Sonja, that's a very good and valid point. With couples, a very important
market, one spouse might be interested in just the tick, while their other
half would prefer a much better look. And so they'll often negogiate so
they both have a good experience.
Denise
On 25/10/13 11:27 AM, "Sonja Ross" <> wrote:
> I guess another reason for guides to consider their clients is that older
> birders possibly have more money to spend on tours, and may therefore be
> spreading the word about a particular guide, so it is to their financial
> advantage to be considerate. Probably most clients would rather have good
> views of a few birds, than brief glances at a greater number!
>
> Sonja
>
>
> On 25/10/2013, at 12:40 PM, Denise Goodfellow <>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi Tony
>>
>> I recall you raising this once before, and thank you for going into details.
>>
>> Bo Beolens gave a fascinating talk at the recent Wildlife Tourism Australia
>> workshop on a related issue (see in title), that of disabled birders and
>> "six foot" guides.
>>
>> Some of the statements from respondents to my PhD study mention similar
>> problems. Some women complained about being out with such guides who could
>> see a bird from their particular vantage point and grew angry that their
>> clients couldn't. One lady whom I know personally, returned from a trip on
>> the point of exhaustion, ridden by the guide all the way to "keep up". Her
>> husband was furious. Another woman trying to keep up with the guide and two
>> other clients who were racing ahead, fell and hurt herself so badly she had
>> to be helicoptered out.
>>
>> One response to this sort of guiding, and again you raise this issue in your
>> comment on "return business", is that couples in particular, seem more
>> likely to do further trips with either a local guide or by themselves. Why
>> couples? Well ,often one spouse is a more serious birder. But if he (and
>> it's generally a male) sees their spouse, a less serious lister, for
>> example, is not enjoying themselves, then often they won't use that firm
>> again.
>>
>> Bo compared the issue to pink stilettos and boots. Not all can wear the
>> former or the latter! There needs to be a range of guides and experiences.
>>
>> Denise
>>
>>
>> On 25/10/13 10:26 AM, "Tony Russell" <> wrote:
>>
>>> Interesting that you have raised this Denise. I have been out with some
>>> guides , well known ones too, who seem to have no concern about or
>>> understanding of their clients limitations. Some of them race around at a
>>> pace difficult for others to keep up with and if the guide notices at all
>>> can become impatient and often instruct people to "keep up", not realising
>>> that this can be impossible for them.
>>> Others can command elderly people to "get down on the ground" ( to look
>>> under bushes), as though they were teenagers, and not acknowledging that
>>> this can also often be an impossible requirement, and that getting up again
>>> is usually a worse ordeal than getting down. I can recall two different
>>> guides who did this to people on trips I've been on. It puts one off from
>>> ever using those guides again or recommending anyone else to. Some guides
>>> unrealistically expect clients to be as physically active as they are. Some
>>> people may dismiss these problems as unimportant but a responsible guide
>>> should develop ways of showing consideration for their older clients and
>>> maybe generating some return business.
>>>
>>> Tony, the aging crock.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From:
>>> On Behalf Of Denise
>>> Goodfellow
>>> Sent: Friday, 25 October 2013 10:19 AM
>>> To: Birding Aus
>>> Cc: ; Peter Wood; Ronda Green BSc(Hons); Robyn Stark;
>>> ; Maree Kerr; Kev
>>> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Hot weather and birders
>>>
>>> Recently the issue of tourism and hot weather was raised on Radio National.
>>>
>>> Quite often I've been in the field with other guides who've either taken
>>> people out in very hot, humid weather or who said they would have no
>>> problems doing so. One was a bus driver (who'd just started guiding as
>>> well) who, if he'd had his way, would have taken a group of American
>>> university students on a hike around the Kakadu sandstone in such weather.
>>> The professor in charge agreed with him and it was only after I (their
>>> guide/lecturer) refused to go that he backed down.
>>>
>>> On another occasion a senior lady showed obvious signs of heat stress after
>>> a long hike, but the guide appeared not to notice.
>>>
>>> This issue is even more urgent now, with more hot days (we've probably had a
>>> record number of fire ban days this Dry Season).
>>>
>>> So please, if you're a visiting birder raise this issue with your guide or
>>> operator.
>>>
>>> Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
>>> PO Box 71, Darwin River,
>>> NT 0841
>>> 043 8650 835
>>>
>>> PhD candidate, SCU
>>> Vice-chair, Wildlife Tourism Australia
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
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