If you spent the weekend under a rock or in a cave (likely some of you), then you might’ve missed the hullabaloo about our first ever ExplorerFest – an outdoor and adventure festival held on Worimi Country in Hawks Nest on the Barrington Coast, NSW.

 

Despite the forecast, Mother Nature graced us with a few days of sunshine as Explorers from up and down the coast (and then some) climbed, ran, paddled, navigated, swam, hiked, and danced through the weekend of the inaugural ExplorerFest.

If you missed it (or if you’re wanting to relive it) these were some of the highlights of ExplorerFest 2025!

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1. A moving Welcome to Country & Yidaki & Smoking Ceremony by the Worimi People

The words of a young Worimi boy named Archie kicked off ExplorerFest, as he acknowledged his Country in language, before passing the mic to his grandmother, Aunty Liz, who shared the most heartfelt welcome I’ve ever experienced and her blessing for everyone present to walk Yacaaba Headland. Soon, the whole crowd was gently wafting themselves with smoke to give us safe passage across Country for the weekend.

2. A new world record for pumping up a Dometic inflatable swag

A world record was set at ExplorerFest! Not for trail running, climbing, or even prize winning, but quickest time for pumping up a Dometic inflatable swag. Unbelievably, one competitor, Jordan Jensen, fully inflated the swag in just 10.7 seconds. I’m bringing that guy on my next camping trip.

3. Over 200 reusable coffee cups used

The delightful team at The Bush Turkeys served up coffees to all the early risers and commented that they’d never seen so many reusable coffee cups in one place – 200 they reckon! Not bad for a festival of 300 people.

4. Fireside yarns with Rick J Petersen

Gathered around the firepit as the sun showed its face again, Explorers were treated to an insightful reflection of the complicated life of Rick J Petersen, interviewed by the calming and kind Caro Ryan. An honour to hear his wisdom on a life well-lived and loved, despite great challenges to overcome.

Read more: Rick J Petersen Has Been Preparing for Alone Season 2 His Whole Life

 

5. Mind-blowing stories of misadventure at The North Face Story Slam

Take a poetry slam, strip out the clicking fingers and red wine, and replace it with ripper yarns in the sunshine. That’s the premise behind The North Face Story Slam, and we were stoked to bring it back for its second iteration at ExplorerFest.

On Friday, a few crew from The North Face, including the venerable Tim Macartney-Snape (who, as it turns out, doesn’t respect time limits) told their practised stories and workshopped ideas.

 

 

On Saturday afternoon, a shortlist of festival attendees took to the stage to tell their tale, featuring everything from bongo drums and bear mace, to rockfall in Bolivia and packs washing over waterfalls.

6. The chance to test your elevation endurance on the Osprey Mountain Climber

Select an Osprey pack, dump in some weight, and climb atop the stairmaster. Explorers had the chance to win an epic Osprey prize pack if they gained the most elevation over three minutes, as the incline and speed grew progressively steeper and faster.

I watched one man absolutely belt himself for three minutes, practically fall off the back when it came to a stop, and take a solid breather on the ground to recover. He slotted into second place.

7. The premiere of A Silent Rebellion by Dometic

Lunchtime on Saturday saw everyone gather at the Dometic outdoor cinema for the premiere of A Silent Rebellion, a film about a father and son duo (Geoff & Kitale Wilson) on a net-zero adventure across Iceland. The moving film was followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and crew about the message behind the project and how they got it done.

 

8. 176 native trees planted around the ExplorerFest site

With the assistance of the local Mid Coast 2 Tops Landcare Connection group, Explorers had the chance to plant a native tree on the ExplorerFest site and across the greater Reflections park. Once all the holes were filled in and stakes tied, 176 trees had been planted – can’t wait to see how they’ve grown next time!

9. A huge turn out for the rogaining comp hosted by Paddy Pallin

Despite the early morning start, over 90 Explorers rose to the challenge of rogaining. A 7km competitive course saw Explorers navigate a lap of Hawks Nest with their compass and map in the hunt for directional glory (and a slew of prizes).

Turns out bearings are back baby. Vinyl, film photography, and the Earth’s magnetic field are all on the up, and you can bet that there’s way more navigation on the cards for future events.

 

10. Over $15k worth of gear was given away

Between freebie packages from outdoor brands, prizes for challenge winners, a raffle by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, and lucky door prizes, over $15,000 worth of gear was given away and won by Explorers across the weekend. No one went home empty-handed!

11. Local bands that made us say ‘I’m gonna look this up on Spotify!’

Talented local bands and DJs kept the crowd on their feet all night, and according to one Rick J Petersen, the musicians of NSW’s Mid-North Coast are ‘world class!’. Let’s just say, we’ll be searching ‘Joel Leggett’ on Spotify.

 

15. Outdoor films on rotation in the Explorer Cinema

For those not vibing tunes and a boogie, the ExplorerCinema was a cosy place to sit back, relax, and take in 15 adventure films hand-picked by We Are Explorers.

 

13. 17kg of rubbish cleaned up from the ExplorerFest site & Bennetts Beach

To wrap up ExplorerFest, Paddy Pallin led a group of Explorers in a site clean up. There was so little rubbish left around the site, everyone headed to nearby Bennetts Beach instead and managed to collect 17kg of waste from the shore. What a way to end it!

If that sounds like something you’re keen to get in on, better keep your eyes peeled for the next one…

 

 

Photos by @eandrewsphoto

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