Welcome to the Great Australian Outdoors
Our international award-winning magazines and cookbooks showcase the best of this great land’s flora and fauna by demonstrating that utilisation and enjoyment goes hand in glove with protecting it. We are a not-for-profit organisation that proudly supports the Conservation and Wildlife Research Trust (CWRT). The CWRT provides funds for on-the-ground environmental projects and bursaries for up-and-coming environmental academics.
Great Australian Outdoors is Australia’s first magazine of ‘destination, exploration and conservation’. We take an in-depth look at issues affecting our continent’s landscape, fauna and flora by uniquely consulting with academics, environmental experts and custodians of the land and seas, be it farmers, fishers or those charged with protecting it for future generations. Along the way we showcase beautiful destinations, provide travel tips and ideas, maps, technical and product information, reviews and more. GAO is the big authentic Australian outdoors magazine befitting our big sensational country!
Field to Fork – The Australian Game Cookbook and the follow-up Field to Fork – Second Helpings brings together a selection of food, health and environmental topics to help you make informed and healthy food decisions beyond what’s available from the supermarket. While we may not always consciously think about it, the time and effort we dedicate to sourcing, preparing, eating and sharing our food forms a big part of our lives. With highly processed foods available everywhere, our nutrition and food lifestyle choices are increasingly leading us to more free-range and organic options. Many of us not only choose to consider the health benefits of what we eat, but also whether it has been sourced in a way that matches our ethical, environmental and sustainability beliefs.
Featured Stories
As Australians we are the custodians of this great continent, its wildlife and environment for future generations. The task of caring for and protecting it cannot be left solely to government – it craves direct hands-on intervention and a voice at grassroots level. Environmental volunteers come in a variety of forms whether through Operation Bounceback in the Ikara Flinders Ranges or the thousands of hours contributed by men and women in the Farmer Assist program.
The concept of throwing an invisible fence around Australia’s parks, forests and waterways and hoping for the best has proved disastrous in the past. Feral animals and invasive weeds have wreaked havoc since modern European settlement. The repair and regeneration of our fauna and flora is a multi-generational endeavour that can be driven by those who most understand the challenges: us, the campers, grey nomads, tourists and those that enjoy getting out into hills, rivers, deserts and mountains.
In partnership with environmental scientists and the farmers who work the land, we can find real solutions which will have a lasting and beneficial effect. Just as we’ve become smarter at how we use water for agriculture in our drought-prone landscape, we need to become smarter with our environment and learn to manage the invasive weeds and animals which pose a direct threat to our native species.
Tourism, recreation and enjoyment of the Australian outdoors goes hand-in-hand with conservation. By getting out of the cities and seeing our country’s landscapes first hand, we are educating ourselves and our children about what the problems are and thinking about the solutions. Be proud of your enjoyment of the outdoors and of where you can give a little back for the future.