Great Walks editor Brent McKean offers insight into his life, career and why the great outdoors still gives him so much pleasure.
What’s your earliest bushwalking memory?
My memories start at five, living in Singapore. My father served in the Royal New Zealand Navy and in the early ‘70s he was posted there. During a family walk I remember standing in a field and watching a monsoon rainstorm approach. Instead of rain falling all around us as you might expect, it was like a giant waterfall slowly moving forward. It's a scene I will never forget.
Where did you grow up and what areas did you explore?
I was born in Auckland and after our time in Singapore we moved back there and that’s where I spent the rest of my childhood. We lived in a leafy new suburb with easy access to bushland, rivers and creeks. I spent a lot of time exploring the outdoors with friends, climbing around riverbanks and building rafts. It was a fantastic environment to grow up in.
How did the great outdoors influence your childhood?
I’ve always felt drawn to being outside. As a teenager I joined the Venturer Scouts and became involved with a couple of tramping and speleology clubs. There were some remarkable cave systems not far from where I lived and exploring them was a real adventure. Time spent in the bush has always been good for my physical and mental health. I also learnt a lot about resilience through many wet, muddy and challenging walks. When you’re out in the elements you quickly realise you need to adapt, keep going and make the most of the experience.
How did you get into working in media?
My career didn’t begin in media. I initially worked in banking in both Auckland and London, but I found the work didn’t provide much job satisfaction. Eventually I decided to make a change and moved to Australia. The transition felt quite natural as my mother was born in Picton, NSW and I already had plenty of family in Australia. I enrolled at university in Brisbane and completed a journalism degree.
Have you worked overseas?
Yes, quite a bit. After graduating, my first journalism role was as a “stringer” for Amnesty International. A stringer is a freelance journalist who travels to where the stories are happening. I spent almost a year in northern India, Nepal and Tibet reporting on human rights issues. It was an incredible experience that opened many doors, including the opportunity to the Dalai Lama. During that time I also did a lot of hiking in the Himalayas, including completing the famous Annapurna Circuit, trekking to Annapurna Base Camp and exploring northern India’s Garhwal district.
After that very confronting role, my next job took me to the Sultanate of Oman, where I spent two years working for a local publishing house. That job took me all over the Arabian Gulf and parts of Africa. Eventually I returned to Sydney in time of the 2000 Olympics. I spent five years working for Australian Associated Press, two years as deputy editor of Overland 4WD magazine and eventually becoming editor of Great Walks.
How do you produce Great Walks?
Great Walks is published seven times a year. As editor, I work closely with our national sales manager to plan each issue. My aim is to produce a magazine that readers want to buy and advertisers see value in supporting. Alongside the print magazine, I also manage the website, produce our weekly newsletter, produce a coffee table book, run any competitions and oversee all our social media channels. It’s a busy role, but one I feel very fortunate to have. Next year the magazine celebrates its 20th anniversary, and I’ve been editor the whole time, which says a lot about how much this job means to me.
What’s on your travelling bucket list?
At the top of the list is Antarctica, followed by Patagonia. In my mid-20s I spent a year travelling through the northern half of South America and completed some incredible walks over the Andes and through the Amazon. It’s an extraordinary part of the world and I’ve always wanted to return to explore further south. Hopefully one day I’ll make it back.