How Mick Fogg turned his travel passion into a dream expedition career
Expedition leader and wildlife photographer Mick Fogg says this is one of the many reasons he loves travelling to our nearest neighbour.
Expedition travel wasn’t always on the mind of Mick Fogg, who spent his early career buried in the depths of research and academia. He had a lightbulb moment in his mid-20s and decided to leave university behind and venture out in a 4WD across Australia. Naturally, the wanderlust sparked a question many holidaymakers contemplate when they’re away from the daily grind: How can I make a career out of this?
With 20 years and more than 300 trips under his belt as an expedition leader, conservation advocate and award-winning wildlife photographer, Fogg has traversed some of the most untouched landscape on the planet, leveraging his academic foundations to research biologically rich ecosystems across the nation.
Transitioning into the world of expedition cruising, Fogg became expedition team leader at Orion Expedition Cruises, responsible for guiding naturalist teams, designing innovative expedition routes, and cultivating relationships with landholders, indigenous traditional owners and local communities throughout the South Pacific. He counts Antarctica among his favourite destinations, but prefers warmer climes. Fogg’s focus on conservation, particularly the plight of orangutans in Borneo, culminated in him being appointed an ambassador for Orangutan Foundation International Australia.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than guiding the head of a company, teaching them something about the natural environment and getting them to see things in a way that they didn’t look at before,” he says.
Over the past decade, Fogg has set his sights on small-ship experiences, drawing attention back closer to home in Australia’s Kimberley region and its myriad attractions, such as Horizontal Falls, Montgomery Reef, Indigenous rock art, mangrove habitats and humpback whale migrations.
Fogg this year was announced as the general manager and head of sustainability at Pearl Expeditions, overseeing cultural and environmental stewardship, and guiding the brand’s sustainability initiatives aboard the boutique Paspaley Pearl yacht. While his professional life has seen him explore some of the world’s most inaccessible areas, Fogg’s philosophy remains simple: always keep learning.
Do Australians take their own backyard for granted?
I think we’re blase about it and we’re so spoiled for everything we’ve got. We all think we’ve got to do an overseas trip, otherwise we’re not considered travellers. I’ve been around the world and I can tell you, we’ve got a lot of great things to see right here.
Most challenging trip
Indonesian Borneo – tourism was basically nothing when I first went, back in the early 2000s. Twenty-five years later the environment is relatively well managed, and I think its remoteness is preserving it. Some of the areas we pioneered had never experienced international tourism, so infrastructure’s pretty limited, there is rudimentary transportation and locals are very friendly, but they don’t necessarily have the same consideration for safety as we do.
Why Indonesia has so much to offer
I’ve been travelling to Indonesia since the late ’90s but it wasn’t until I met my wife in 2009 that I went to Bali, funnily enough. I think Indonesia has so much to offer as a country, and once you get out of the tourist traps, you witness the relatively untouched lands it has to offer. In East Indonesia, there are places like Raja Ampat, the Spice Islands, Komodo – the list goes on. I’ve learnt the most there. If I were to ask you which country has the closest glacier to Australia, you wouldn’t think it’s in Indonesia (in Papua).
The best state in Australia to holiday
Western Australia – you’ve got the usual spots everyone knows, but outside of Ningaloo the whole South Bay area is spectacular. Then there’s the Dampier Peninsula, with its ancient petroglyphs. It’s a sensational part of the country that everyone should see. It has
a lot to offer.
My favourite place to travel
We’ve all got a little place in our heart where we feel at peace. For me, it’s a tiny island called Banda Neira in Indonesia’s Spice Islands. It was the centre of the universe for more than 400 years, thanks to the spice trade with the Portuguese and Spanish, and it’s where a vicious history unravelled. Now it’s one of the most beautiful islands in an ancient caldera of a volcano – such a relaxing place. I love to sit on the waterfront.
The best place to start expedition cruising
The Kimberley is a great entry point. Expeditions there are so different, from
an educational aspect, and you never realise how exotic rocks can be. Learning from the traditional owners is critical and witnessing the 60,000-plus years of history and the songlines and their stories are remarkable. I don’t think there’s a more moving experience than being in an ancient rock art gallery that’s anywhere from 40,000 to 50,000 years old.
The under the radar destination
Papua New Guinea. It presents challenges to travel – unreliable aircraft schedules, regular cancellations – but doing it by ship is key. Getting out of the major cities is one of the most rewarding experiences, but you can’t get there any other way than via water. Key places to visit are along the north coast, the Trobriand Islands, the Madang area (pictured). You can rest assured anywhere you do go, 2km down the road is just as nice.
If you love to travel, sign up to our free weekly Travel + Luxury newsletter here.
More Coverage
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout