When we headed to the Kimberley coast of Western Australia, we worried about the obvious threats: saltwater crocodiles, box jellyfish, and the massive 10- to 12-meter tides. While walking with Terry Hunter on an exposed reef, we became aware, however, that a grave hazard lay stationary in the shallow waters. Terry is a highly experienced Bardi Aboriginal who, together with his father, has already taught Malcolm Douglas indigenous survival techniques. Razor clam species around the Kimberleys When the tide drops across the Cygnet Bay at Cape Leveque on the Peninsula north of Broome in Western Australia, it reveals vast reef…

The Malgana Aborigines in Shark Bay are one of the coastal Aboriginal tribes in Western Australia. One of their traditional food sources is the eggs of Pied cormorants (Phalacrocorax varius). Still nowadays, this Aboriginal community has the right to collect these cormorant eggs. As the community is small, with only a few members relishing this food source, and cormorants are plentiful, there is no threat to the Pied cormorant population. Description and distribution Pied cormorants prefer shallow seagrass beds to catch their favorite prey, which are slow-moving leatherjackets. Often, two of them are swimming side by side. And it is…

Ghost gum trees are one of the most striking and iconic elements of the Australian outback. Their white bark, combined with black core wood and silvery-green leaves, stands in stark contrast to the surrounding rocks or soil, which are often reddish-brown. At the Karijini National Park, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, two white-barked eucalyptus species occur. These are the White-bark Snappy Gum (Eucalyptus leucophloia) and the Little Ghost Gum (Eucalyptus victrix), also called Western Coolibah. The main differences between these two species are habitat, bud position, and leaf shape. Description of the White-bark Snappy Gum (Eucalyptus leucophloia) A…

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, many draught animals were released in the wild in Western Australia, as motor vehicles took over their work. These included donkeys and camels. Both species flourished thereafter in the wild and formed huge herds, to the detriment of many farmers. Most of these animals were culled within the last decades through eradication programs. However, when we visited the Kimberley region of Western Australia at the end of 2024, we still came across two herds of feral donkeys. Following their trails would have helped us find water in a…

In the spring of 2025, I traveled to Western Australia to document local survival techniques used by Indigenous people. Across Australia, Indigenous groups are generally categorized into three main types: the so-called ‘Saltwater mobs,’ who live along the coast; the ‘Desert mobs,’ who inhabit the arid inland regions; and the ‘Freshwater mobs,’ who settle along major rivers. My teacher I had the opportunity to meet members of three different ‘Saltwater mobs’ and was fortunate to go on a foraging trip with Terry Hunter, a Bardi man, at the remote northern tip of the Dampier Peninsula. Terry had worked for many…

A magnifying glass has been used to start fires since ancient times. Greek and Roman writers recorded the use of ‘Burning glasses’ for domestic and war purposes. A concise history of these applications can be found on Wikipedia. Nowadays, fires are primarily started with Bhutane lighters, and these lenses are mainly used as ‘Magnifying glasses’ by people with slight vision disabilities sitting in their rocking chairs. But survivalists can still use Magnifying glasses as Burning glasses, a lightweight, versatile, and absolutely waterproof fire-making alternative. This website already discussed a similar topic in an article called ‘Solar fire lighting.’ Convex lenses…

Mangrove oysters (Isognomon ephippium) are the species most commonly found growing on mangrove trees in Northern Australia. Its other common English name is ‘Saddle tree oyster.’ These oysters are one species eagerly collected and eaten by Bardi people at the northern tip of Dampier Peninsular, north of Broome in Western Australia. A member of the Bardi tribe showed us how to find and collect these bivalve mollusks. Description and behavior The shape of Mangrove oysters is nearly circular, and its valves are flattened. The dorsal margin is slightly convex, bulging slightly outwards. Its anterior margin (valve on the right side)…

Synonyms White Berry bush, Snowball bush (Eng.); Witbessiesbos (Afrikaans); Chinese waterberry (China), Goowal (Yawuru Australia); Flueggea virosa (Lat.) – Flügge was a German botanist, and virosa means poisonous or having a bad odor. Distribution Flueggea virosa commonly grows in deciduous woodlands, forest margins, rocky areas, and along rivers. It can also thrive in areas behind the initial coastal dunes. This bush can live in hot and dry regions and can also survive mild frosts. The White Berry bush has spread nearly throughout the Paleotropical region, including Papua New Guinea and Australia. It has also been found in Florida, USA. In…

Firesaws are only known as a traditional fire-making method on the Pacific Islands. In Australia, these methods were replaced by friction fire hand drills and later, under Western influences, by bow drills. Nevertheless, fire sawing is an interesting technique, which was famously described by Robert Brough Smyth in his book: ‘The Aborigines Of Victoria V1: With Notes Relating To The Habits Of The Natives Of Other Parts Of Australia And Tasmania (1878)’. The whole book can be legally downloaded here. The following are excerpts of the original text and the two original figures published to benefit the wider bushcraft and…

At the Global Bushcraft Symposium 2022 in the UK, Gordon Dedman presented the bow drilling technique he teaches in Australia. Since readers are assumed to know the basics of bow drill friction fire lighting, I will only concentrate on specific aspects of this technique as taught by Gordon. Setting up the bow drill set My post about Australian woods for friction fire lighting discussed the hearth board and spindle’s wood choice. It can be found here. In this article, I will discuss shapes, geometries, and hand drill friction fire lighting procedures. Hearth Board For the hearth board for bow drilling…

At the Global Bushcraft Symposium 2022 in the UK, Gordon Dedman presented the hand drill friction fire lighting method he teaches in Australia. As most readers of this topic will know the basic techniques of hand drill friction fire lighting, I will only concentrate on specific aspects of this technique as taught by Gordon. Setting up the hand drill set In this article, we already discussed recommended wood species for hand drills in Australia. Here, I will only discuss the shapes and procedures of hand drill fire lighting. As can be seen, the whole equipment set-up of a hand drill…

At the Global Bushcraft Symposium 2022 in the UK, Gordon Dedman presented a variety of types of Australian friction-fire wood, which are well suited for friction-fire lighting methods and tinder. The signature friction-fire method, exclusively used for thousands of years in Australia, was and is the hand drill. In addition to hand drilling, the fire saw dates back to ancient times in Australia. Bow drills were only introduced very recently by bushcraft enthusiasts from the West. For hand drill hearth boards and spindles, typically the same wood species, even from the same tree or shrub, should be used. The best…

Grass trees (Xanthorrhoea sp.) and grass tree stalks are endemic to Australia. They are locally called ‘Black Boys’ due to their appearance after bushfires. They need a certain number of regular fires for their survival and are well protected against them. Xanthorrhoeas were utilized historically intensively for a very long time by First Nations people. And for a very short time also by non-Aboriginals. During these abt. 10 years in the 1920s, non-Aboriginal people eradicated these plants in many environments where they were once common. Currently, grass trees are only protected in National Parks, although three species are already ‘Endangered’.…

The common name ‘Spinifex grass’ is not entirely correct as a botanical term for discussed grasses, as commonly named ‘Spinifex’ grasses belong to the genus ‘Triodia’, whereas the genus ‘Spinifex’ itself contains mainly coastal grasses. Whatever it is, the common name ‘Spinifex’ comprises two kinds of inland grasses: a harder and pricklier version in arid environments of Australia and a northern Australian version, which is doing better in more humid tropical environments. Why Spinifex is not liked Every bush traveler will know and be aware of spinifex, as it is nearly impossible to walk through it due to the spiky…

Description of Goannas The Australian sand monitor (Varanus gouldii) is also called Gould’s monitor or colloquially ‘Goanna’. There are two subspecies: Varanus gouldii gouldii and Varanus gouldii flavirufus (smaller subspecies). V. gouldii gouldii is distributed nearly all over Australia except for the southeastern- and southwestern coastlines and Cape York. And V. gouldii flavirufus lives only in the desert interior. They have a distinctive coloration with yellow circles and black marks on their bodies. In the interior of Australia, they are omnipresent and—besides Dingoes—the top terrestrial predators. Dingoes are the apex predators and hold Goannas in check. But Dingos get heavily…

In the former article, I described seeing a majestic sand monitor lizard close by on my drive from Menzies to Sandstone on a side road. Driving further on, I was surprised to see many more Goannas left and right on the track. This was the densest Goanna population I had ever seen. Presumably, the local farmers heavily thinned out the Dingo population, and Goannas thrived. Road killed Goanna Driving further on, a dead Sand monitor lizard was lying sideward on the track. It was still freshly killed and most likely run over by the truck I met before. Goannas are…

Although they are commonly referred to as “Ant beds,” particularly in Australia, the structures are actually “Termite mound.” Despite their physical similarities to ants, termites are related to cockroaches rather than ants. However, like ants, they are small and numerous. One significant difference between the two is that termites are white. This makes them highly susceptible to damage from sunlight. To protect their food sources, such as wood, from the sun’s rays, termites construct a coating of clay and saliva, known as “sheeting,” over them. Termites also use the same material as they use for sheeting to construct their mounds.…