While I'm rehabbing after surgery, I've been watching the Bush Tucker Man series on youtube. Both interesting and entertaining.

I've never seen a hat like Les wears before.

Strange hat for sure. I just looked him up on internet and he looks like he has put a far bit of weight on but haven't we all

I think that those videos were made around 30 years ago.

Les Hiddens is a legend here in Oz for anyone old enough to remember him. He lived on Magnetic Is off Townsville for a long time, whether he's still there or not who knows.

We have had a few TV shows that were similar or the same general idea. The Leyland Brothers, Malcolm Douglas. I think there is another one but I can't remember.

I suppose Steve Irwin could be classed as similar.

He's certainly a legend here. Not a young bloke now though - he's 74.

Here's his website: https://bushtuckerman.com.au/

Steve Irwin doesn't merit a place in such company.

Just an unbashed slouch hat that has had the front pushed in...and for what it is worth, that man is as knowledgeable in the bush as any that has ever lived, black or white.

What about Alby Mangels

The best thing about Alby was Judy

That's for sure

Might want to search also for Russell Coight videos

He was a vietnam vet and army major who later had special duties related to training soldiers in bush survival and advising our remote northern NORFORCE corps. He wrote a lot of the Australian army manual for survival training in the 1980's and after the TV series retired close to my home state in the rainforest. I believe he sold up and moved back down south just recently as his house was reported for sale in the media a while back. I wonder if he is regretting that decision as those southern states are now locked down with no movement by people more than 5 km from home allowed until they all get vaccinated.

Les is doing just fine. Like all of us old troops he's got a few aches and paints, but the old Les is still with us. He had two tours in 'Nam, and became an officer before his second tour. He reckoned if they'd let him be an officer, anyone can do it. The man is extremely intelligent, so you should never judge a man by the hat he wears.

There was another bloke called Jack Absalom who used to drive a Sigma station wagon to prove you didn't need a 4x4 to go bush. Used to sing poems and beat the drum on a beer carton?

There was also a guy who was into big croc's and had bare feet all the time, don't remember his name.
Irwin had an American wife, she was the likely the marketing arm of the outfit as his flamboyance is considered differently by Aussies than it would be from the market she was familiar with.

Miss seeing ole Steve Erwin on tv.

I don't. He was not representative of Aussies and was created to market to the US.

Yes, respect for the dead and all, but Irwin was an idiot.

I think it was him - I recall a TV episode of a big guy starting a car with a dead battery. He had the car jacked up with a rear wheel off the ground, in 4th gear (manual) and physically grabbed and spun the rear wheel by hand, and eventually got it started. Never seen this before or since.

Pretty much the entire nation cringed when he started on about something.

Out back Jack, he had an art studio in Broken Hill when I was working there in the 80's...I believe his son is still shooting roos in South Australia.

Malcolm Douglass

Old Jack Absalom was the genuine article. There are a good number of his programs on Youtube, like this one:

yes his market was mostly the US audience. He was a complete showman. The difference between an expert and a showman is an expert makes something hard look easy and a showman makes something hard look even harder iin order to sell tickets.

You must admit Steve Irwin had balls way to big for his shorts.

Most of us just thought he was a twit.

Another fellow that knows his stuff is Peter Bindon, the man was with the WA museum and specialised in primitive living, notably spending a lot of time living and learning from the old people.

Peter was a go to for the lunatics at Fremantle when it came to primitive survival skills...I believe Peter now works as Director of Research at Australian Ethnography Institute.