Bag a Barra — 16 January 2026

It's time now to head to the Top End and Bagabara with Glenn Watty Watt, thanks to Barefoot Fishing Safaris and Uniden, for the best in UHF communications, explore the extract series at Uniden.com.au. Well, I was just mentioned before, about living on territory time, when we played that song by Tom Curtin, and one bloke who certainly does know about living on territory time, is our man from Barefoot Fishing Safaris in the Top End. Glenn, what do you, what? What do you know a bit about that, don't you, son? Yeah, it's one of the reasons I love living up here, mate.

I mean, it's actually, it's funny. It, it, it can, it's a blessing most of the time, but sometimes if you want to get something done and, and everyone else is on territory time, it can be a bit of a frustrating thing, but, um, yeah, how good's Tom Curtin, mate. He's um, he's going pretty well down there in Catherine and um, does some great music and of course that um, outback spectacular show that he does too. have to get down there and have a look at that.

Yeah, well he's on the road at the moment. He takes the whole thing. He takes dogs and horses and he gets out there and he takes the whole experience on the road for 6 months and he's actually heading towards Tamworth now for the Tamworth Country Music Festival. So you don't necessarily have to go to Catherine to catch the show because he takes it on the road.

He's a great bloke too. He's a fading Aussie. And I'm like, oh, mate, we love going. I mean, I've been to that thing in Catherine a few times. It's worth it.

You wouldn't go up the territory without heading in there. And then, of course, if you can't get there, well, just keep an eye out for his trip, he does during the wet season. And as I say, the wet season, you know, your wet season, he comes out and about. Mate, and we just played that song territory time.

Just quickly explain to people, what is territory time? I know what it is. I got to say to you, I do, I don't mind it, but you are right. You want something done and you're booked in for a time.

Well, what happened? Well, mate, you'll be right, mate. We'll get to that. Oh, you go, mate.

Yeah, yeah, that's right. It's funny because, you know, coming up from Western Victoria, where all the businesses sort of run run on Victorian time down there, mate. You can always tell when someone has moved up and started a business, you'll say, oh yeah, mate, I'm looking for this, that, the other. Yeah, right, I'll have it on the desk waiting for you. And sure enough, if it's an old territory resident business, they've forgotten that you've even called.

But if it's someone who's, I'll have it there ready for you with the invoice all drawn up and it can, it can be frustrating if it, if it doesn't go your way, but um, at the same time, it does also obviously create that nice, relaxed and laid back lifestyle that, um, that we really value up here as well. It's a real thing, isn't it? Territory time is a real thing. That's just the way it is.

No, absolutely no doubt about that. yeah. You just got to go with the flow and if you want to even even more relaxed sort of timeline. when you head across New Guinea or some of the Pacific Islands and that sort of stuff, right?

Like they're even more relaxed with their time. So, it does take a bit of adjustment if you used to hustle and bustle and everything being done perfectly on time and to schedule. But, you know, it's part of the way it is up here, so there's no point fighting it. No, exactly.

Now, what is happening up there at the moment, because I know we've got the big wet on. the fishing happening around the place. What's doing? Yeah, it's all go with the wet.

We had a heap of rain here last week and you know, it was so wet that we couldn't even drive around our block. We, um, you know, get getting sort of um, making big mess on the block and stuff. So, it's definitely the wettest, um, January I've seen in our 5 years here in Beast Creek. So, I've been keeping an eye on the river levels, of course, and yeah, daily's up and down with any bit of rain. So it's a real good sign that everything's nice and wet and any bit of rain now becomes runoff, which is fantastic.

It's what we want for our trips that when we get back on the water starting in March. So yeah, I haven't had a chance to get out. But I've got the boat back on the trailer now and I'm probably iron off a set of tides to go and have a cracking takadu at the south alligator. I reckon there might be a few fish starting to swimming out of all those big billabongs up the top there, the yellow waters and that sort of stuff.

So, if you get it right, get up there on a push-up tide up the top of the floodplain systems when that salty water pushes up into the biller bombs and then sucks a few fish back out, you can have some really good fishing this time of year. So I'll be ironing that off in the next week or so. Unbelievable. really.

What a lifestyle. How good is it? I might just duck out the kakane to the East Alligator and have a bit of a crack. Yeah, yeah. I mean, most football playing a trip playing a fishing trip like that for 12 months.

You're just going out for the day. Yeah, well, that's right. You know, there's no point getting envious about it though, duck, because, you know, everyone's free to move up here and do the same thing if they want. No, they're not because Mrs. Duck won't have it.

Yeah, well, that's right. I mean, the weather doesn't allow a lot of people to get up here. They struggle with it a bit, but yeah, I mean, it's exactly why I'm here because I want to be able to do that. And of course, we've done 15 years of God now. So it's something that I still really enjoy.

Yeah, how good is that? 15 years you've been at Barefoot Fishing Safaris, which is fantastic. And you did mention as it starts to rain here. You did mention that Papa New Guinea in that without angling adventures.

You do take trips up there. How is that going? Are we getting a few bookings for that? Yeah, yeah, it's all booked up.

Actually, there's, I think there's 2 spots left for one trip to Ben's Back River, which is down the right and the bottom southwest corner of New Guinea. That's that sort of best barrafficient in the world destination. There's 2 spots left for that, but Lake Murray, which is perhaps my favourite where the big black bass are, that's all booked up for this year, mate. So yeah, they'll everyone will be starting to get a bit excited.

In fact, we're starting to organise some finalised itineraries and helping everyone get their flights and visas and stuff sorted so that we can, you know, play our role as as their representative here in Australia and make their trips to these sort of what can be tricky and intimidating destinations, make it really easy for people. So that's sort of what I'm doing day to day in the office at the moment, just getting everyone organised to go fishing later on. Ben's back, um, starts in, uh, sort of on the 1st of July, uh, 1st of June. So people are starting to get ready now.

Yeah. Yeah, happy days. We had a couple of blokes that do a bit of fishing here. Got no idea.

One's got half an idea. There's 2 mates of mine here, young Matty Walcomb, and then there's another fellow here, Barry Moore. Actually, sometimes we call him Barry Nomor or Barry Less. I've actually told him to try.

I've actually tried him to try his luck in the pool now. I mean, mate, seriously. I mean, the bloke goes, no, he goes, yeah, with all the gear. stands out there on the rocks or in the water up to his waist and just comes back with weed.

I mean, if there was a competition for the most amount of seaweed caught free seaweed soup, I mean, he'd be killing it. So I've said to him, listen, Baz, listen, Baz, just go and throw a line in the pool, mate. you're a big, bigger hope. So we might have to get them onto one of your online courses when you start them up again or something and do that just quickly, mate.

Absolutely, mate. Now, probably I need to watch it and pay attention to myself. I've got a bit of gear here as well, with absolutely no idea, as you know. Mate, just quickly, anything in regard.

I know we mentioned it every week, the the $10000 fish, any winners, or is it still a bit quiet at the moment? No, he's still a bit quiet on the $10000 fish thing and that's just a reflection of the fish have been moving around a lot more right now. That early season, they tend to jag a fair few that sort of get released and they'll hang around that similar area for a few weeks or until they smell that bit of fresh water and start looking to go off on an adventure, mate. So, yeah, I mean, we know that there's always fish released into yellow waters out there in Kakadu.

I think there's also already been one or 2 court actually. So, yeah, where we're planning on heading. that's um that's one of those sort of bus stop spots for them to go in and out past um as they go and have a look out in the main river. So, fingers crossed, it could be me.

Well, let's hope so. Let's hope you still front up here after you win the 1000000 as well. I was telling someone the story the other night here, that story you told me about the blokes that told up everything and went and bought the boat. They were going to be Maltis and, like, their mowing lawns now, aren't they?

We're going to go and find their forts. Oh, yeah. I can go fishing for 3 months. Things won't work out of days planned, I don't think, but... Mate, I'll still turn up. I'd do this. I'd do this radio show for free, mate.

So you'll, um, what's happening? I mean, you would, you do. We give you a plug. You get a plug.

I mean, well, we brought a promo. And we're promoting the Top End. Hello, tourism NT, if you're listening. Oh, no, we don't have to say you think so, mate. Dude, I tell you what, we do.

I mean, it happens. I mean, we promote travelling Australia everywhere. I mean, you think they'd pay attention, wouldn't you? Anyway.

All right, mate. Good stuff. Anyway. All right, mate.

Well, you stay dry up there and all that and we'll have a arm with you next week and hopefully by then you might have got out to Kakadu and caught yourself some. Yeah, that's right. You never know me luck. And yeah, you'll hear a bit of a spring in me step if I've got the 1000000 in the bank.

Oh, sure, I'm sure I will, and I'll be looking for a little taste out of it as well, mate. Just doing something down here. It'll check. Gregory Peck.

eh? Remember there? I don't think anyone's I don't think anyone uses checks anymore, do they? No, I don't think... Oh, Gregory, you can't use that line anymore.

Oh mate, the Gregory's in the mail. The chick in the mail is one of the biggest lies going. Yeah, the checks in the checks in the mail. I mean, fair. All right.

Bring back the yellow pay envelopes too. They were good. remember those. Yeah, pay envelope. With the A, with the cash.

Cash is key, I reckon. The old little yellow pay envelopes. So poor bloke he made then probably went broke. He's probably fishing with those other 2 blokes because no one gets those little yellow pay envelopes with your name written on them anymore.

All right, mate, you enjoy. Righto, mate. You too. Sounds like you're having a good time down there.

Keep going. No, we're doing our best, mate. Talk to you next week. There he is.

That's our man. That's him, Glenn, what he, what? Barefoot Fishing Safaris. Go up there, you can go fishing with him, and he will get you out to the spots.

He knows his stuff, and who knows? You could be up there eating big barramundies and chips and stuff just because you caught it on what his boat. If you wanted, and he made a good point with angling adventures, because some of those places can be tricky and volatile, and if you're unsure, you'd probably never ever think about going fishing in New Guinea. Well, if you get onto angling adventures, what he can certainly help you and you go away in safety and go to the right spots where you know where the fish are. They're all over it.

And so certainly if you're into your fishing and you love a bit of adventure, angling adventures could be for you. So he's a good man, Watty, and I think he's entering his 7th year on this show. Well, thank you, so that's not bad. He's been on it since we started this version of the show and so he's been going with us for a while and he's certainly our man up in the Top End.

We love talking about the territory, and of course, in particular the Top End of the territory, where we will be later in the year, and for a bit of downtime, apart from radio, and we'll catch up with what he and con him into taking his fishing again.