Luke’s on top of world
But still on hunt for a radio gig
DUMPED Gold Coast radio veteran Luke Bradnam was nearly back on top of the world a few days ago – after a self-confessed 48-hour “mad dash” to Everest base camp.
The 45-year-old, whose Triple M drive-time show ends in December, successfully pulled off the trek to 5380m last week.
Due to a delayed arrival and a forced start further back than planned, the keen mountaineer pushed himself to squeeze a typically weeklong climb into two days.
But Bradnam was spurred on by a good cause. Plus he has experience, having climbed Tanzania’s Mt Kilimanjaro and aborted a base camp attempt with daughter Coralie, 12, earlier this year. She was struck by altitude sickness at 3000m.
Bradnam posted a video online from his successful attempt, launching a petition to change the name of Fraser Island – where he grew up – back to its indigenous name, K’Gari Island. It’s a joint campaign with Coralie, who agrees it should revert back.
Bradnam explains in his video it was known as K’Gari for 40,000 years until the British arrived: “They disregarded the name and instead named it after some Pommie chick who got shipwrecked with her husband up on the north of the island.
“I hear a heap of you have become accustomed to the name Fraser Island. You have got to be joking. If you are accustomed to it after 200 years, how accustomed to it would you have been after 40,000?”
Bradnam said condensing the trek into 48 hours was demanding: “I went through the night, really pushing it to make it in time, walking with night lights, just myself and a guide.
“I had no acclimatisation. Most people have a few days but I didn’t have time.”
Now back, he remains on the hunt for a new radio show and said he was hopeful of returning to the Gold Coast airwaves next year.
“I’ve had a couple of people reach out but I haven’t nailed anything down.” He also has a plan B.
“If nothing happens (early next year) I will have a crack at Everest,” he said.
The K’Gari petition, which so far has 142 signatures, is at the change.org website.