Wildnis

Dr Zagami has a great love of the wilderness and outdoors, enjoying hiking, camping and survival activities.

Dr Zagami went car camping in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania from the 28th of December 2012 to the 13th of January 2013 with Debbie and Edelweiss, travelling to Woolgoogla, Nambucca Heads, Crescent Head, Coopernook State Forest, Toukley, Norah Head and The Entrance, Rouse Hill, Sydney, Kiama, Moruya, Eden, Lakes Entrance, Seaspray, Golden Beach, Snowy Mountains, Quarries rock pool, Victoria Falls, Mt Hotham, Wangaratta, Lake Nillahcootie, Mansfield, Cathedral and Yarra Ranges, Warburton, Phillip Island, Portsea, Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne, Devonport, Bernie, Zeehan, Strahan, Queenstown, New Norfolk, Geevston, Tahune Forest, Arve River, Southport, Bruny Island, Adventure Bay, Cloudy Bay, Hobart, Salamanca dock, the MOMA, Sorell, Swansea, Bicheno, Launceston, Cataract Gorge, Beaconsfield, Devonport, Gillenbah, Parkes, Siding Springs, Tamworth, Port Macquarie, and Byron Bay.

Dr Zagami went car camping in New South Wales from the 16th of December 2009 to the 28th of December 2009 with Debbie, travelling to: Byron Bay, Broken Head, Lake Ainsworth (Lenox Head), Coffs Harbour, South West Rocks, Bulahdelah, Smiths Lake (Great Lakes), Newcastle, Wangi Point (Lake Macquarie), Blue Mountains, Jenolan Caves, Narabeen (Birdwood Park), and Kirribilli (Sydney).

Dr Zagami went 4x4 camping on Stradbroke Island in 2004 with Debbie, visiting Dunwich, Brown Lake, Blue Lake, the North Stradbroke Island Track, Fishermans Road, Point Lookout, and Amity Point.

Dr Zagami went 4x4 camping in the Great Sandy National Park in 2003 with Debbie, visiting Lake Cootharabah, Lake Cooroibah, Harry's Hut, Rainbow Beach, and Teewah.

Dr Zagami went 4x4 camping on a trip to Daintree in 2002 with Debbie, visiting Yeppoon, Capricorn Caves, Cathedral caves, Airlie Beach, Hamilton Island, Cairns, Kuranda (skyrail and scenic railway), Port Douglas, Daintree National Park, Cape Tribulation, the Atherton Tablelands, Crater Lake, Josphene falls, Paronella Park, and Townsville.

Dr Zagami is a Duke of Edinburgh Award coordinator and in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, conducting weekend training and award camps at Mt Crosby Weir, Allawah Scout Campsite, Kholo Hills, and Blackwall.

Dr Zagami completed three Outward Bound Australia school programs in 1999, 2000 and 2001, each involving 12 day expeditions in the Bellthorpe State Forest and Lake Somerset.

Dr Zagami went hiking at Mt Warning in 1999 with friends.

Dr Zagami went camping at Tyalgum in 1997 and 1998 supporting school leadership camps, establishing extensive orienteering courses and navigation trails.

Dr Zagami hiked on Moreton Island in 1992 while completing an army Scuba Diving certification at the Tangalooma Wreaks Dive Site.

Dr Zagami organised a hike of the Border Trail in 1991 for 1 Div Int Coy adventure training from O'Reilly's to Binna Burra, preparing a 30 page operational plan to conduct the training that addressed every conceivable contingency.

Dr Zagami became an officer in the Australian Army Reserve in 1989 and transferred to the Inactive Reserve in 2008. During these 20 years he completed at least one 14 day camp each year and on average a dozen weekend activities. These occurred at Enoggera, Wacol, Tin Can Bay, Shoalwater Bay, the Canungra Land Warfare Centre, Puckapunyal, Duntroon, Moreton Island, across Northern Australia, Darwin, and Hawaii.

Dr Zagami went bush camping in Girraween National Park in 1989 with friends.

Dr Zagami went car camping in NSW in 1988 with a friend, driving to Sydney and back.

Dr Zagami went camping at Binna Burra in 1987 with friends.

Dr Zagami hiked the Border Trail in 1987 with a friend from O'Reilly's to Binna Burra.

Dr Zagami went bush camping in northern NSW in 1987 with a friend, hiking from Mt Cougal, down to the Tweed River, Murwillumbah, and then back to the Gold Coast.

Dr Zagami entered officer training with the Queensland University Regiment (QUR) in 1987, graduating in 1989. During this time he completed two 14 day camps each year and many weekend camps, at Wacol, Green Bank, Tin Can Bay, and Shoalwater Bay.

Dr Zagami went bush camping on Moreton Island in 1986 with a friend, travelling by rail to the Port of Brisbane ferry to Tangalooma and then hiking to the desert, big and little sand hills, Rous Battery, Eagers Creek, Honeyeater Lake, Blue Lagoon, Cape Moreton, Five Hills, Bulwer, Cowan Cowan, and Ben-Ewa.

Dr Zagami went bush camping in 1985 with a friend from Binna Burra, down Ship Stern to the Tallebudgera Valley using two 3m lengths of rope to help each other down the cliff faces. A few weeks later the Layland Brothers showed how it could be done in full abseiling rig.

Dr Zagami went camping at Lake Maroon in 1985 on a Year 12 school leadership camp.

Dr Zagami went bush camping on North Stradbroke Island in 1985 with a friend, independently setting trails for younger students travelling with teachers to follow, traveling from Dunwich, Brown Lake, Blue Lake, and back to Dunwich.

Dr Zagami went camping on North Stradbroke Island in 1985 with a dozen friends, cycling from Shailer Park to Cleveland, then Dunwich to Amity Point and Point Lookout.

Dr Zagami went bush camping in the Great Sandy National Park in 1984 with his cousin, completing the Cooloola Great Walk from Harry's Hut to Rainbow Beach in record time as destructive thunderstorms wracked the township.

Dr Zagami went bush camping on North Stradbroke Island in 1984 with a friend, dropped off from Dr Zagami's parents boat opposite Russel Island, they made their way across to the ocean, crossing Eighteen Mile Swamp and hiking up to Blue Lake and Dunwich.

Dr Zagami went bush camping on North Stradbroke Island in 1984 with a dozen friends, cycling from Shailer Park to Cleveland, taking the ferry, then from Dunwich across the island via Brown Lake and Blue Lake.

Dr Zagami was in the Air Training Corp (1 Flight AIRTC (now closed) parading at Macgregor SHS) from 1983 to 1986. He attended several survival bivouacs each year at Undullah (Flinders Peak) and promotion camps at RAAF Base Amberley. He learnt advanced bush survival skills and became proficient in fieldcraft, silently raiding competing teams to acquire supplies.

Dr Zagami went camping often in the ruins of Ashton's Animal Kingdom (a derelict lion park on the site of the now Logan Hyperdome) in 1983 and 1984 with friends, conducting mock military exercises and digging cave complexes.

Dr Zagami went bush camping often in the Cornubia Forest in 1981, 1982 and 1983 with friends, setting up permanent campsites with accommodation, cooking facilities, and gardens.

Dr Zagami went bush camping in the Springbrook National Park in 1979 with his cousin, bush hiking for four days from Mt Cougal, following the border rabbit fence down to the Coolangatta airport where they found themselves on the wrong side of the fence...

Dr Zagami went bush camping in the Springbrook National Park in 1978 with his cousin, bush hiking for three days through virgin rainforest up beyond the head of Currumbin Creek, climbing from the east to the summit of Mt Cougal, then down the peaks northern side to Mt Cogal Creek (and several kilometres of lantana up to 10m deep) into the Tallebudgera Valley.

Dr Zagami went to Summer Camps run by the PCYC in 1978 and 1979 at Camp Bornhoffen in the Numinbah Valley where he learnt great ghost stories.

Dr Zagami went hiking and camping often in the Tugun Quarry and surrounds from 1975 to 1979 with friends, constructing numerous cubby houses and forts.

Dr Zagami's earliest wilderness experiences were as a Cub Scout (Tugun Pack (now closed)) attending camps in 1978 and 1979 at Camp Wollumbin (now closed), as a Nipper at the Tugun SLSC in 1979, and on primary school excursions into the Gold Coast hinterland and Coolangatta-Tweed Heads environs between 1974 and 1979.