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: 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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