A Wild Child of the Beaches and Bush

ANECDOTE | NATURE

Memories of a carefree Australian girlhood

For the first thirteen years or so that tent was a large orange and brown affair with two internal sleeping compartments — one for the parents, the other for the kids — and space for a kitchen, fold out table and esky. Set up took over an hour and a number of small family arguments over exactly which pole went where. Eventually we upgraded to a much simpler tent that almost set itself up, a welcome change from the orange behemoth.

We’d often brave wild weather in those canvas abodes, buffeted by icy winds, lashed by days of endless rain or scorched by the relentless heat, depending on the season. On one exciting occasion, our tent was almost set adrift by floodwaters, causing our evacuation to a caravan. My sister and I found this to be the height of sophistication compared to our usual lodgings. We had bunk beds, a real kitchen and our very own bathroom, meaning we no longer needed to head off to the distant public toilets or behind a tree if the need to pee hit in the dead of night.

By the age of 16, the fun of camping had truly worn off — in part because holidaying with the oldies was sooo uncool — and my sister and I had largely swapped our love of exploring the bush for urban expeditions to music festivals, gigs and parties. A few years later I went back to the Australian wilderness by virtue of my love of horses, but largely, my desire to go camping had waned.

I will always cherish that decade and a half of tent-life, but apart from a handful of experiences as an adult, my love of camping hasn’t returned. I still spend plenty of time exploring the bush and beaches, but I’ve been spoilt by accommodation of the four-walled kind. Those four walls don’t need to be fancy — I’ve happily stayed in rundown shacks, old caravans and converted shipping containers — but there’s a sense of security that comes from knowing there’s a little bit more in the way of protection between me and the elements — and the snakes and spiders.

The wonderful memories I have of my carefree girlhood will always capture my imagination. Those experiences gave me a true love of the non-human world, a passion that inspires me daily as an author and researcher of animal welfare and environmental issues. In so many ways, I’m still that wild child of the beaches and bush, my heart and mind forever connected to nature.

Dr. Nikki Savvides is an Australian author whose writing focuses on animal advocacy and environmentalism. She’s passionate about improving the welfare and conservation of animals, including captive elephants in Thailand.

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