Outback Mike Survival and Adventure Podcast

Episode 29: Heston Russell - Surviving War and Trial by Media

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 21:32:38 GMT

Former Australian commando Heston Russell fought in Middle East and after returning to ‘normal life’ had to fight to clear his name and those under his command. We unpick what happened, and the media, government landscape that allowed it.

Heston Russell- Forging The Will To Fight (Book)

Follow Heston on Instragam,an Facebook and YouTube

Hestons proposed Veterans Protection Act

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Episode 28: Cam Bostok - Thru-Hiking Guru

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 04:27:27 GMT

Cam is a full-time thru-hiker, trekking some of the worlds longest and most spectacular trails. He just finished his hardest challenge yet, shared with his million followers across Instagram and TikTok.

Follow Cam on Instragam and TikTok

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Episode 27: Life of an Outdoor Content Creator - Scotty's Gone Walkabout

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:57:57 GMT

Scotty make stunning YouTube videos with professional videography skills. Travelling far and wide from his base in NSW he's forming stronger opinions on how our wilderness areas should be managed and how to best live a life grounded in outdoor adventure.

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Episode 26: Sam Birch - Growing up in the Kimberley bush

Sat, 27 Sep 2025 03:49:13 GMT

Sam Birch grew up in the remote Kimberley bush, living a wild and often tumultuous life. Five years ago he changed his life. This Balanggarra Traditional Owner now runs a successful guiding business and men's group to help others through the dark times that he fought, and won.

Listen on: Apple or Spotify

Follow Birchy on Instragam, Facebook and check out his tour guiding business, birchysfishingtours.com.au

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Episode 25 - 43 Days Alone in the Desert

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 02:48:51 GMT

I interview ABC journalist Erin Parke who spent years gaining the the trust of Robert Bogucki, whose edge-of-survival spiritual quest into the Australia outback sparked a international search effort and media frenzy. Travelling to Robert's cabin in the Alaska, Erin gets to the bottom of why this mysterious but well-considered bloke set off alone into the wilderness to find answers.

Listen to Expanse, Erin's six part ABC podcast series about Robert Bogucki.

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/expanse

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Episode 24 Valerie Douglas - Malcolm Douglas's Wife

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 13:32:22 GMT

I chat to Valerie Douglas, wife of the late Malcolm Douglas, about their life together and what Malcolm was like as a person behind and in front of the camera.

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Episode 23 Ranger Louie - Affordable Camping in NSW National Parks

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 13:01:25 GMT

NSW National Parks have proposed expensive (in my opinion) new fees across the majority of campgrounds, which will price many Australians out of camping. In this episode I speak to former NPWS ranger, Louise Anderson (Ranger Louie on Instagram) to get her thoughts on life as a ranger and the effect these fees will likely have if the NSW Labour Government allows them to go through. Please note, Louie is not a spokesperson for NPWS service. These are just her opinions.

Here's the ePetition I created to NSW State Parliament titled Keep Camping Affordable for All Australians In NSW National Parks. Please consider signing it.

Only NSW residents can sign. Non-NSW residents can still have there say by messaging the NSW Environment Minister directly here.

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Episode 22 Astronaut and Polar Adventurer Eric Philips

Wed, 07 May 2025 07:31:22 GMT

Eric Philips is one the worlds most experienced polar adventurers. His 30+ expeditions to the North and South Poles, icecap crossings of Greenland, Iceland and Patagonia, and a childhood love of space landed him an even more out-of-this-world adventure – a world-first, polar space flight orbiting the poles.

Erics Website, Instagram, Facebook

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Episode 21: Adventure To Treat Mental Illness - Bailey Seamer

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 05:02:38 GMT

Facing suicidal thoughts and electro-shock therapy for severe depression, Bailey turned to adventure as a last ditch effort to manage severe mental illness. 5500km later, after walking the entire east-coast of Australia (along the beach!), she found not only an effective management strategy but a new direction in life.

Follow Bailey: Instagram, Website

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Episode 20: Surviving a Cyclone in 4m Boat – Hamish Felton-Taylor

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 07:31:33 GMT

Hamish survived a category 2 cyclone in a 4m boat off the coast of the Northern Territory. The hairy escape from the sea was one thing. The overnight self-rescue mission another. I’m familiar with his story because I was there too!

We unpack the ‘incident’ which scared the crap out of both of us and taught us valuable lessons.

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Episode 19: Adventurous Jobs - Andrew Tomkins - Antarctic Ring In

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 20:00:00 GMT

I chat with my life-long friend Andy about career paths that allow epic adventures in work time. Calling from a tent in Antarctica, he's halfway though a five-week expedition searching for meteorites.

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Episode 18: Hitchhiking Adventures - Best & Worst Experiences with Claudia Fischer

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 05:29:12 GMT

I chat with seasoned hitchhiker Claudia about our best and worst experiences thumbing rides across the world. Including Canada, Alaska, Mainland USA, Middleast Europe, Russia, Asia, Iceland, Australia, NZ, South America, and Africa. We discuss tips, tricks and how to deal with the worst case scenarios.

Follow Claudia: Website, Instagram.

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Episode 17 - Military Survival Courses

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 11:34:51 GMT

I talk about the military survival courses I've completed and instructed on while serving in the Australian Army and Airforce. I'm the one being interviewed this time by Mattsy and Jordie, hosts of the 2 Galahs Podcast.

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Episode 16: The 10 Best Adventure Films of All Time - Jemima Robinson

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 12:07:57 GMT

Jemima Robinson has run the Banff Film Festival Australian Tour for 17 years. She shares her top ten films and we explore what makes an adventure film great, ultimate tragedies and the effect of AI moving forward.

1. Crossing the Ice 2012 2. North of the Sun 2012 3. Free Solo 4. Kadoma – 2011 can’t find online 5. Birdman of the Karakoram. 6. Danny Macaskill – Wee Day Out. 7. Sea Gypsies 8. The Accord 9. Sur le fil des 4000 10. On the trail of Genghis Khan – 2014 10000km along the silk route

Other films mentioned: Kon Tiki, Alone Across Australia, Ice Maiden,Doing it Scared by Paul Prichard – Couldn’t find a viewing link, The Alpinist (like Free Solo but for ice climbing), Corner of the Earth Kamchatka, Wee Day Out, Danny MacAskill

Follow Banff Australia: Website, Instagram,

Jemima’s Ultimate Aussie Adventure Map. Ocean Film Festival (which she also runs)

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Episode 15: Alone UK Winner - Tom Williams

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 15:11:00 GMT

Hiking the North Magnetic Pole, founding a survival tour company and winning the Alone UK TV series; these are some of the experiences Tom ponders when philosephising (I had to google that word) the benefits of an outdoor life.

Check out Tom's company https://www.desertislandsurvival.com/(Offer Code Mike100 to receive $100USD discount)

and his personal website https://tomwilliams.tv/

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Episode 14: Elise Richmond - Professional Adventurer

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 12:10:00 GMT

Crossing the Gobi Desert on foot, mountaineering in Nepal, paragliding in Bolivia, Elise goes from one epic adventure to the next, squeezing the most from each finite year of life. Strap in, as she re-lives the dream so far including the odd turns and hardship.

Check out her ripping new book Take It Outside

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Episode 13: How to Survive in Croc Country

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 06:33:31 GMT

How close can you camp to water and be safe? Is it safe to fish from the bank? I answer these and other questions with experienced northern fisherman and Youtuber Andy, from Andy's Fishing Wild Cook.

Plenty of no BS croc warries too.

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Episode 12: Luke Richmond - Professional Adventurer

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Luke lives by the motto 'One Life One Chance', where he pursues adventure as if he had five years left to live. Climbing mountains, rowing oceans, base jumping, the list is endless and in between he writes books and speaks about them to recharge the bank account for the next one. He's just published his third adventure memoir and they're all highly worth a read. His wife Elise is just releasing her first book too!

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Episode 11: Solo Camel Trek Across Australia - Sophie Matterson

Thu, 02 May 2024 02:10:26 GMT

In 2020, Sophie Matterson started a solo trek across Australia with five camels that she caught from the wild and trained herself. Two years later she made it to the other side, with more just tales to tell!

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Episode 10: Rowing the Pacific Solo - Michelle Lee

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 00:59:42 GMT

In 2023 Michelle Lee rowed solo and unassisted across the Pacific Ocean. Five years earlier she crossed the Altantic. For someone who never saw themselves as an adventurer she's done some truly amazing things!

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Episode 9: Surviving Frozen Canada Alone for 89 days - Callie Russell

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 03:18:00 GMT

Callie has been camping in the North American woods for the last 12 years... straight! Tragedy, the call of the wild and courage to commit to the unknown have shaped her differently. She is also one of the most prominent and much-loved characters on the US Alone TV show, appearing in Season 7 and Alone Frozen.

Oh, and she lives with 11 goats.

You don't want to miss this one!

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Episode 8: How to Hike Overnight with Kids

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 10:56:57 GMT

These tips come from personal experience with my own kids (from babies to teenagers) on adventures such as a week-long unsupported hike through remote Tasmania, a fourteen-day high altitude trek in Nepal, and a four-day ski traverse through the Snowy Mountains in a blizzard.

Learn what works and what doesn't from the technical side to parental regret (OK, I hammed that up).

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Episode 7: Solo Antarctic Circumnavigations - Lisa Blair

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 02:27:12 GMT

Lisa sailed solo around Antarctica (twice!). The third person ever to have done it, and the first woman, she broke the world speed record on the second attempt. Narrowly escaping death during a complete dismasting she was impacted by the ship that came to her aid and survived countless rollovers and knock-downs on the planets roughest ocean (even during winter months when it's at its worst!).

She shares her epic struggles and how she managed to survive.

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Episode 6: Pacific Ocean Rescue - Tom Robinson’s Incredible Survival Story

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 21:14:00 GMT

24 year old Tom built a plywood boat in his Brisbane backyard, shipped it to Peru and rowed solo back toward Australia across the Pacific. A totally authentic, epic adventure ensued until.... on the final leg he was capsized by a rogue wave. In gale force winds, naked and freezing, he secured himself with a single rope to the upturned hull and activated his EPIRB. As night fell the enormity of his situation hit him.....

The epic survival story and rescue that followed have featured widely in international media over previous weeks. Hear the full story now, for the first time, on the podcast! It's epic!

Tom's Links:

www.tomrobinsonboats.com, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook.

Also checkout my Surviving the Great Barrier Reef series on my Outback Mike Youtube channel.

Or buy a Zoleo Satellite Communicator

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Episode 5: Attaining Freedom - Liz and Clay Hayes

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 00:51:20 GMT

The Hayes family lives a very different life. With three YouTube channels in one family they have the freedom to go where their outdoor passions take them.

First I chat to Liz about the pros and con's of such a life and then Clay (winner of Alone season 8). We dive deeper into the ethics of bowhunting in the US and raising kids in such a unique way.

Check out their content!

Liz -YouTube, Instagram

Clay - YouTube, Instagram

Fenn (11 year old son) - YouTube

Thanks so much to Zoleo Satellite Communicators for sponsoring this episode. Buy one here via my affiliate link

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Episode 4: Clay Hayes - Alone Season 8 Winner, Ecologist, Author, YouTuber

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 20:37:30 GMT

Clay is a highly experienced American woodsman. We chat about his upbringing and the experiences that prepared him for the show, like hunting and fishing as a kid, his masters in wildlife ecology, 17 years in the Idaho Fish and Game Department and the YouTuber lifestyle that allows his family to 'live the dream' in wild and remote places.

Follow Clay: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, website

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Episode 3: Hiking Alone Across the World - Lucy Barnard

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 04:29:15 GMT

I linked up with Australian adventurer Lucy Barnard in Central America as she hiked past the halfway mark of her 30,000km hike from the southern tip of South America to the northern tip of Alaska.

I've known Lucy for a while now and we unpacked her adventure while hiking for three days up an active volcano in Guatemala while her hiking companion, Wombat (blue heeler cattle dog), was recovering from a foot injury at a local vet.

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Episode 2: Naomi Allsworth (Part 2) - Extreme trauma

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 12:33:43 GMT

I got to know Naomi closely as we worked together for two weeks as survival instructors for Desert Island Survival on an uninhabited island off Panama. This is a summation of those deep convos in our hammocks after 'work'.

Strap in. We cover some interesting territory-

-survival coping mechanisms

-bisuexual polygamy

-rape, extreme trauma, and the aftermath

-hardship bonding and more.

Follow Naomi: Instagram, Facebook

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Episode 1: Naomi Allsworth (Part 1) - Alone UK participant, Bear Grylls Survival Academy Instructor and Fashion Designer.

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 02:38:22 GMT

Naomi has experienced amazing things in the survival world despite finding her passion recently and still being in her twenties. Labelled 'Bushcraft Barbie', she doesn't fit the fashion-designer stereotype.......at all.

From bear encounters (bear and Bear), to dealing with the media, to post partum depression she's open and honest about her fears and failures.

Follow Naomi: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠

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