to get get back. And I think for for 229 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 5: someone with your history, there are periods where you're you're 230 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:29,320 Speaker 5: doing tours. You know, on a tour of duty that 231 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 5: that bowling balls out of whack, but you're correct it 232 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 5: when you come back. I think you're aware of that. Yeah, 233 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 5: you try to, You do your best as long as 234 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 5: the wheels don't come off. 235 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:40,480 Speaker 4: Yeah. 236 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 2: No, and that's why, you know, just having listened to 237 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 2: to you there, you know the importance of of your wife. 238 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 2: And again the importance of my wife takes a certain 239 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:56,600 Speaker 2: type of woman, does that to be with people like us? 240 00:13:57,679 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 2: And I suppose patients is at the forefront of all 241 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,839 Speaker 2: of that, but just a greater understanding of who we are. 242 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 2: Travel is such a good It's so good for light 243 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 2: bold moments. Like you said, when you're out there, you 244 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 2: have that light bold moment because you know you're away 245 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:17,560 Speaker 2: from the family, you're away from your comforts, and you 246 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 2: know these life experiences through travel are absolutely vital. How 247 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 2: important from yourself you know, is getting out there and traveling. 248 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:31,120 Speaker 2: How many life lessons are out there if you if 249 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 2: you're willing to get up and get out. 250 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 4: Oh absolutely. 251 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 5: And I think you know, if I look at the 252 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 5: drive behind travel, I mean a lot of people who 253 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 5: who don't really have a lot of purpose in life, 254 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 5: and the travel can become very hollow, or the adventuring 255 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 5: can become very hollow. And the number of times I've 256 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 5: met weird and wonderful human beings in the wilderness, whether 257 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 5: it be Alaska and Tarderka, Greenland, who I just from something, 258 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 5: I think that's the wrong way to explore. I really 259 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 5: felt after the Haladin moment I came home, we sold 260 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 5: everything border sail boat, and I you know, we spent 261 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:15,400 Speaker 5: the next two years at sea with the family. The 262 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 5: kids were six, eight and twelve at the time, so 263 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 5: it was a great time to reconnect, and I worked 264 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 5: out in two years, I had twelve years worth of 265 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 5: dad time, because the veterary lifestyle and the explorer lifestyle 266 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 5: are both very draining on dad and husband times. 267 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 4: So realizing that. 268 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 5: I was catching up on that last time and we've 269 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 5: never really gone back to the nine to five, five 270 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 5: six days a week grind again since that moment, And 271 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 5: we ended up sailing all the way back to Arche 272 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 5: and finding Haladin for a third time so my kids 273 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 5: could meet him and he could meet me, and it 274 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 5: was kind of amazing because by the time he got 275 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:06,480 Speaker 5: back there villagers that had just been silent because all 276 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 5: the children we're dead. Basically two years later, the first 277 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 5: children were being born and hallen AND's brother's wife who 278 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 5: he married, was heavily pregnant and needed a cesarian while 279 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 5: we were there, which we were able to help him 280 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:25,479 Speaker 5: pay for. So it was kind of like the rebirthing 281 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 5: coming out of these ashes from two years prior. But 282 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 5: we had sailed there under our own steam, and then 283 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 5: we sailed all the way home, sold the boat, and 284 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:39,240 Speaker 5: it's kind of year on, year off now, so we're 285 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 5: into an expedition year this year. Last year was a 286 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 5: bit of a year off and I head to the 287 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 5: Arctic in about six weeks. So it's you know, in 288 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 5: real time, we're using the lessons that I've learned in 289 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 5: the field, you know, in terms of mental resilience, human purpose. 290 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 4: You forward me them and drive. 291 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 5: And I'm loving the combination of that coming back into 292 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 5: the back game because our suicide rate is as high 293 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 5: as as you military bloat in the venory field. 294 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:18,159 Speaker 2: Unfortunately, yeah know all too well again like yourself, you know, 295 00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 2: lost many friends due to PTSD. 296 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 3: Suicide and mental health issues. 297 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,879 Speaker 2: And it's sometimes when you think everything's okay and then 298 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:32,880 Speaker 2: all of a sudden, these individuals. 299 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 3: Are no longer with us. 300 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:40,399 Speaker 2: We spoke about the traumatic sides of your adventures the 301 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:45,679 Speaker 2: tsunami and how you how you sort of overcame that situation. 302 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 2: But let's get into the record for the longest solo 303 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:59,439 Speaker 2: unsupported polar journey. What made you first and foremost that headspace, 304 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 2: that head what made you think, do. 305 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 3: You know what I'm going to do? 306 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 2: The longest unsupported polar journey? And what did your good 307 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:09,840 Speaker 2: wife say to you? 308 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:13,880 Speaker 5: Yeah, well, I think this is she's a very very 309 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:17,320 Speaker 5: patient woman, and to understand how patient she is, you 310 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 5: kind of needed to wind back to My first pole 311 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:24,680 Speaker 5: of the journey was ten years before the longest journey, 312 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 5: and at the time I had a friend going through 313 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 5: breast cancer. And one thing I clocked on too long 314 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:34,000 Speaker 5: time ago is that if you're just doing an adventure 315 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:38,640 Speaker 5: for you, when the going gets really difficult, you're probably 316 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:41,560 Speaker 5: going to tap out earlier than if you're doing it 317 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:45,679 Speaker 5: for a cause greater than yourself. So partly selfishly, but 318 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 5: partly for Katie Carlile, who was suffering breast cancer at 319 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:53,359 Speaker 5: the time and she's still fighting now. 320 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:54,720 Speaker 4: She's a little warrior that one. 321 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 5: But we ended up making a sled out of Sarah's boob, 322 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:04,119 Speaker 5: so my wife's breast we molded, and some pretty disturbing 323 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:10,560 Speaker 5: online images of me dragging a set of tents across Antarctica. 324 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:14,680 Speaker 5: So I trained all over the planet, Japan, New Zealand, 325 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:19,159 Speaker 5: the Arctic with these boobs. So I'm flying an aircraft 326 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 5: with these kevlar boobs. So it's basically a normal sled 327 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:27,080 Speaker 5: with a kevlar top, which is a twenty eight times 328 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:29,240 Speaker 5: magnification of Sarah's boobs. 329 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:30,879 Speaker 4: At the time, and. 330 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:36,399 Speaker 5: Anyway, the weirdest thing kind of happened with it in that, 331 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 5: you know, so many they were just like a lamplight 332 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 5: to people. 333 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:42,879 Speaker 4: They'd be like, what are you doing? 334 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:46,359 Speaker 5: And they've come over and you're trying to explain, and 335 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:50,360 Speaker 5: I'll never forget right up in the Arctics, so above 336 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:55,200 Speaker 5: a place called a calor on a frozen ocean, I'm 337 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:59,479 Speaker 5: learning how to manage my breathing. And you know, like 338 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 5: below minus forty, I had a bit of a lung bleed. 339 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:07,760 Speaker 5: I was coughing up blood and this skoodoo comes over 340 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 5: the horizon and it's an Inuit guy out shooting seals 341 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 5: and he's come over and seen this bright pink guy 342 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:18,040 Speaker 5: in a jumpsuit with a bright pink set of boobs, 343 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 5: and he's just gone, what the hell is this white 344 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:23,959 Speaker 5: fellow doing? Pulls over and he comes over and for 345 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 5: some unknown reason, goes to lit the nipple on the 346 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 5: sled and gets his tongue stuck to the keblar. 347 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 4: And we have to pull his head off, and it. 348 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 5: Just a chunk of skin or tongue stuck on the sled. 349 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 5: And I'm just sitting there going this is one of 350 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:47,680 Speaker 5: the maddest advances I've ever done. 351 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 4: But fast forward twelve months. 352 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:55,040 Speaker 5: I'm in an aircraft, an a Loosian aircraft, a Russian transport. 353 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:57,919 Speaker 5: There was the same aircraft they used to drop their 354 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:02,119 Speaker 5: troops into the Afghan conflict when Soviet Union and the 355 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:05,400 Speaker 5: Afghans were fighting. And it's got all the Russian cyrillic 356 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:08,439 Speaker 5: script on the walls. And I'm sitting in there, and 357 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 5: I'm in my bright pink jumpsuit, I've got secondhand gear, 358 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:16,240 Speaker 5: I've got a boob sled next to me, and there's 359 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:19,400 Speaker 5: a Frenchman going for the same record. We were both 360 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 5: attempting to be the third human ever to go from 361 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:28,119 Speaker 5: coast through the South Pole to coast, and two Norwegians 362 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 5: had done it previously Boresou's Land, and I think a 363 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 5: guy ruined Getty's anyway. So I'm stepping at the plate. 364 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 5: There's ten guys in the aircraft and they create a 365 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 5: betting syndicate and they're all betting for the Frenchman because 366 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 5: he's he's sponsored by Bitcoin, really. 367 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:46,080 Speaker 4: Out on the days. 368 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:50,639 Speaker 5: He's got a brand new gear, beautiful parentex down to 369 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:53,720 Speaker 5: new skis. I look like you know, I'm a dad 370 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:57,119 Speaker 5: of three. I was nearly forty at the time and 371 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:01,640 Speaker 5: dead like nine of them. Idle then bet for the Frenchman, 372 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:03,680 Speaker 5: and one guy bet for me, and there isn't he 373 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:06,520 Speaker 5: bet for me? Was that he came to in the 374 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:08,879 Speaker 5: airport before we took off and said, listen, I know 375 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 5: what you're doing. My best friend Lotti is fighting for 376 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:15,919 Speaker 5: her life in Cape Town hospital with breast cancer, and 377 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,399 Speaker 5: I want you to blow this balloon up, say a 378 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:20,399 Speaker 5: prayer for it at the South Pole and let it go. 379 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:25,479 Speaker 5: And anyway, I carried Lotty's balloon the whole way across 380 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:26,120 Speaker 5: the continent. 381 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:27,160 Speaker 4: And when I. 382 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:31,080 Speaker 5: Finished the journey as the third man to ever crossed 383 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:35,480 Speaker 5: and seven days ahead of the record, he rang me 384 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:40,639 Speaker 5: from Cape Town and said, hey, you know, everybody, everybody 385 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:44,560 Speaker 5: bet for the Frenchman. Lotty died when you were at 386 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:48,920 Speaker 5: the South Pole, and he said thank you so much 387 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:53,120 Speaker 5: for carrying Lotti. And I just remember saying to him, mate, 388 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:54,399 Speaker 5: I didn't carry Lotty. 389 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 4: She carried me. 390 00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:59,360 Speaker 5: And I think the biggest thing I've learned with these 391 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:02,960 Speaker 5: adventures is, just as we have to teach our young 392 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:06,920 Speaker 5: ones in life, if they've got a grander purpose, then 393 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:12,159 Speaker 5: it's rocket fuel. And he'll always outwalk out, perform the 394 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:13,160 Speaker 5: guy or the girl. 395 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:15,639 Speaker 4: Next year, that he is just doing it for shits 396 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 4: and giggles. 397 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 2: You know, when you have got that fire, that drive, 398 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 2: that purpose, and it's pulling you towards that adventure, then 399 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 2: you're right. 400 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 3: There's no stopping you, really, is there no? 401 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,679 Speaker 5: And on that journey, I survived the worst storm of 402 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,920 Speaker 5: my career. I rang Sarah during that storm saying I 403 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:45,680 Speaker 5: don't think I'm going to make it, and literally within 404 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:50,080 Speaker 5: six hours of the tent breaching of me dying of exposure, 405 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:55,240 Speaker 5: the storm started to debate. I survived a sled auto 406 00:23:55,400 --> 00:24:00,400 Speaker 5: taking off with a kite attached and was racing out 407 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 5: of my grasp when I managed to get on top 408 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:06,800 Speaker 5: of it and the strings cut themselves miraculously. I would 409 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:10,399 Speaker 5: have lost all my gear, all my transponders, sat phone. 410 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:11,879 Speaker 4: I just would have died of exposure. 411 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 5: I survived completely freezing my belly, had frost bite injuries 412 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 5: and was cutting flesh from my belly for weeks. I 413 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 5: survived losing two weeks worth of food and found a 414 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:27,000 Speaker 5: new way of traveling where I would just push for 415 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:30,720 Speaker 5: sixteen to eighteen hours a day, sleep for four, push 416 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 5: for another sixteen hour, eight hours, sleep eight and then 417 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:37,399 Speaker 5: repeat that cycle to finally get to the coast with 418 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:42,439 Speaker 5: one meal left, ate that meal, and collapse basically for 419 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 5: a pickup in three days. So you know, it just 420 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 5: was superhuman what I went through, because every time I 421 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:52,719 Speaker 5: felt like quitting, I could see Lotties face in my mind. 422 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,879 Speaker 5: I could see the women at Alamanda Hospital on the 423 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:58,240 Speaker 5: gold coasters I'd met before I left, all going through 424 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:02,119 Speaker 5: the chemo a realizing they didn't have a tap out. 425 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:05,640 Speaker 5: So you know, even when the Americans, the Americans are 426 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,760 Speaker 5: calling me saying, listen, you have to give up. We've 427 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:12,120 Speaker 5: seen images of your belly. You're losing too much protein. 428 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:17,679 Speaker 5: You need to allow us to send your aircraft vehicle. 429 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:18,960 Speaker 4: And I just listen. 430 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:21,200 Speaker 5: You can send a vehicle, but I'm not getting in it. 431 00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:25,360 Speaker 5: I'm hunging across this continent. I'll pick me up. 432 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:26,560 Speaker 4: Wow. 433 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 2: And those moments that you say that you almost, you know, 434 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 2: you almost don't make it, You almost lose your own life, 435 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:40,119 Speaker 2: And in that moment, nothing else really matters apart from 436 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 2: if I take a step to the left, I'm going 437 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:43,800 Speaker 2: to live. If I take a step to the right, 438 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:46,600 Speaker 2: I'm not going to make it. Was that part of 439 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:50,800 Speaker 2: your you know, of your sort of reasoning to keep 440 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:53,440 Speaker 2: on doing these extreme adventures. 441 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:57,800 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean I think the problem I had, I 442 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 5: think was just being a bit dumb and pig head 443 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:03,480 Speaker 5: it in the early adventures. So you know, your near 444 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 5: death experiences are just coming back to back to back 445 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 5: to back. And then as I get, as I get 446 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:15,360 Speaker 5: more proficient, the near death experiences are better space and 447 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 5: I think now I kind of see them as you know, 448 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:20,280 Speaker 5: if I'm having a near death experience, I've made a 449 00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 5: mistake or I've not imagined the dominoes falling around me 450 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 5: well enough. So I think one of my great skills 451 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:32,720 Speaker 5: has always been if I'm trying to beat a recorder, 452 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 5: I'll emulate a previous explorer. I'll read thousands of our 453 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:41,919 Speaker 5: diaries and log entries or journal entries from say for 454 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:44,639 Speaker 5: the first journey, for one hundred years of polar exploration, 455 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 5: what have they done well? What have they done poorly? 456 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 5: And then I'll try and improve on that. But then 457 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:53,240 Speaker 5: for every way that I could die, I try and 458 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:56,920 Speaker 5: imagine a bunch of scenarios so that when it's happening, 459 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:02,000 Speaker 5: my reaction times are shorter and generally generally with kites, 460 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 5: it's a kite getting out of control, like you'll either 461 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 5: break your spine or break your neck because you get 462 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 5: a death whip, or you're kiting into a crevass and 463 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:16,399 Speaker 5: using the kite to get you out of it, or 464 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:19,320 Speaker 5: you've tied it off a cliff and there's not much 465 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:24,400 Speaker 5: going on, or the sleds pulled your backwards into a cravass. 466 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:27,920 Speaker 5: So you know, you can imagine all the ways. And 467 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:31,200 Speaker 5: the thing is, no matter how much planning you put 468 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 5: into it, there seems to be always one ND called 469 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,959 Speaker 5: them that creeps up on you, the near death experience 470 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 5: that just jumps up and you know, for example, we 471 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 5: had a grizzly bear try and kill us in Alaska. 472 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 5: My son and I were on an advanta that was 473 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,199 Speaker 5: designed to keep him away from school. He is one 474 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:59,239 Speaker 5: of the most dangerous environments on Earth. And anyway, my 475 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:01,880 Speaker 5: wife's like, okay, yeah, great, you got him away from 476 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:04,440 Speaker 5: scoolies that you nearly got him eaten by bloody grizzily. 477 00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 5: You know, that grizzly came out of nowhere. We couldn't 478 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:11,719 Speaker 5: we could never have imagined, you know, the violence of 479 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:12,880 Speaker 5: that animal. 480 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:17,399 Speaker 2: And so took me through that moment to where are 481 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:20,159 Speaker 2: you and how old you sell at the time, So 482 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:22,920 Speaker 2: he was seventeen, so it's twenty seventeen. 483 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:25,879 Speaker 5: And I said to him, listen, if you design an 484 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:28,680 Speaker 5: adventure that we can afford to put on and if 485 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:31,920 Speaker 5: it gets you away from schoolies, I've got three weeks, 486 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:35,399 Speaker 5: let's do it. So he wanted to cross the Brooks 487 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:40,000 Speaker 5: Range in Alaska, so we crossed it, got air lifted 488 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:44,080 Speaker 5: in and then had these inflatable kayaks that we used 489 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:49,160 Speaker 5: as sleds or into the rivers when the rivers were okay. 490 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 5: But we got there in the middle of the one 491 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 5: of the biggest mounts at the end of the winter 492 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 5: that they'd ever had, so the rivers were just out 493 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:00,960 Speaker 5: of control. So we had to drag these lads for 494 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:05,040 Speaker 5: about ninety kilometers and there were grizzly prints everywhere as 495 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 5: we dropped into the lowlands. And then about ten days 496 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:12,040 Speaker 5: into the journey, we came around the corner on the 497 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:14,920 Speaker 5: river and there was a grizzly on the bank and 498 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 5: he looked pretty relaxed. He was sitting there like a 499 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 5: big brown rabbit eating berries. But then when he saw us, 500 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 5: I'm holding position and We've been told with grizzlies to 501 00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 5: never increase the distance to them because they'll invite the charge, 502 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,960 Speaker 5: So hold you distance. So we're holding against the current 503 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:40,040 Speaker 5: and he's probably one hundred meters off the bank. Then 504 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:42,800 Speaker 5: he stands up and I'm like, holy shit, that thing 505 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:47,240 Speaker 5: is big, like he's nine foot, probably four hundred kilos 506 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 5: of band and then he just charges. There's no kind 507 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:54,960 Speaker 5: of reason or I can't see that we were in 508 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 5: his territory. We were in the river, he was on 509 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:02,800 Speaker 5: the bank. Any in my head thinking Okay, he's not 510 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 5: going to swim, it's going to be too much for him. 511 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 5: We'll just hold a position. In the time that he 512 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:11,560 Speaker 5: took to get to the water's edge, I hadn't been 513 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:14,600 Speaker 5: able to get the velcro on my chest patch open. 514 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:15,720 Speaker 4: I had a flare gun. 515 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 5: I was just going to shoot him in the chest 516 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:21,760 Speaker 5: with a flare but he hit us so fast I 517 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:24,720 Speaker 5: didn't even stop at the water's edge. He just kept 518 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 5: running and pretty much aquaplane for about three body lengths 519 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:30,960 Speaker 5: on the top of the water, and then was on 520 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 5: me literally a kayaks length away. 521 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:37,160 Speaker 4: And then this miracle happened that anybody with. 522 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:41,560 Speaker 5: A lot of experienced up there is like a mock 523 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 5: charge as a bear just presenting itself, because calories are 524 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 5: so valuable to them, they once they've committed to a 525 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:52,160 Speaker 5: full charge, they're going to kill. 526 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:54,840 Speaker 4: So he had covered a lot of ground. 527 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:58,480 Speaker 5: He was fully committed, and there was no reason why 528 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 5: I didn't, you know, just ended up in his mouth 529 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 5: or punching him in the neck trying to survive. But 530 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:08,160 Speaker 5: he stopped as though a bit like a labrador running 531 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 5: into the patio glass window. 532 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:13,320 Speaker 4: It was like he hit this window and. 533 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:17,320 Speaker 5: Then all this hot breath with like a tunery smell 534 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:19,640 Speaker 5: with berries mixed, and it hit me in the face 535 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 5: and I could just smell bear, and my heart rate 536 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 5: was about two sixty and. 537 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:30,240 Speaker 4: I'm like, what the hell just happened? 538 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:34,480 Speaker 5: So I just lifted my paddle, expecting him to keep coming, 539 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 5: and the current took me and he kind of led 540 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:39,800 Speaker 5: all his area out and then walked back to the 541 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,640 Speaker 5: bank and followed us around the corner and then just 542 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:46,120 Speaker 5: sat and washed. And I still to this day don't 543 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:48,840 Speaker 5: really know what happened, but I know back on the 544 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:52,840 Speaker 5: Gold Coast, this beautiful woman who's always been what I 545 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:56,800 Speaker 5: call the prayer warrior for me, woke up and just 546 00:31:56,840 --> 00:32:00,600 Speaker 5: had this function that I was going to die, and 547 00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:02,720 Speaker 5: got on the knees and there was some sort of 548 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:08,120 Speaker 5: supernatural thing that that bear hit. And I think part 549 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:10,840 Speaker 5: of me is like the number of times that's happened, 550 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:15,000 Speaker 5: it's too much of a miracle, you know, to be 551 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:19,080 Speaker 5: a figment of my imagination. But I'm also aware I 552 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 5: don't want to lay out the fleece or hast it. 553 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:23,120 Speaker 4: Too many times. 554 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:25,640 Speaker 5: So I kind of feel like I've you know, if 555 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 5: you're playing Call of Duty or a video game in 556 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:32,000 Speaker 5: your bar is just at the very red end, you know, 557 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:34,880 Speaker 5: one more hit, I feel like I've. 558 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:37,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, I feel like I'm right at that point. So 559 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:40,960 Speaker 4: my adventures now have to be so well planned and 560 00:32:41,040 --> 00:32:41,600 Speaker 4: thought out. 561 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,200 Speaker 5: And you know, we've had Project zero is the project 562 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:47,200 Speaker 5: that we're involved in at the moment, which is just 563 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 5: exploring how do we explore carbon neutral So Project zero 564 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:56,600 Speaker 5: dot earth is the website and on that. We've done 565 00:32:57,240 --> 00:33:01,440 Speaker 5: four journeys. We've sailed from Australia to Antarctica. We've crossed 566 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:03,920 Speaker 5: the ad A going in ice cap, we've crossed the 567 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:08,560 Speaker 5: Antarctic Peninsula and just just come home in the end 568 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 5: last year from from crossing Iceland and climbing one of 569 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:14,080 Speaker 5: the glaciers. 570 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:15,280 Speaker 4: There on horsebacks. 571 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:19,040 Speaker 5: But we've got two more journeys in that, and I'm 572 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:22,880 Speaker 5: really aware that I have, you know, had enough bullets 573 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:27,360 Speaker 5: wing me very close to be super cautious now. And 574 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:31,840 Speaker 5: you know, in my head, I have this image what 575 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:35,040 Speaker 5: I call a faith eye image of Sarah and I 576 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 5: in rocking chairs at eighty and Sarah's got to two 577 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:44,680 Speaker 5: rocking chairs tattooed on a fourarm just to remind me, 578 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:49,160 Speaker 5: you know, before and during and after every adventure to 579 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:52,200 Speaker 5: see that image. And it's almost like when things are 580 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:56,000 Speaker 5: going horribly wrong, you know that image is getting crackly 581 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:59,720 Speaker 5: and and static is in it, and then you're fighting 582 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 5: really hard to get the dominoes back up. 583 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:04,360 Speaker 4: Right and make sure you get home. 584 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:07,720 Speaker 5: So whilst it is definitely an adrenaline rush with the 585 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:10,600 Speaker 5: near death experiences, I'm trying to. 586 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:13,360 Speaker 4: Limit them and I don't want to do tim anymore. 587 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:26,480 Speaker 2: There is a spiritual side definitely to traveling, and I 588 00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:29,120 Speaker 2: think you gain that when you travel, you're almost letting 589 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:32,840 Speaker 2: the world, you know, play out in front of you, 590 00:34:33,160 --> 00:34:35,600 Speaker 2: and you're just you're just like, listen if it happens, 591 00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:36,000 Speaker 2: it happens. 592 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:36,880 Speaker 3: If it doesn't, it doesn't. 593 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:43,439 Speaker 5: Yeah, I think people will struggle to understand why when 594 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:48,840 Speaker 5: you've had multiple NDEs, why why. 595 00:34:48,640 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 4: You would go back in there. 596 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:53,440 Speaker 5: And I think it's just you know, I think in 597 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:56,560 Speaker 5: day to day life, people don't realize that they've probably 598 00:34:57,320 --> 00:35:01,640 Speaker 5: had a very close near death experience, you know, if 599 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:04,919 Speaker 5: they've left an intersection milliseconds before a truck goes through 600 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:08,920 Speaker 5: a red light, or you might understand when you've been 601 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:12,560 Speaker 5: preserved from something. So there's definitely more at stake. And 602 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:18,520 Speaker 5: I think with an adventurous lifestyle, you're kind of increasing 603 00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:22,840 Speaker 5: the odds of a violent death or a difficult death 604 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:29,000 Speaker 5: by misadventure or exposure. But theory being, if you've prepared well, 605 00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:33,120 Speaker 5: dreaming big, you should be able to manage that. 606 00:35:33,239 --> 00:35:35,880 Speaker 4: And I think for me that's the challenge. 607 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:40,279 Speaker 5: Man. The better prepared I am, the less near death 608 00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:43,840 Speaker 5: experiences I'm having on the journey, the more I'm seeing 609 00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:46,879 Speaker 5: chetchery ahead of time. But you know, it doesn't matter 610 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:50,160 Speaker 5: how well you prepare. On this last journey, the project's 611 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:54,480 Speaker 5: zero one. We were a thousand kilometers off the Antarctic coast. 612 00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:57,680 Speaker 5: The nearest help was probably I think it worked out. 613 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 5: Twelve days sail away. There was a tanker to the 614 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:04,560 Speaker 5: north of us, and then the ocean just crapped itself. 615 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:09,040 Speaker 5: We had twenty meter seas and seventy two not wins 616 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:13,200 Speaker 5: and the boat was surfing on its side, sliding down 617 00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:15,960 Speaker 5: waves at sixteen nights like it's just not designed to 618 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:19,080 Speaker 5: do that, and we were in danger at capsizing or 619 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:24,080 Speaker 5: pitch poling. And I don't think like there's a solitude 620 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:27,960 Speaker 5: in Antarctica when you're solo, but at least the ground 621 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:31,560 Speaker 5: or the ice that you're on it's stable. This was 622 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:36,440 Speaker 5: a solitude. It was myself, my son a mat Or Krusty, 623 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:39,040 Speaker 5: another mate Jordie on the boat and the four of 624 00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:42,279 Speaker 5: us kind of got together in the cabin and I 625 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:44,840 Speaker 5: just said, listen, the boat is at the extent of 626 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:48,759 Speaker 5: what shall handle. She may break up or we may 627 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:52,799 Speaker 5: pitch pole in the next few hours. If everyone just 628 00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:55,560 Speaker 5: does the job that they've been assigned to the best 629 00:36:55,560 --> 00:36:57,319 Speaker 5: of their ability, we'll have a chance to make it 630 00:36:57,320 --> 00:36:57,640 Speaker 5: through this. 631 00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 4: And those four. 632 00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:05,520 Speaker 5: Three k sorry one Kiwi, three Aussies, I couldn't be 633 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 5: more proud of. We just kind of held each other 634 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:12,359 Speaker 5: and you know, there was no fear, no crying, no hysteria. 635 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:14,760 Speaker 4: There was just this real calm. 636 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,200 Speaker 5: Okay, everyone do their job, and if we do die 637 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:20,000 Speaker 5: in this storm, then you know, at least everyone's done 638 00:37:20,040 --> 00:37:22,480 Speaker 5: everything to the best of their ability. And over the 639 00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:25,200 Speaker 5: next three days we just forught to keep that boat alive. 640 00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:28,440 Speaker 5: And you know, we planned to the m degree to 641 00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:33,120 Speaker 5: avoid that exact situation. And what saved us was putting 642 00:37:33,160 --> 00:37:35,720 Speaker 5: a drogue out, which is three hundred meters of line 643 00:37:35,719 --> 00:37:38,319 Speaker 5: with little parachutes along it, and I was able to 644 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:40,920 Speaker 5: slow the boat down to about two point two knots 645 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:45,759 Speaker 5: and then stop it catapulting forward, and the whole motion 646 00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:48,600 Speaker 5: slowed down, the load on the reek diminished, and we 647 00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:50,200 Speaker 5: managed to survive the storm. 648 00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:52,200 Speaker 4: But it was just another of mine. 649 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:54,359 Speaker 5: Listen, if you're going to put yourself in harm's way, 650 00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:57,760 Speaker 5: it doesn't matter how well you plan, you're going to have. 651 00:37:57,880 --> 00:37:59,560 Speaker 4: Some near death experiences. 652 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:04,200 Speaker 5: And I think, like you, a normal person wouldn't do 653 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:06,480 Speaker 5: it you do. A normal person wouldn't do what I do. 654 00:38:06,600 --> 00:38:11,600 Speaker 5: But society does need the outliers like us to encourage 655 00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:14,399 Speaker 5: them to move. You know, if they only come off 656 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:17,200 Speaker 5: the sofa and go back to the sofa, then my 657 00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 5: job is done. 658 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:18,919 Speaker 4: Your job is done. 659 00:38:19,560 --> 00:38:24,319 Speaker 5: If we're talking about human resilience, determination, grit. You know, 660 00:38:24,600 --> 00:38:30,919 Speaker 5: the military environment is a very rapid way of showcasing 661 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:33,960 Speaker 5: the best and the worst of the human spirit and grit. 662 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:38,759 Speaker 5: But you know, the polar environment is a very gradual thing. 663 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:43,160 Speaker 5: It just seeps in and it's a brutal environment because 664 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:46,000 Speaker 5: every day is so uncomfortable, and it just goes on 665 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:49,000 Speaker 5: and on and on. And when you're using kites in it, 666 00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:53,040 Speaker 5: you've got the problem of wind shell So the air. 667 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:56,759 Speaker 4: Camp might be minus twenty five. But when you're kiting tiding. 668 00:38:56,520 --> 00:39:00,879 Speaker 5: Up, when you're dealing with temperatures that human flesh can't handle. 669 00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:02,560 Speaker 3: Why do you use a kayak for me? 670 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:08,000 Speaker 5: I've always been fascinated with winds, So whether it's kite surfing, sailing, bugging, 671 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:11,560 Speaker 5: I mean, right now, I've covered more of the planet 672 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:15,480 Speaker 5: using kit traction. So a kite connected the skis board 673 00:39:16,040 --> 00:39:20,720 Speaker 5: buggy covered more ice desertation than any human alive. 674 00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:23,480 Speaker 4: Dixie dan Zakura was one of my heroes. 675 00:39:24,719 --> 00:39:28,200 Speaker 5: Belgian explorer who probably had high mileage, but he died 676 00:39:28,239 --> 00:39:31,000 Speaker 5: two years ago in Greenland. Made a mistake and stepped 677 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:35,040 Speaker 5: into a crevass so he was one of the greats, 678 00:39:35,239 --> 00:39:38,279 Speaker 5: and then with him passing there's probably a couple of 679 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:41,759 Speaker 5: guys who are close. But the joy for me with 680 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:45,200 Speaker 5: kit traction is you're covering ground that you. 681 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:45,840 Speaker 4: Couldn't get to. 682 00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:48,839 Speaker 5: It's too far for an aircraft to get to, it's 683 00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:52,359 Speaker 5: too cold for you to get there on foot and 684 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:56,440 Speaker 5: get back. You can't carry enough food weights. So with 685 00:39:56,520 --> 00:39:58,840 Speaker 5: a kite I can drag two hundred kilos and I 686 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:03,520 Speaker 5: can my range increases to about six thousand kilometers when 687 00:40:03,560 --> 00:40:07,640 Speaker 5: you're just on foot. Your polar range is for a 688 00:40:07,719 --> 00:40:09,160 Speaker 5: really tough human beings. 689 00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:10,360 Speaker 4: About eleven hundred kilometers. 690 00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:14,040 Speaker 5: So previous to this journey, the Australian record for a 691 00:40:14,080 --> 00:40:18,560 Speaker 5: solo was eleven hundred kilometers and then I reset that 692 00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:22,080 Speaker 5: in twenty thirteen and then again in twenty twenty. So 693 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:25,080 Speaker 5: of course you did, Jeff, of course you did. 694 00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:27,160 Speaker 3: Listen, you are the polar man. 695 00:40:28,120 --> 00:40:32,000 Speaker 2: That's about a shadow of a doubt and having done decades, 696 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:37,560 Speaker 2: multiple decades in the polar experience, how much has it changed. 697 00:40:38,760 --> 00:40:41,680 Speaker 5: It is changing, and that's what's a little bit scary 698 00:40:41,680 --> 00:40:45,600 Speaker 5: because at both ends of the planet everything's amplified, so 699 00:40:45,960 --> 00:40:50,200 Speaker 5: we're losing big chunks of that floating drift ice. You know, 700 00:40:50,239 --> 00:40:54,080 Speaker 5: there's arguments to say part of Antarctica is building up 701 00:40:54,080 --> 00:40:55,560 Speaker 5: while other parts are degrading. 702 00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:57,640 Speaker 4: But when you're on Antarctica. 703 00:40:57,080 --> 00:40:59,120 Speaker 5: At the end of the season, I remember waiting for 704 00:40:59,160 --> 00:41:03,520 Speaker 5: an extraction ten days of our weather at Novalaskay is stationed, 705 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:06,880 Speaker 5: a Russian base on the Cape Town side of Antarctica, 706 00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:10,839 Speaker 5: And you know, twenty thirteen it was just solid pack, 707 00:41:11,040 --> 00:41:14,600 Speaker 5: icy land and aircraft right through into the end of February. 708 00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:16,440 Speaker 4: Now, you know, if you're not. 709 00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:20,520 Speaker 5: Out of the early fab you're not getting out because 710 00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:22,919 Speaker 5: the whole runway's melting all the way down the hill. 711 00:41:24,200 --> 00:41:25,000 Speaker 4: It's terrifying. 712 00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:28,600 Speaker 5: The Arctic is even more amplified, and there's so many 713 00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:31,600 Speaker 5: effects there that we don't understand. The Arctics almost like 714 00:41:31,640 --> 00:41:35,560 Speaker 5: the battery of the planet, the thermok line, and there's 715 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:38,160 Speaker 5: so much energy trapped in that ice system. 716 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:40,640 Speaker 4: It's kind of terrifying. They think. 717 00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:44,239 Speaker 5: You know, once the Northwest Passage is open and that 718 00:41:44,320 --> 00:41:49,040 Speaker 5: ice is degrading much much quicker, the effect on obviously 719 00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:53,040 Speaker 5: the wildlife and human life is going to be pretty drastic. 720 00:41:53,120 --> 00:41:55,919 Speaker 5: But you know there's people who still bury their head 721 00:41:55,960 --> 00:41:58,120 Speaker 5: in the sand, and I understand why they do that, 722 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:02,399 Speaker 5: but they need to come with me and see it firsthand. 723 00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:06,319 Speaker 4: And that's kind of what Project zero is about. It. 724 00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:10,920 Speaker 5: It's not really about creating solutions as such. It's really 725 00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:14,680 Speaker 5: just saying, as an adventure community, if we can carbon 726 00:42:14,719 --> 00:42:18,720 Speaker 5: offset are impact, then we as lovers of the planet, 727 00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:21,640 Speaker 5: lovers of these polar environments. 728 00:42:21,320 --> 00:42:23,040 Speaker 4: We have to show people how to do it. 729 00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:26,440 Speaker 5: So if somebody's climbing Evereston, they've got an option of 730 00:42:26,480 --> 00:42:29,279 Speaker 5: doing it with a company that's carbon offsetting and at 731 00:42:29,360 --> 00:42:32,759 Speaker 5: least having zero impact, that's the one they should go with. 732 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:35,800 Speaker 5: They might cost you extra five to six seven eight grand, 733 00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:39,319 Speaker 5: but you know, we're showing with Project zero that we 734 00:42:39,320 --> 00:42:42,200 Speaker 5: can do all these extreme journeys, including our ins and 735 00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:47,279 Speaker 5: outs to plastics from our skis, boots, are clothing, we 736 00:42:47,360 --> 00:42:51,239 Speaker 5: can do it offset. So there's a very very at 737 00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:56,279 Speaker 5: least neutral effect on the areas we're exploring. I think 738 00:42:56,320 --> 00:42:58,960 Speaker 5: if you're bearing your head and saying it's not happening, 739 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:00,920 Speaker 5: you need to get up to either end of the 740 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:02,320 Speaker 5: Earth and just see it happening. 741 00:43:02,719 --> 00:43:07,360 Speaker 3: What is the effect that this will will have on us? Eventually? 742 00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:10,520 Speaker 2: If we don't get our heads or pull our heads 743 00:43:10,560 --> 00:43:11,799 Speaker 2: from the sand as such. 744 00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:16,400 Speaker 5: I mean, it's it's huge, Like in Antarctica, there's just 745 00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:19,399 Speaker 5: subtle little things like the little Gentoo penguins a very 746 00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:22,240 Speaker 5: tough little character and he can live in a wider 747 00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:25,879 Speaker 5: range of temperatures, so he's just dominating down there. 748 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:29,200 Speaker 4: He's like the Bronx gangster. He's just moved in. 749 00:43:29,160 --> 00:43:33,399 Speaker 5: And can handle the col and the Emperor penguins need 750 00:43:33,440 --> 00:43:35,680 Speaker 5: to hold those eggs on the ice sheets for the 751 00:43:35,719 --> 00:43:39,200 Speaker 5: whole gestation period. Those ice sheets are breaking down and 752 00:43:39,239 --> 00:43:42,200 Speaker 5: the eggs are falling into the water. So there multiple 753 00:43:42,280 --> 00:43:45,319 Speaker 5: colonies have had zero eggs hatched in the last couple of. 754 00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:47,920 Speaker 3: Years, So you know the species changing. 755 00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:51,560 Speaker 5: The krill underneath, which underpins all of that incredible life 756 00:43:51,560 --> 00:43:55,000 Speaker 5: in Antarctica, there's shifts and the numbers of krill because 757 00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:58,640 Speaker 5: of the temperature changes. In the Arctic, it's more visible 758 00:43:58,680 --> 00:44:01,960 Speaker 5: because obviously the polar bed feed on the fringeise. That 759 00:44:02,040 --> 00:44:06,640 Speaker 5: fringeise is breaking up earlier and lasting a short period 760 00:44:06,680 --> 00:44:10,759 Speaker 5: of time. So they're bears that are starving and going 761 00:44:10,800 --> 00:44:13,920 Speaker 5: into towns where they've never seen them before, going through 762 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:16,960 Speaker 5: rubbish and having interactions with humans who get some shot 763 00:44:17,640 --> 00:44:20,680 Speaker 5: so that you know, there's not a lot of great news. 764 00:44:20,719 --> 00:44:24,160 Speaker 5: But you know, at the same time, if we look 765 00:44:24,200 --> 00:44:27,279 Speaker 5: at the whales situation off the Gold coast here, you know, 766 00:44:27,320 --> 00:44:31,160 Speaker 5: when they finished whaling, there was less than I might 767 00:44:31,200 --> 00:44:33,680 Speaker 5: be exaggerating, but I think it was three hundred whales 768 00:44:33,760 --> 00:44:38,480 Speaker 5: or something ridiculously small passing this coastline. In the last 769 00:44:38,600 --> 00:44:42,439 Speaker 5: twenty to thirty years, they're breeding to a point now 770 00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:44,920 Speaker 5: where you can't swim out there without bumping into one. 771 00:44:44,960 --> 00:44:48,480 Speaker 5: There's thirty thousand whales pass here, and you know that's 772 00:44:48,640 --> 00:44:52,760 Speaker 5: just through people changing and a couple of brave people 773 00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:56,600 Speaker 5: standing up against a lot of odds to protect that species. 774 00:44:57,120 --> 00:44:59,680 Speaker 5: If we've got people protecting the polar bear now is 775 00:44:59,680 --> 00:45:03,080 Speaker 5: they can area in the coal mine and really focusing 776 00:45:03,120 --> 00:45:06,800 Speaker 5: on getting this carbon. You know, even if we're completely wrong, 777 00:45:07,560 --> 00:45:11,120 Speaker 5: we know that that if carbon is in the air, 778 00:45:11,239 --> 00:45:15,120 Speaker 5: it's guaranteed to increase temperature and it's a good thing 779 00:45:15,239 --> 00:45:17,799 Speaker 5: to protect the trees. We need more trees, get them 780 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:21,600 Speaker 5: in the ground. You know, reverse the Amazon coloring. Queensland's 781 00:45:21,719 --> 00:45:26,040 Speaker 5: tree culing is as bad as the Amazon, So you know, 782 00:45:26,239 --> 00:45:26,799 Speaker 5: we have no. 783 00:45:28,320 --> 00:45:29,840 Speaker 4: Room to judge. But if. 784 00:45:31,280 --> 00:45:33,200 Speaker 5: Trees are good for the planet, why don't we just 785 00:45:33,280 --> 00:45:37,200 Speaker 5: do it? I think as a polar explorer now, the 786 00:45:37,320 --> 00:45:41,440 Speaker 5: end of my career will be so driven on climate, 787 00:45:41,640 --> 00:45:45,920 Speaker 5: because that's really the underpinning of it. And you know, 788 00:45:45,960 --> 00:45:48,879 Speaker 5: the mission now is to wake people up and get 789 00:45:48,920 --> 00:45:52,279 Speaker 5: them to at least push for carbon neutral and then 790 00:45:52,320 --> 00:45:58,680 Speaker 5: hopefully becoming tree hugging hippies all over the planet. 791 00:46:01,400 --> 00:46:05,879 Speaker 2: Well, Jeff, this has been an awesome conversation, mate. I've 792 00:46:05,920 --> 00:46:11,480 Speaker 2: never actually met anyone as adventurous as yourself, especially in 793 00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:12,759 Speaker 2: the polar environment. 794 00:46:12,840 --> 00:46:16,160 Speaker 3: Mate. You obviously know your stuff. You're very passionate about 795 00:46:16,200 --> 00:46:16,680 Speaker 3: what you do. 796 00:46:17,160 --> 00:46:19,600 Speaker 2: I know you're going on a few more explorations and 797 00:46:19,680 --> 00:46:22,600 Speaker 2: you say things are calming down. I don't think you'll 798 00:46:22,600 --> 00:46:25,239 Speaker 2: ever calm down, Jeff. I think you'll always be out 799 00:46:25,280 --> 00:46:27,480 Speaker 2: and about and a lot of people are going to 800 00:46:27,480 --> 00:46:29,720 Speaker 2: get a lot out of this conversation, out of this interview. 801 00:46:30,280 --> 00:46:32,200 Speaker 2: I've got a lot out of it, and I wish 802 00:46:32,239 --> 00:46:34,640 Speaker 2: you the best for the future. Now, final question for you, 803 00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:37,800 Speaker 2: what is next for doctor Jeff Wilson. 804 00:46:38,320 --> 00:46:40,160 Speaker 4: No, Well, the next journey. 805 00:46:40,239 --> 00:46:45,200 Speaker 5: We rejoined the Nuke, the ice capable vessel in Nova 806 00:46:45,239 --> 00:46:50,000 Speaker 5: Scotia and then sail from northern Canada under Greenland truck. 807 00:46:50,040 --> 00:46:54,480 Speaker 5: We're actually going higher than where the Titanic sank right 808 00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:56,400 Speaker 5: at the end of their winters, so it's going to 809 00:46:56,440 --> 00:46:59,200 Speaker 5: be very icy, big chunks coming off, and then cross 810 00:46:59,239 --> 00:47:03,240 Speaker 5: over to Northern Ireland, pick up my son in Northern Ireland, 811 00:47:03,440 --> 00:47:06,239 Speaker 5: and then up through the Pharaoe Islands Scotland, and then 812 00:47:06,360 --> 00:47:08,960 Speaker 5: right up into the Arctic to an island called Svalbard. 813 00:47:09,440 --> 00:47:13,160 Speaker 5: As Valbard has more polar bears. You think I've had 814 00:47:13,280 --> 00:47:18,040 Speaker 5: enough for bears, but it has more polar bears per square. 815 00:47:17,719 --> 00:47:20,480 Speaker 4: Meter than anywhere on Earth. 816 00:47:20,520 --> 00:47:25,400 Speaker 5: And we're attempting the first Australian north to south crossing. 817 00:47:26,920 --> 00:47:28,960 Speaker 5: So drop off by bait and then the boat will 818 00:47:28,960 --> 00:47:32,000 Speaker 5: stand off as a certain rescue base, and then my 819 00:47:32,040 --> 00:47:35,279 Speaker 5: son and I will kaite and ski from north all 820 00:47:35,320 --> 00:47:37,160 Speaker 5: the way down to the south to get picked up, 821 00:47:37,320 --> 00:47:40,840 Speaker 5: trying not to become a dinner for a big white bear. 822 00:47:43,160 --> 00:47:48,960 Speaker 2: Absolute pleasure to class myself as an adventurer under your umbrella. Mate, 823 00:47:49,480 --> 00:47:52,399 Speaker 2: super proud listen, send my best to your son, best 824 00:47:52,440 --> 00:47:55,640 Speaker 2: of luck with your new adventure, and this is hopefully 825 00:47:55,640 --> 00:47:59,440 Speaker 2: our pass across. Good on, Yeah, thank you to find 826 00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:03,400 Speaker 2: out more about Jeff Head to his website, doctor Jeffwilson 827 00:48:03,480 --> 00:48:07,000 Speaker 2: dot com. Thanks for joining me in this episode of 828 00:48:07,080 --> 00:48:11,000 Speaker 2: head Game. If you enjoyed it, please leave me a review. 829 00:48:11,520 --> 00:48:14,560 Speaker 2: I'm Att Middleton. See you again next time.