The Canadians Rangers participated in Exercise Southern Cross 2023 last month, which took a select group of Rangers from across Canada to Northern Territory, Australia, where they participated in survival activities and cultural exchanges with the NORFORCE – Australia’s equivalent to the Canadian Rangers – as well as Indigenous people in the area.
The exercise fosters a close relationship between the two countries, with members of the Australian unit also visiting Canada similarly at some point, trading knowledge and experience.
Ranger Paul Hrabarchuk of the Swan River patrol in the Fourth Canadian Ranger Patrol Group was fortunate enough to be selected for the experience and represent his home country on the international stage.
“The Australian trip is one of the most sought after exercises that the Rangers do,” said Sergeant Ryan Peden of the Swan River patrol. “It’s an exchange program with our sister unit in Australia, and it’s something that doesn’t happen very often with the Rangers.”
Peden noted that anyone is open to apply, but the top of the chain of command makes the decisions on who will be able to participate.
“There are a few different factors in the selection process,” said Peden. “There’s the physical factor – you’re working in the Outback and the Northern Territory in Australia and it can be quite physically gruelling compared to things we’re used to out here. With the heat and the animal life, it’s a different sort of environment than what we’re used to.
“They also take into consideration your contribution to the Rangers as a whole, and whether you are a good ambassador to us while being in this other country.
“Paul was selected on the basis that he met those requirements and he showed himself again and again to go above and beyond what we do when we run exercises,” Peden continued. “He always has a positive attitude and always dives into things head first. That was a big part of his recommendation for this exercise.
“He’s done an excellent job at representing himself and representing the Canadian Rangers as a whole on this exercise.”
Hrabarchuk left with his Ranger comrades on Aug. 7, going through many hours of flights before landing in Darwin, on the northern shore of Australia.
“We had to do our cultural training first and learn about the Indigenous culture, the places we’re going to go and the customs that are involved,” said Hrabarchuk.
From there, the crew set off on a vehicle patrol to Jabiru, where they participated in survival training for three days.
“We camped out at a billabong there and we had a ‘welcome to the country’ from a local Indigenous leader,” said Hrabarchuk. “When we were doing survival training, we actually trained with Gordon Dedman, who is the head survival guide for NORFORCE. He also runs Bushcraft Survival Australia and the head survival guide for the TV series Alone.”
Hrabarchuk also noted that they also trained with Dr. Theresa Emmerich Kamper, who also appeared on season eight of Alone, when it was filmed in British Columbia.
The group then went on another vehicle patrol to Maningrida, where they ended up on a boat patrol on the Blyth River.
“We ended up seeing some crocs,” said Hrabarchuk. “There was a 3.5-metre one that was trying to eat the boat.”
He then flew back to Darwin and then south to Alice Springs, where he participated in a Freedom of Entry March with NORFORCE. Freedom of Entry is significant honour bestowed upon a military unit by a municipality, indicating trust between that municipality and the military.
“The last time a Freedom of Entry March was done in Alice Springs was (nearly) 40 years ago, and the one that we participated in was the first time a foreign military unit ever participated with them, so we made a little bit of history there,” said Hrabarchuk.
While in and around Alice Springs, Hrabarchuk got to experience some interesting foods and traditions, which included consuming green ant tea, kangaroo, crocodile, camel, among other things.
Hrabarchuk also travelled to nearby Uluru – otherwise known as Ayers Rock – which is a famous natural sandstone landmark in the Northern Territory with major cultural significance to the Indigenous people in the area.
“We got to see parts of the country that not many of the civilians of Australia get to see, especially in the backcountry,” said Hrabarchuk.
He finally returned to Canada with the Rangers on Aug. 28, joking that it was the first time he’d ever experienced time travel, leaving on Aug. 28 and landing on the same day, despite the flight between Brisbane and Vancouver taking 14 hours alone.
One of the biggest challenges that Hrabarchuk had to face while on this trip was passing a swim test, given that he admittedly isn’t the best swimmer.
“I basically had four lessons,” he said. “The swim test I was training for before I left the country was the basic army one, which was swim 30 metres and tread water for two minutes. I had to pass the marine one, which was plunging yourself in a 3.5 metre deep pool, swim through some debris, come to the top, swim 100 metres and tread water for five minutes.
“For me, not knowing how to swim that well, that was the most challenging thing. What made it comfortable was the strength in numbers of being with everyone in my unit, because when I was starting to get tired, everyone would call my name and get the morale up to get to the end.”
Hrabarchuk also learned about the importance of surviving in a hot climate like Australia.
“It’s a lie if anyone tells you to conserve water,” he said. “Consume as much as you can. If you conserve your water, you’re going to die of dehydration.
“One of the things Gordon Dedman taught us to have in your kit is a transpiration bag, which is basically a clear bag you put over a deciduous tree. That can collect up to a litre of water every 24 hours. And, when you’re in a survival situation, you can have a few of them going and make more than enough off of those trees. With the hot weather, we were going through about a gallon and a half to two gallons of water a day.”
Although Hrabarchuk has travelled as far as Mexico before, his previous experiences didn’t compare to this once in a lifetime opportunity, and he is very grateful that he was selected to participate and represent his country.
One big takeaway he found was the sense of connection and friendship amongst the military units between the two allied countries.
“One thing I didn’t expect is when we hit the ground, they welcomed us with open arms like family,” said Hrabarchuk.
“The Rangers is a unique opportunity. We all come from different aspects and training. There’s opportunities no matter where you’re from, and if you put your heart and soul into it, they’ll definitely send you places, no matter how young or old you think you are.”