Does anyone "live off the land" these days?

[David M]

I was wondering if, during their travels, anyone has come across people in the bush that partly or wholly live off the land? I was thinking of people that have either set up remote settlements somewhere or people that just nomadically wander around in the bush. I recently went to a talk by someone from the Victorian Alpine Huts Association and they said they looked after an artificial "cave" dug by an ex-Vietnam vet (but since vacated). He lived in a State Park but the rangers left him alone as they knew he was doing no harm and knew that he would be incapable of rejoinig regular society.

[Wollemi]

The ex-Vietnam vet would have walked out to do chores in the nearest village in exchanges for, at the very least, onions. potatos, soap and matches.

When I was a kid in the early 1980's, I befriended a guy living in a usually dry stormwater canal under the F4/M4. I used it to shortcut from Concord to Flemington. He worked as a forky at very nearby and (then) huge Flemington markets. Had a bench built and bags of onions and pumpkins hanging up from joins in the concrete.

On a group walk in mid-Northern Wollemi NP a decade ago, came across a cave with brush-cutter, motorbike and other stuff. NPWS helicoptered out the 'bike later, and at the end of the same year, I came across a very large canvas tent in Barrington Tops NP. I asked some other bushwalkers (who had a base camp) about it, and was told it was 'Andy's', who had walked out to hitch into town to scrounge and buy supplies. Andy also told them he had a motorbike and other stuff stashed in Wollemi - and was a an ex-Vietnam vet.

[Rob A]

Malcolm. But I think he moved to Goulburn.

[juxtaposer]

There is one fellow I know who since he was a teenager has lived in the bush on his own outside of a small country town. He'd be in his 50's now. I asked him a while back how old he was. He thought for a moment before replying "21?". He sleeps in hollow logs and is sometimes seen walking along the road with an axe in one hand for chopping up road kill. He also catches echidnas which he says taste like chicken. He never changes his clothes and is like a vision out of the 19th century, from a time I imagine when people living on the outskirts like him might have been more common. In fact they're probably more common today than we'd like to think.

[Earthling]

Theres a guy living in the hills off Cairns in a cave that I saw but never talked too. He has wild long hair and a big bushy beard and runs into town every once in a while with a hesian sack over his shoulder to get provisions. Interesting looking fella.

Also there was a doco on ABC a few years back about a fella who walked up and down the east coast eating peoples litter on the sides of the road...hed been doing it for years.

Earlier this year I was out near Warburton WA and talking to an Aboriginal lass about living off the land as Aboriginal people did before Whiteman came. She said they cannot do it anymore as of introduction of pests eating their traditional foods. She said they could do it for a time but they would need to resupply in town every few weeks/months depending on how much food they took with them. If I remember correctly this is one of the areas of Oz not grazed by sheep/cattle, so all (if not most) of Oz would be buggered for the traditional living off the land. Would be interesting to hear if any Aboriginal people still can/do live off the land traditionally somewhere...

[juxtaposer]

Earthling. I wonder if that's the same fellow I knew in the 80's who had a camp in the hills up behind Cairns. He would have nothing to do with Social Security (Centrelink). He cut lawyer cane for rattan to sell in town. Whenever he came to town he would sleep in abandoned cars. He had camps at other places too. He asked me once to drive him up to Palm Cove where he free climbed the coconut trees, quite dangerous work. At the end of the day we had dehusked 50 coconuts which he got 50 cents each for. I went to his camp afterwards at Wangetti Beach. He was in good spirits that night around the campfire reciting dramatic poetry off the top of his head, but after dinner he got into a raging argument with one of his split personalities. Thankfully, he left me out of the conversation, but I slept with half an eye open that night. In the morning he had no memory of it. That was the last I saw of him.

[Earthling]

juxtaposer it could be. I saw and heard of him in 1999 and he looked to be in his 50's then. Was very tanned and lean...muscle.

[juxtaposer]

He was pretty hairy when I met him in 1986. He only ever wore the one set of drab clothes day and night. Another time he asked if I'd help him set up a new camp in Hartleys Creek. I asked how far up he intended going? "Not far" he said. So, heavily laden with this odd array of gear for the camp we set off. That's when I found out how dogged he was. His "not far" was way up. Whenever we came to a good spot I thought might interest him he just kept going and going till I got jack of it and refused to go any further. He certainly did not want anyone chancing upon him up there. It would be interesting if it was the same fellow because I remember him saying that his plan was to save up to buy a kayak and paddle it up to PNG. He was just going to paddle out from the Esplanade and keep going. I didn't doubt for a second that he could do it. My impression was he wanted to get out of Australia to escape his demons. This chap is not to be confused with "Tarzan" who lives further up the cape. He would be getting old now. In fact I heard that Tarzan might even have retired to a hostel on the tableland (possibly).

[amazon196969]

new facebook page for like minded people in Australia... although any like minded people from anywhere can join...
https://www.facebook.com/Livingoffthela ... dAustralia