On the road again
Comedian Glenn Robbins is revisiting his parodies of the travel-adventure genre, writes
IT’S been more than a decade since outback legend Russell Coight was last on our screens.
Fans will be glad to hear the wildlife and survival “expert” is back with a new series of bush adventures.
In this Q&A, he tells The Guide about what to expect and what we can do to protect our natural treasures. Q: What have you been up to in the 15-plus years since we last saw you?
A: Well, my wildlife park “Coight World” keeps me pretty busy, especially now that the RSPCA have lifted their ban. Although our crocodile petting zoo is not going quite so well – we’re still having a few teething problems.
Then there’s my TV work. I’ve been pitching various ideas to the networks. Outback Ninja is looking good – contestants have to pitch a tent, rope a steer and inseminate a cow. There’s also been a lot of interest in Boot-Scootin’ With the Stars – just trying to convince Todd McKenney to come on board.
Q: Many consider you an Aussie icon. Are you comfortable with that label?
A: Over the years I’ve been called many names. “Adventurer”, “Pioneer”, “the Defendant”. How about we go with “outback legend”? Q: What do you think is the greatest threat currently facing our native wildlife and bush areas?
A: Idiot city-slickers who don’t realise just how precious our Aussie fauna is. I was lucky enough to recently have a rare species of pygmy possum named after me. Scientists didn’t even know this creature existed until I drove over one up in the Kimberley. It’s now known as Coightus extinctus. Quite an honour. Q: Tell us about your niece Chrissie. Is she a nature lover like you?
A: Chrissie’s a very talented girl with a huge following on social media. I believe she has over 700 friends on Instagram. That’s why I invited her to come on one of my trips, so she could share a bit about our outback with her online friends. Can’t wait to see how many LOLs, OMGs and WTFs we get! Q: What are the key messages you’d like to impart to the next generation?
A: Kids are our future and I spend a lot of time trying to teach them basic bush skills. If I come away from this series with just one child knowing how to skin a rabbit or roll their own cigarette I will be very proud.
Q: You visit quite a few farmer mates too, many of whom are doing it tough. What can us city folk do to help them in the current drought conditions?
A: Buy Australian! Whether it’s wool, beef, wheat or tickets to a Shannon Noll concert. Support our battlers from the bush. Q: If you could have one celebrity appear on the show, who would it be?
A: We did try and get Nigella Lawson on to help out with one of our camp cooking segments. I even sent her photos of my croquembouche damper, but we never heard back.
Her loss.