A female Ranger standing on a rocky ledge with a large mountain range and blue sky in the background.
Abbey Ralph rollup

Ranger Abbey set to exchange Tasmanian wilderness for South Australian outback

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​For someone who is familiar with the sights of Cradle Mountain's snow-capped peaks and thrives off a Tasmanian winter, spending eight weeks in the arid South Australian outback will be a stark contrast.

In early August, Graduate Ranger Abbey Ralph will be packing her bags and doing just that in our inaugural Ranger Exchange with National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia.

The program is an annual exchange, providing participating rangers with a unique opportunity to develop their park management skills in specific growth areas that they have identified an interest in.

Abbey is one of just three Graduate Rangers in Tasmania and has been based at Cradle Mountain since 2023, when she joined Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service from Parks Victoria. Abbey will spend her time gaining experiences across three main locations including Port Lincoln, Ceduna and the Gawler Ranges. 

“Having the chance to make this trip is such an incredible opportunity. To be able to bring knowledge and skills back and forth between the two teams, which share a lot of similarities, will be invaluable," Abbey said.

“Seeing how they tackle issues such as large visitor numbers coming to national parks and seeing the different management styles and ways they operate will be really useful.

“I've mainly worked in inland areas during my career, so I'm really interested to gain some experience in coastal marine management. Indigenous land management is another strong area of interest for me too."

Abbey will also have the opportunity to attend the South Australia Ranger Association annual migration, to be hosted in Pinnaroo. This is a great opportunity for rangers around the country to come together and network.

While Abbey is diving into all things National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia, we will be welcoming James Tomlinson who will join the Cradle Mountain team throughout August and September. 

James said he was looking forward to participating in the Ranger Exchanger Program.

“Tasmania is also unique with large expanses of awe-inspiring, diverse, beautiful and wild national parks and reserves, with a significant area listed under UNESCO World Heritage," he said.

“The extensive temperate rainforests and coastlines are in stark contrast to the semi-arid environment of the Northern Flinders Ranges I currently work in. I am excited to experience and explore that contrast firsthand and gain valuable knowledge from Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service and the local community."

Published 16/07/2024