WILD LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

PHOTOGRAPHER AND TOUR GUIDE SHANE ROSS HAS HAD MANY ADVENTURES ON THE ROAD, INCLUDING A ‘TERRIFYING BUT MAGICAL’ LION ENCOUNTER

As the sun set over Botswana, Africa, Cairns-based safari tour guide Shane Ross settled into his tent alone, in a remote outback park. But it wasn’t long until he heard heavy breathing, just metres from where he was camped.

“In Africa when the sun sets, the lions roar because the air is cooler and their roar is louder,” Shane says.

“So every half an hour, the roar was getting louder and he was getting closer. By about 9pm, he was in my camp and laid down outside my tent for about 15 minutes. I could hear him breathing outside my tent and he could probably hear me too. The sound of a roar just cuts right through you; it’s terrifying but also very magical.”

Shane has always loved nature and the outdoors, just as much as creativity and storytelling.

He became an African safari tour guide about two years ago, but only after spending almost 18 months travelling about 100,000km through nearly 200 eastern and southern African parks, to find the best locations for his clients.

His appreciation for wildlife and the outdoors started with his upbringing at Bamaga, near Cape York, where his family spent four years from when he was six.

“We grew up around traditional owners so we learned how to look after country, how to spend time with nature. We learned about culture in a respectful way. So we spent a lot of time in nature, learning how to catch fish, how to cook them on the fire and learning different bush tucker. Also, especially in that culture, it’s more about really listening than speaking.”

During the four years at Bamaga, Shane’s dad was a fishing tour guide and there would always be photographers and film crews documenting the remote area, pushing Shane’s interest in photography.

But the tipping point to becoming a guide was when the qualified environmental scientist was working for a national company. Shane had returned to Cairns in 2014 to participate in a project. In his some spare time he led 16 out-of-towners on a local tourism journey.

“I really enjoyed showing them around and telling them about our great natural spots here,” he says.

“That’s when I realised being a guide was my calling.”