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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