Show Notes
Episode 8 of The Outback Tracks and Trails Podcast is a real yarn with one of my oldest mates!
Clayton — a lifelong friend of 38 years — jumps in to reminisce about the old days of rough camping and swags, and how “coming of age” now looks like enjoying the 5-star luxury of Micky Paydon’s caravan.
With his strong background in finance, Clayton breaks down the latest Federal Budget and what it actually means for Aussie campers, caravanners, and weekend warriors. We also get a sneak peek at Clayton’s upcoming podcast Smoke and Barrels, where he’ll be mixing sharp business talk with fine whiskies and cigars. We even touch on some of his favourite classic sips and smokes.
This episode is packed with laughs, nostalgia, real talk, and plenty of wisdom from the road.
If you love genuine mate conversations, camping stories, or want to hear how the budget affects everyday Aussies who love the outdoors — this one’s for you.
🔥 Full episode is live now!
Let us know in the comments: What’s your go-to camping style — roughing it or luxury caravan life? 👇
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In the Podcast we touch on the 30 by 30 is a global biodiversity target (part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework) aiming to protect and conserve 30% of the world’s land and oceans by 2030.
In Australia, the government has adopted this target. While the goal is to protect nature, many in the 4WD, camping, hunting, and prospecting communities are concerned that it’s being used to rapidly lock up large areas of state forests by turning them into national parks or stricter reserves. This often results in reduced or lost public access for recreational activities like dispersed camping, off-road driving, and fishing on tracks that have traditionally been open.
Groups like Save Our Summits are pushing back to ensure balanced outcomes that protect the environment without unnecessarily closing off public land access.
Our conversation ties in closely with the important work being done by Save Our Summits (https://www.saveoursummits.org/), who are actively advocating for fair public access to our summits, national parks, and state forests.
We highly recommend checking out the recent episode of The Outer Side Podcast with Marc Hendrickx (President of Save Our Summits) — they dive deep into the growing threats of closures and restrictions on public land access across Australia.
A big thank you to everyone fighting to keep our public lands open. These issues directly impact all of us who love camping, 4WD trips, and exploring state forests — the more voices we have pushing back, the better chance we have of keeping our outdoor spaces open for everyone.
More from Outback Tracks and Trails
Episode 17 of The Outback Tracks and Trails Podcast is live! This week we’re joined by a long-time mate of the boys, Mark Wheller. Mark has walked the thin blue line and worked as a mortgage broker. He’s passionate about three things above all else — golf, Bali, and Melissa (not necessarily in that order 😉). A proud member of the Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club, Mark and Melissa split their time between the championship Sandbelt courses and their Bali timeshares. We sit down for a proper yarn about career changes, the golf life, escaping to Bali, and what keeps him grounded. Expect plenty of laughs, a few life lessons, and the usual good banter that comes when old mates get together. 🔥 Drop a comment: What’s your favourite escape — the golf course or Bali? 👇
Episode 16 of The Outback Tracks and Trails Podcast is live! We sit down and recap the entire 80-day Big NT Run — the numbers, the costs, and some of the best conversations we had along the way. In this episode we break down the full stats: - Total kilometres travelled - Diesel and petrol used - What we spent on fuel, food and accommodation, repairs - And of course… how many beers were drunk on the road We also give you a sneaky peek at some of the standout interviews from the trip, including: - Trevor Wright from William Creek (Wrightsair & the legendary outback identity) - The lovely Molly from Marree Hotel - Belinda from Arltunga Bush Pub on the Binns Track This is the numbers episode mixed with some of the best yarns we collected over those 80 days. Perfect if you want the full picture of what it actually costs (and takes) to do a trip like this. 🔥 Drop a comment: What number are you most curious about — the kilometres, the fuel bill, or the beer count? 👇
Episode 15 of The Outback Tracks and Trails Podcast is live – and this is the final chapter of The Big NT Run!
Episode 14 of The Outback Tracks and Trails Podcast is live! We’re still in the Top End on The Big NT Run and this episode is packed with Darwin highlights, classic Territory pubs, and heading east along the Savannah Way.
Episode 13 of The Outback Tracks and Trails Podcast is live!