There's a lot of things to like about Australia but what I love most is her wide open spaces, beaches, mountains, forests...let's just call it anywhere in nature.

It's a beautiful and diverse country indeed. Sure it can be brutal at times, it's vast and when things go wrong in the outback and wilderness areas people die; of course, there's all the deadly animals we have: Snakes, sharks, crocodiles, spiders, scorpions, irukandji, blue ring octopus and so many more...a long list. We make it work though, co-exist and most often a little common sense will help someone avoid most of the danger. It's really sad that so many people will never see these places, even Australians who don't venture far fromt he well-worn paths and cities.

Me? Yeah, I'm an outdoorsy guy. I hunt and camp, go four wheel driving, fishing, kayaking, hiking and other legit things and have been so privileged to have been all over Australia. I've travelled around the world too, loved it and will do so again, but there's something really special about seeing one's own country, getting intimate with it, and four wheel driving and camping has allowed me to so most of it.

It's a diverse country, something I feel so many people overseas don't fully understand. It's huge and the climate and terrain varies so much. Humid rain forests up north, pristine beaches all the way around (watch out for sharks and crocodiles...and irikandi and other things) and lovely swimming weather, snow...it can all exist at the same time here although unless you've got a lot of money and a fast jet you'd never see it all on the same day. The country is big but it's an amazing place to explore and...I've got a sidekick who loves to do exactly that!

The sidekick

I know people who hate camping but my partner is not one of those girls. She loves it.

She likes some creature comforts at times and on extended trips, but is happy to take a bath in a creek from a solar shower hangin from a tree, wear military boots and Akubra hats, collect wood for the fire and cook on it (I normally do all the camp cooking though)...she just loves the outdoors as much as I do and is always keen to fire up the 4x4 and take off somewhere into the wilderness. She's good value...and she makes those military boots look good! A lot of what makes exploring Australia so enjoyable is that she's there too...and she's as diverse as the country is I guess, equally comfortable in the city in high heels and a little black dress stepping out of our flashy car as she is kneeling beside a campfire making toast holding tightly to the grab handles in my 4x4 truck while off-roading.

Would I love the wilderness and the exploring I do as much without her along? Hmm, I don't know. I mean I'd still love it but it just feels right to have her there and we compliment each other so well that it would all seem a little odd if she wasn't with me. The only caveat to that is she hates that I go hunting, hates the killing...I understand though, it's not for everyone.

No, my expeditions rely on her being there (not for directions, she'd fucken useless for directions) and and I'm grateful to have a girl whose happy to ride in the shotgun seat and head off into the wilderness with me.

Have you ever explored the wilderness, camped, gone four wheel driving or hunting and so on and if so did you have a sidekick, I mean a companion, to go with you and experience it all? I hope so because it makes the entire thing so much more enjoyable. Let me know if you like, or just drop an image of your favourite natural place in the comments and tell me a little about it.