Dange Ross

YO!!!

Come with me on itstartedinbamaga, a journey of ultimate skills-building, business planning & worldwide networking whilst traveling across extremes of the African continent...

First, let's start in Bamaga... home to my first clear memories, the Ross family moved here when Mum's transferred as high school teacher; & fast assimilated into the Northern Peninsula Area’s rich Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander culture. As kids we spent many days with Dad whilst sportfish guiding; or spearing mullet to cook in sand with elders. We learnt to read seasons, find bush tucker / water, build shelter; to tribal dance, talk local pidgin / creoles & the meaning of communication (especially silence). Bamaga gave us an incredible sense of belonging, understanding of traditional connections to land & sea, culture, nature, life. True appreciation of how lucky we were to have this experience would come later in life... but that’s why itstartedinbamaga.

Since then, I completed: school in Mission Beach / Tully (94-01), incl. doing every job possible on a banana farm; my BAppSc (Hons) course in Env. Mgt with James Cook Uni, Tsv (02-05); worked in outback Aust. as a Rural Lands & Water Quality Officer (05-06); a gap year round-the-world trip to SE Asia, Europe, Caribbean & Nth America (06-07); returned as a Land Protection Officer for Cape York & Torres Straits - my chance to give back for opportunities in Bamaga (07-12); as Env. Lead for Downer Engineering in WA, QLD, NSW & VIC, incl. a 7 week secondment to Cape York with the Jawun program - another chance to give back - where I assisted aligning conservation targets to corporate buyers to improve prospects for community & environment across the region (12-15); & have now taken the next big step in my life / career, focusing on developing a broad range of skills rather than limited… with an end goal to become a multi-skilled nature guide!

Coupling my love of travel with opportunity to build skill set & networks – ultimately to benefit / enjoyment of the community - I have since travelled to Africa on a one-way ticket... Here I am drawing on skills gained to date, including earliest experiences in Bamaga, to complete FGASA nature guiding & trails courses, climb Mt Kilimanjaro, embrace as many new nature & networking experiences as possible & GET LARGE. Africa & the world are our oyster, come with me!