MAPPING the DREAM
By far the most common question that gets asked of the Hema Map Patrol is ‘how do I get your job?’ Whether pulling into a remote bush-camp in Central Australia or checking social media comments in the office, people are always telling us we’re some of the luckiest folks around.
Like any other job, however, riding in the Map Patrol isn’t exactly a paid holiday. And even if you land a job at Hema, it may be a while before the opportunity to climb into one of the work wagons presents itself. So, what exactly does it take to score a seat on the Map Patrol?
THE GUISE
I’d been working as an editor for Hema just shy of a year before I got my chance. The primary function of any Map Patrol outing, the thing that puts diesel in the tank and keeps the office lights on, is to collect data. Data wasn’t my thing, but I figured I knew how to string a sentence together and I could point a camera with some degree of accuracy.
So why not pitch a story explaining what it takes to get that coveted spot and what it is that the Map Patrol do when they’re out on the road?
This would mean I’d have to see it firsthand, of course; this was my ticket onto the Map Patrol.
The crew from Camper liked the idea and
