GIVE A BLOKE A BREAK
HE was once ranked among Aussie greats like Caramello Koala and Blinky Bill, but one year on Commonwealth Games mascot Borobi admits he is done with entertainment and is off to pursue a new exciting role. Twelve months unemployed, and living in a Brisbane storage room, Borobi has opened up to the Bulletin about his life and hopes for the future.
GCB: Thank you for speaking with us today, how are you? BOROBI: I’m as good as anyone living in a museum packing shed could be. If my belly’s anything to go by it’s been an off season.
GCB: How have you been spending your time since the Games? BOROBI: Like any normal koala I’m a big fan of gumtrees — well, Gumtree that is. So I’ve been on there whiling away the hours flogging plush mini-me’s and a few badges left over after the Games. It gets me by. Other than that, I’ve spent some time in Birmingham to make sure the next games are shaping up OK. Looks all right, but guess what? Not a bloody beach in sight.
GCB: We understand you have been given a new role... BOROBI: Yeah, I’ll have a job as of next week. I am retraining
and going into education, specifically indigenous languages, a much more noble profession than entertainment. I’ll be visiting schools all around southeast Queensland with the Yugambeh Museum to teach primary school students about indigenous languages. There used to be 250 indigenous languages spoken in Australia, now 90 per cent are considered endangered, so it is an important job.
GCB: Favourite Commonwealth Games memory? BOROBI: Apart from perfecting my selfie pose, and greeting spectators, it was when I ripped up the dancefloor with Usain Bolt at Sin City. Sure he can beat me on the track but I have the moves in the club where it counts.
GCB: Looking forward to coming home to the Coast? BOROBI: I can’t wait to get my fur wet in the surf again, it’s been too long. The moths have been eyeing me off. If I was kept here any longer I might have wound up as a dust bunny. First thing I plan to do is catch up with a few of my mates at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, swap stories about the good old days over a few fresh eucalyptus leaves.