Australia’s foremost adventurer, Russell Coight (Glenn Robbins), is making his long-awaited to the small screen this weekend in a new series of All Aussie Adventures, and in my opinion it’s the greatest thing to happen on Aussie television in 2018 since Tara from Bachelor in Paradise wore this hat:
All Aussie Adventures aired for two seasons (and a two-hour special) back in the noughties, and Russell has been absent from our screens for a long-ass 14 years. But he’ll back back on Channel Ten on Sunday August 5, kicking off with a jaunt into the wilderness where he helps out a group of girl guides, meets up with an Indigenous tracker for some expert tips, and wrangles a venomous snake in an outback shed.
Russell being Russell, you know that at least 3 out of 3 of these situations will go horribly wrong.
In anticipation of Sunday’s big premiere, we got on the blower to Russell and asked him a few hard-hitting questions.
Where’s the most painful body part you’ve ever been bitten by an animal?
I was once bitten on the ear by a mud crab. It was actually at a Chinese restaurant, I made the mistake of leaning in to one of their seafood tanks. We had to prise it off with a set of chopsticks (the crab, not my ear).
What’s your go-to remedy for treating a mozzie bite?
It may not sound pleasant, but the best cure for mozzie bite is urine. Preferably your own – but I’m not fussy.
What’s the best Aussie watering hole to have a skinny dip in?
It doesn’t matter where you swim as long as you make sure there’s no crocs. I always check for warning signs. If I’m unsure then I will not enter the water until a couple of overseas tourists go in first. If they’re still floating after half an hour – it’s probably safe.
Our readers are keen festival goers. What would you trip be for anyone attending a festival that involves camping?
If you’re planning to sleep out at a festival my main advice is to make sure your swag is firmly zipped. Last thing you want is to wake up and find you’ve had a ‘visitor’ overnight, whether it’s a snake, spider or drummer from one of the lesser-known bands.
Since you went off-air, Instagram has become all the rage. How do you think you’d go as a travel influencer?
I think I’ve influenced thousands of people to explore this great country through my TV shows. Even today people say that whenever they see me drive up they have the urge to travel somewhere else. Quite a compliment.
As for Instagram – I’m not a fan. There’s a lot of fake sites out there, pretending to be mine. I don’t know who’s behind Coightus Interruptus – but it’s definitely not me. And that photo he’s using was taken at a private charity function, that’s why I was wearing lingerie.
Who would win in a fight, you or Bear Grylls?
Look, I’m sure he’s a good bloke, but Bear Grylls really has no idea about Aussie survival. Until you’ve been airlifted from a croc-infested swamp with dengue fever and half a leg missing (as happened to me just last weekend) you haven’t experienced the true wilderness.
What’s your go-to Aussie road trip song?
On a long trip I like pressing ‘shuffle’ on one of my early CDs. You then never know whether you’re going to get a classic like I’ve Been Hurt in the Red Dirt (which charted briefly on the Rockhampton Hot 100) or a power ballad such as There’s Room in this Swag For Two (very popular at bush weddings).
We’ve heard you’re getting into beat-boxing. Which hip hop artists do you admire?
I’m a big fan of hip hop. I’ve got a mate in Tennant Creek called Lil DJ Busta-Z (his real name is Damien) who performs Aussie ballads accompanied by the didgeridoo. It’s called Bush-Beat Poetry. Check it out.
Our tech and gaming editor calls himself “Muscle Coight” online. How do you feel about this?
My lawyers will be in touch.
