1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: Now we know the Northern Territories Tourism Industries Night of 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:08,559 Speaker 1: Nights has seen twenty seven local businesses and individuals crowned 3 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: as winners at the Brolga Awards. They were held in 4 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: Alice Springs. This year there were ninety four nominations and 5 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: the highest number of entries in more than five years. 6 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: The Darwin Festival won the Major Festivals and Events category. 7 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: Ularu Katajuta National Park took out the Major Tourist Attraction 8 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: and Chris Day from the NT Parks and Wildlife Commission 9 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:35,520 Speaker 1: received the Tourism Minister's Perpetual Trophy. We know as well 10 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: that the Catherine Outback Experience was honored with two awards, 11 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: taking out the Tourist Attractions and Chairs Choice Award and 12 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,879 Speaker 1: the Man at the Helm multiple Golden Guitar Winner and 13 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: Horseman Extraordinary. Tom Kurtin joins us on the line. 14 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 2: Good morning, Tom Katie. Here are you going then? 15 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: Good lovely to have you on the show. Make congratulations. 16 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 1: What are the these awards mean to you? 17 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 2: Oh, it's just very humbling, you know. It's each year 18 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 2: we try to put something else back into the show. 19 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 2: They're in Catherine and Infrastructure. We opened a little cafe 20 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:15,680 Speaker 2: earlier this year in Catherine There just to open up 21 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 2: for the shows and things. And yeah, it's a lot 22 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 2: of hard work. Every year is a clean slate, so 23 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,479 Speaker 2: you just try your hardest to really put your heart 24 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 2: and soul into every show you do. 25 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: And it's certainly it's not the first time that you've 26 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: taken out these awards. You've won quite a few, haven't 27 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 1: you over the years. 28 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, we've been very honored to win a few of 29 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 2: these Best Attraction awards, and you know it is it 30 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 2: is very humbling and they're so grateful really too. 31 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 1: You know. 32 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 2: We started a few years ago, ten years ago, I think, 33 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 2: and no one came to the first show, and a 34 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 2: lot of mates were laughing at me for starting up 35 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 2: the thing, and you know, no one would come to 36 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 2: the first show, and often I just do a show 37 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 2: to one person, you know, and I just thought, well, 38 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 2: if I can just train a few dogs and horses 39 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 2: and sing a song, hopefully they can spread the word 40 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 2: for me. 41 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: You know, Oh, make good on you, like people really 42 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: forget or I feel as though, you know, people sort 43 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: of when they see your success, they look at it 44 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: and go, oh wow, you know, that's that's amazing, and 45 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,519 Speaker 1: they just sort of think that it's always been a success. 46 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:18,839 Speaker 1: But a lot of people don't understand the hard work 47 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 1: and the dedication that goes into getting to that point. 48 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: And you know, you even in saying then that you 49 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: were performing, you know, to one person at different times, 50 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: it's quite amazing and it must be very humbling to 51 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: now be at the point that you are. 52 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, it is, you know. It's we'd often get up 53 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 2: a three o'clock in the morning and ride horses, break 54 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 2: in a lot of horses for cattle stations, and then 55 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:45,800 Speaker 2: get ready for a show and then yeah, do horse 56 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 2: riding lessons, and you just got to do whatever you 57 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 2: can to try to keep your head above water. So 58 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 2: I think from coming through all that over the years 59 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 2: and then COVID and no tourism and then trying to 60 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 2: reinvent the wheel, I think it does, you know, put 61 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 2: a great challenge on every business, you know, but yeah, 62 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 2: you just got to keep at it and keep getting 63 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 2: up early in the morning to attack each day and 64 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 2: give it your all. So we're just so very grateful 65 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 2: to get the response. 66 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 1: We have well, and you're now a tourism icon, right, 67 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: like people love coming to the ut Back experience and 68 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: to the Catherine Outback experience and seeing all that is 69 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: on off of how have you like, how have you 70 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: sort of had to grow and do things differently over 71 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 1: the years. 72 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, I think just not being content with where 73 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 2: it is. We're always pushing the boundaries. We're always getting 74 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 2: new dogs, young dogs and horses people don't like or 75 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 2: get along with. We just train them up in the 76 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 2: actual shows so people can see it's real and raw. 77 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 2: But now, yeah, we're just I suppose we just keep 78 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 2: trying to raise the bar every year and we're bouncing 79 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 2: off different people's ideas that you know, they said, wanting 80 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 2: to try to put a few goats on the back 81 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 2: of horses, and you know, ride around playing this guitar 82 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 2: and I'm trying to teach dogs to leap frog each 83 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 2: other and things like that. They're always just you know, 84 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 2: pushing the boundaries to see how far we can get 85 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 2: things in the training and a new writing, new material 86 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 2: for new songs, new album out next year. So it's 87 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 2: I just think you just can't sit where you are. 88 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,280 Speaker 2: You've always just got to keep, yeah, coming up and 89 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:18,039 Speaker 2: pushing yourself. 90 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:20,919 Speaker 1: Yeah, I love it. I think it's fantastic and I 91 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: love hearing you say that. It's sort of real, true 92 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: territory spirit mate. You mentioned that when you first came 93 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: up with the idea for the Catherine out Back experience, 94 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: some of your friends had a bit of a laugh. 95 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 1: Who's laughing, now, you must be going, look at what 96 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: I've done? 97 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know. I do have a joke back with them. 98 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,359 Speaker 2: Over the years, I've often said, you know who, because 99 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:43,920 Speaker 2: that's what they said. So, Tom, who's going to come 100 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 2: and watch you train a few horses and get dogs 101 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 2: to jump on drums? You know you got rocks in 102 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 2: your head. Just stick to training horses. That's what you're 103 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 2: good at. Just do that. And then but I said, 104 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 2: my gut feeling was, look, if I just work hard 105 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,239 Speaker 2: enough and make it creative and show the psychology behind 106 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 2: the animals, I think we could turn it into something special. 107 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,239 Speaker 2: So yeah, sometimes you just got to follow your gut 108 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 2: and they worry what other people say, and yeah, work 109 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:08,600 Speaker 2: your heart out and see what happened. 110 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:12,160 Speaker 1: So good on you, Good on you. Now, I understand 111 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 1: during the week season you do take the show on 112 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: the road. What's what's the coming few months looking like 113 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 1: for you? Yeah? 114 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 2: We've just done five weeks on the road from Catherine 115 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:26,159 Speaker 2: through Queensland, New South Wales, Sydney in Ballarat and Victoria 116 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 2: at the moment. Had a show last night here and 117 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,840 Speaker 2: then we're heading to Melbourne Equitana this week. We've got 118 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 2: to do a main act. I think there's about thirty 119 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 2: thousand people coming to the Melbourne Showgrounds this weekend, so 120 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 2: we'll do that and then head across over to Perth 121 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 2: and yeah, then falls through the Margaret River region and 122 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 2: back up the West coast. So another five months on 123 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 2: the road. But yeah, we're doing We're having a lot 124 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,280 Speaker 2: of fun, meeting a lot of people and yeah, still 125 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:53,279 Speaker 2: trying to push the boundaries. 126 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, I love it. What's it like? What is it 127 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: like seeing the faces of some of the townies. It 128 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: must just be thinking, Wow, how on earth and a 129 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: cowboy get all of this to? You know, how can 130 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: you make all of this happen? 131 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think they are a bit surprised, you know. 132 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 2: But I've got one heck of a team with me, 133 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 2: my wife Annabelle and that nine other adults on the road, 134 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 2: musicians and yeah, other people help with their animals and 135 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 2: handling and things. But it's just I think the biggest 136 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 2: bars is you're rock into a town. We go to 137 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:25,039 Speaker 2: a lot of regional towns as well as the big cities, 138 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 2: but you're rocking, and some are really excited to see you. 139 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 2: Others are really you know, you can see their expression 140 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 2: on their faces and the body language. Are a bit 141 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 2: down and out for whatever reason. So our job is 142 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:38,240 Speaker 2: to try to let them forget about life for a 143 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 2: few hours and let them soak it up with the 144 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 2: animals and the music. And I think there is definitely 145 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 2: there's something there when people can part a horse or 146 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:51,480 Speaker 2: part a dog and see up close and personal what 147 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,279 Speaker 2: the animals do. Then the music comes in, and so 148 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 2: the goal is by the end of that show, these 149 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 2: people are leaving with a smile on their face and 150 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 2: just just to recharge them a little so they can 151 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 2: go back to their environment and kick on with today. 152 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 1: All wonderful stuff. Mate. Well, I'm so pleased that you 153 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: guys have been recognized once again. And I know it's 154 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: a real team effort and a real family effort, and 155 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: so much of an effort goes into too making it happen. 156 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 1: So I think it's wonderful that you've been recognized and 157 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: continue to grow. 158 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 2: No, thanks so much, and thanks so much for all 159 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 2: the support up there with you guys and also for 160 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 2: people in the MT. We couldn't have done it without 161 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 2: you guys. It's ignited my songwriting up there, and yeah, 162 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 2: we love the NT and always will, so thanks so 163 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 2: much for the support. 164 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 1: Well, Tom Curtin, lovely to speak to you this morning, mate. 165 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: We'll talk to you again soon. 166 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 2: Thanks so much, Katie, keep up the great work there. 167 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: Thank you.