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drive.","title":null,"link":null,"mobileSrc":"","attribution":null,"quality":60},"mediaPropsSlide":null}]},":type":"teq/components/editorial/editorial-hero-banner"},"spacer_copy_490011008":{"spacerType":"whitespace","paddingSize":"xxsmall",":type":"teq/components/spacer"},"editorial_descriptio_1544070562":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003EMove over 007.  Rob Kloetzer, aka Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) ‘Ranger 005’, is licensed to protect.\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHailing from Jena, the former member of Germany’s special forces – once attached to the Navy’s clearance diving unit, tasked with ‘disposing underwater weapons like mines and bombs’ – is today ‘living the dream’. \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHappily patrolling Australia’s most remote northern wilderness as second-in-charge of the QPWS Ranger Base in Cooktown on the remote \u003Ca href=\"https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/cape-york\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ECape York Peninsula\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA bucket list destination for off-grid adventure seekers in the furthest reaches of Tropical North Queensland. Raw with spine-tingling beauty and contrasting landscapes, from ancient rainforest to World Heritage-listed reef, grasslands, wetlands, river systems and mountain ranges. \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGuaranteed to leave even James Bond shaken and stirred.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Rob, whose hero growing up was legendary Australian wildlife documentary filmmaker and bushman Malcolm Douglas, life as a Ranger in one of the few pristine corners of the world still blessed with ‘proper untouched bush’, was arguably pre-destined.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELooking back, he says the skills he acquired in Germany – undertaking an apprenticeship as an auto mechanic before joining the military, then switching careers to become a paramedic/firefighter (after an ‘underwater accident’ meant he could no longer work as a specialist Navy clearance diver) – set him up to unexpectedly pivot into life as a remote QPWS Ranger.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter leaving the military in 2000, he met his wife while training to be a paramedic. The couple went travelling, fell in love with Australia, and, in January 2011, emigrated to Hervey Bay, on Queensland’s Fraser Coast, where Rob’s wife secured a job at the local hospital. \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERob, meanwhile, stumbled on his dream career as a QPWS Ranger, starting as a volunteer. First in Hervey Bay, then Cooktown (when Rob’s wife transferred to Cooktown Hospital in 2013), before quickly landing permanent positions and working his way through the ranks – including three years in the more remote outpost of Coen. \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA posting that meant driving back to Cooktown each weekend to spend time with family, navigating 350km of gravel road. The kind of adventure he yearned for in his youth as ‘a dirt bike and 4WD fanatic’ – from the age of 13, pimping BMX bikes, dirt bikes, then rusty old cars into ‘off-road machines’.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“My Dad was a doctor, but also did a mechanical trade, and even before I got my drivers licence, we converted an old car into a special off-road buggy and cruised around, dreaming of proper big bush in Australia.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“When I turned 18, I bought a Suzuki Jimni, which I converted into an off-road machine and, with some friends, started leaving Germany on trips towards Russia and Africa. We never went too far because it was a little car, and we needed to keep fixing everything.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EClose to three decades on, Rob, 45, reckons he has the best job in the world.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“I’m still in a very good mood every day because I love the remote area of Cape York Peninsula and I’m doing great work to protect it,” he says, adding his expertise as a mechanic plays to his advantage in remote areas, also boosting Ranger capabilities and benefiting the maintenance of equipment needed to patrol, fight fires, manage weeds or pests, and maintain tracks. \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat’s more, Rob also moonlights as an on-call emergency paramedic with the Queensland Ambulance Service and as an urban firefighter with the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service. \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENot surprisingly, people lost or stranded in the bush (including vehicle breakdowns) are always happy to meet him. \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“But my main job, as a Ranger, is to protect the national parks,” he says. “The only way to do that is to identify all the main threats like bushfires, pests and feral animals, while ensuring national park rules are complied with and also keeping an eye out for any signs of illegal activity.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIllegal activity covering anything from wildlife smuggling to hunting, logging, commercial fishing or even mustering cattle. \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EProud of his strong work ethic, Rob’s undertaken specialist enforcement training – including travelling to South Africa for a course at a wildlife conservation college in Kruger National Park – and, separately, attained the level of fire incident controller. \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERob’s also proud to help train local Indigenous Rangers and traditional landowners. National Parks across Cape York Peninsula – a region rich with Aboriginal cultural heritage, traditions, and customs – are jointly managed as Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land (CYPAL).\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInteracting with tourists is another ‘welcome’ part of his job, whether assisting broken-down vehicles or providing ‘must do’ tips.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“Many tourists ask me for tips on what to see and do, and my advice is always to spend as much time as possible in the main national parks, and not to rush through.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“Cape York Peninsula is a very special and unique place with millions of different ecosystems and incredible biodiversity. \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“You’ve got the coast and all the little islands, awesome reef, and beaches. But you’re also surrounded by big mountains and pristine rainforest, waterfalls and freshwater billabongs, river systems, and open savannah country. There’s nothing else like it on the planet.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs for Rob’s ‘pinch-me’ moments on the job? \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“Many of us Rangers, we really like crocodiles. Of course, they are everywhere, but the best moments are when you’re alone, somewhere really remote, where tourists can’t go, and you’re having a cuppa on a riverbank. \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“Just sitting there quietly, with all the birdlife and whatever around, and then you see one of those big crocodiles. It’s just on patrol and has no clue you’re sitting there. So, it’s nearly fully exposed and just paddling up the river, very cool and easy, getting from A to B, not making any noise.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“Like a log against the current, but it’s a big dinosaur, right? That is quite impressive.” \u003C/p\u003E\r\n","readMoreHeight":0,"richText":true,":type":"teq/components/editorial/editorial-description"},"spacer_copy_1451725066":{"spacerType":"whitespace","paddingSize":"xxsmall",":type":"teq/components/spacer"},"editorial_descriptio_864804018":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETravelling to Cape York Peninsula? \u003C/b\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\r\n\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECheck out this guide \u003Ca href=\"https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/150362/cape-york-vg.pdf\"\u003Ehere\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n","readMoreHeight":0,"richText":true,":type":"teq/components/editorial/editorial-description"},"editorial_descriptio_2054074757":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERanger Rob's top five tips\u003C/b\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\r\n\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESpend at least three weeks in Cape York Peninsula if you want to experience the diverse beauty of the region’s main national parks. From Cooktown, head north to:\u003C/p\u003E\r\n","readMoreHeight":0,"richText":true,":type":"teq/components/editorial/editorial-description"},"editorial_descriptio_1158864529":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cb style=\"\"\u003E1. \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/rinyirru-lakefield\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ERinyirru (Lakefield) National Park (CYPAL)\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\r\n\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERanger Rob: “If you like immersing yourself in nature, with no-one else around, there are a couple of remote little camping spots [hint: book in advance online] next to large billabongs that only allow one camping party. That’s magic. Just birdlife and freshwater fishing… all to yourself.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n","readMoreHeight":0,"richText":true,":type":"teq/components/editorial/editorial-description"},"editorial_descriptio_1606040503":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003E2. \u003Ca href=\"https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/cape-melville\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ECape Melville National Park (CYPAL)\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\r\n\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERanger Rob: “You have a choice of two beautiful big beach campsites. Throw a line from the beach and watch the sunset.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n","readMoreHeight":0,"richText":true,":type":"teq/components/editorial/editorial-description"},"editorial_descriptio_1506869202":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003E3. \u003Ca href=\"https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/oyala-thumotang\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EOyala Thumatong National Park (CYPAL)\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\r\n\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERanger Rob: “If you really like remote adventures, this is the park for you. Some people book camping spots months in advance. A lot of bird lovers don’t realise, but you can go into this open savannah country and get close to rivers which are lined with rainforest, where you can often see unique wildlife like palm cockatoos or cuscus much easier than in dense rainforest.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n","readMoreHeight":0,"richText":true,":type":"teq/components/editorial/editorial-description"},"editorial_descriptio_936193795":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003E4. \u003Ca href=\"https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/kutini-payamu\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EKutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park (CYPAL)\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\r\n\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERanger Rob: “Famous for unique rainforest [the largest area of lowland tropical rainforest in Australia] and heath-covered ranges. Lots of people come here to see palm cockatoos and cuscus, and because the wildlife is more used to people, you can go spotlighting along the main road through the national park and look up and see cuscus and unique birds in the trees.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n","readMoreHeight":0,"richText":true,":type":"teq/components/editorial/editorial-description"},"editorial_descriptio":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003E5. \u003Ca href=\"https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/jardine-river\"\u003EJardine River National Park and Heathlands Resources Reserve\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\r\n\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERanger Rob: “Everyone loves the Twin Falls at Eliot Falls camping area, where crystal clear water comes out of the heath. It’s a beautiful and awesome landscape, with rainforest and heathlands right next to open savannah and woodlands.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n","readMoreHeight":0,"richText":true,":type":"teq/components/editorial/editorial-description"},"editorial_descriptio_1471235603":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003E \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb style=\"\"\u003E/Ends \u003C/b\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\r\n\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWord Count: 1,262\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAuthor: Tourism and Events Queensland \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUp to date as at: January 2023\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis Character Profile is supplied courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland. For more information, please go to \u003Ca href=\"http://www.queensland.com/\"\u003Ewww.queensland.com\u003C/a\u003E and for images, please visit \u003Ca href=\"http://www.visuals.queensland.com/\"\u003Ewww.visuals.queensland.com\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n","readMoreHeight":0,"richText":true,":type":"teq/components/editorial/editorial-description"},"spacer":{"spacerType":"whitespace","paddingSize":"xxsmall",":type":"teq/components/spacer"},"spacer_1679915333":{"spacerType":"line","paddingSize":"medium",":type":"teq/components/spacer"},"card_carousel":{"title":"Looking for more character profiles?","type":"page","componentID":"card-carousel_1040052000","cardCount":8,"classification":"/content/dam/teq/content-fragments/public-classifications/corporate/news-and-media/character-profiles","width":"12 column",":type":"teq/components/corp/card-carousel","cta":{"href":"https://teq.queensland.com/au/en/news-and-media/media-resources/character-profiles","label":"Select to see more","target":"_self"}},"spacer_1558440557":{"spacerType":"whitespace","paddingSize":"medium",":type":"teq/components/spacer"}},":itemsOrder":["spacer_copy","editorial_hero_banne_579018590","spacer_copy_490011008","editorial_descriptio_1544070562","spacer_copy_1451725066","editorial_descriptio_864804018","editorial_descriptio_2054074757","editorial_descriptio_1158864529","editorial_descriptio_1606040503","editorial_descriptio_1506869202","editorial_descriptio_936193795","editorial_descriptio","editorial_descriptio_1471235603","spacer","spacer_1679915333","card_carousel","spacer_1558440557"],":type":"wcm/foundation/components/responsivegrid"},"footer_menu":{"acknowledge":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003ETourism and Events Queensland acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country and we recognise their continuing connection to land, waters, culture and community. We pay our respect to Elders past and present, and we value and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures in all that we do.\u003C/i\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n","teqLogo":{"src":"/content/dam/teq/consumer/global/logos/corp_white.svg","alt":null,"link":null,"quality":0.0},"richText":true,"menuItemsOne":[{"title":"Contact us","link":{"href":"https://teq.queensland.com/au/en/industry/who-we-are/contact-us","target":"_self"}},{"title":"Disclaimer and privacy","link":{"href":"https://teq.queensland.com/au/en/industry/who-we-are/corporate-governance/disclaimer-and-privacy","target":"_self"}},{"title":"Right to information","link":{"href":"https://teq.queensland.com/au/en/industry/who-we-are/corporate-governance/right-to-information","target":"_self"}},{"title":"Annual reports","link":{"href":"https://teq.queensland.com/au/en/industry/who-we-are/annual-reports","target":"_self"}}],"menuItemsTwo":[{"title":"Need a holiday? 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