Once upon a time Australians romanticised our horses. We relied on them and they even helped define our nation as evidenced by Banjo Paterson’s The Man from Snowy River which remains marked on Australian minds through our $10 note.

There is no point trying to pull the wool over the eyes of hunters in New South Wales. That’s because intriguing statistics released by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) indicate that participation in hunting has soared to levels that eclipse the economic level of the traditional sheep farming trade.

With hundreds of national parks covering about four per cent of our nation, Australia has no end of diverse natural beauty. And it’s no secret that being outdoors has benefits for any individual’s physical and mental health.

Australia’s colonial history is full of legendary adventurers, explorers and bushrangers but the romance and aura of the nation’s remote regions didn’t end with WWII, as a host of men and women made their mark on the country and added to the great outback folklore in the process. Here are the stories of but a few of them:

Australia’s population is ageing continually and the numbers of elderly citizens with extra leisure time on their hands is growing accordingly. This band of mature fun-seekers have sought out travel as one of their premier pastimes. The retired getaways have even earned a branding name for themselves - the grey nomads.

I have found a growing band of people taking to the sky to see the great Australian outdoors from a totally different perspective. But already you’re asking: ‘How does this story relate to me? I don’t fly or own an aeroplane.’

Just 30 kilometres from Melbourne stands an imposing mansion and grounds that are a legacy of Victoria’s early sheep farming boom days. A time when the British migrant squattocracy was more top hat than farm boots and leisure days were made of up of horses for polo and racing, hunting, balls and music.

There are lots of ways to be an environmentalist and whether big or small there are a lot of ways to play your part for the environment. Sometimes helping the environment can sound intimidating but the great outdoors is closer than you think.