A third-generation butcher in Tasmania shares his passion for the trade

Why it’s great to live and work in Tasmania

I’ve lived in Tasmania for 50 years and I’m a third-generation butcher. I have my eldest son working with us now so the fourth generation is entering the business. It’s a family tradition that dates back to my grandfather in the Netherlands.

My Australian family grew up in the Huon valley and with everything that’s been happening in the world, we feel lucky to be here. It feels like a safe haven. There are so many tracks for bushwalking and I love that freedom of setting off into the landscape. The scenery is breathtaking. One of my favourite landmarks is Sleeping Beauty, a mountain that resembles a giant female sphinx lying under a rumpled blanket.

The Huon is a vibrant place to live. I can travel two minutes down the road and be at a secluded beach. I can be fishing or picking oysters the size of my hand off the rocks. We’ve had a lot of mainland people moving down here recently for a sea change.

One of my favourite places to visit is Hastings Caves. It is a massive magical dolomite cave with stalactites and stalagmites and a thermal pool. Not too far is the Airwalk down in the Tahune Forest, which is a big footbridge system that has been built through the trees.

What the global pandemic has taught him

The beautiful scenery and our ability to get back to nature has definitely helped us weather the extraordinary circumstances of the past few years. And in terms of selling Boks Bacon, business has never been better. It’s been a challenge to keep up with the demands. We had to lift production, but I have plenty of good workers, so that wasn’t a problem. COVID nudged a lot of people to seek pleasure in simple things, like artisan produce. Our bacon has no added water, which means more flavour. Boks Bacon is made following an old Dutch recipe that was brought to Tassie in the 1950s. It has developed even more of a cult following during COVID.

The first thing to note about Boks Bacon is that it dry-cured and not injected with brine, says master butcher Marcus Boks. (Image: Samuel Shelley)

As a community, we learned a lot during COVID. Tasmania has, in the past, been a bit divided: with Hobart in the south, Launceston in the north, you were either north or south. There was a real divide there. Now that COVID has happened and we closed borders it made Taswegians feel like we were all living in the best spot. It made us get together a bit more and become more of a unified state rather than a state split into two different halves. The only place we could go was within our own state. It has given Tasmanian people a very good reminder about what we have here.

The growth in popularity of food from Tasmania

In the last 10 years or so, people around the world have started to recognise how good the food is coming out of Tasmania. Interstate people have known about just how good the food and wine is here for a lot longer than the Tasmanians. COVID has shifted the focus to products such as ours. People have started looking for local product. They want to support us. A lot of the big producers don’t use Australian pork. The pork we use is all Australian; it’s free-range pork from ethical and sustainable farms in Tasmania and Victoria. Our bacon is 100 per cent Australian pork.

When I offer my bacon to someone who hasn’t had it before, the first thing I tell them is it is dry-cured, so not injected with brine. Some of the mass-produced bacon is injected with 25 per cent to 50 per cent brine, which means you are paying for a lot of water. It’s also already cooked so you lose all the flavour when it hits the pan. Our bacon is cold-smoked. But we developed a no-nitrite product in the past year and we want to eventually move over to doing all nitrite-free. People have started looking at what they are consuming.

Boks Bacon is cold-smoked in a wood-fired smoker using Tasmanian Oak.

I am so proud of the fact our bacon is still made using this old-fashioned recipe. It’s a product that has withstood the test of time. My grandfather came out from Holland with his family in 1951. He had spent a few years in a POW camp and after that he decided he was going to ship the family out and start anew. He came to Australia and he brought that recipe with him. He learned his trade in about 1930 and learned the recipe from an old butcher who learned the craft in the late 1800s. The recipe has gone from my grandfather Johannes Sr to my father Johannes Jr to me and now onto my son Justin.

Spend a few days visiting the real-life Central Australian locations that inspired the new film everyone is talking about, and discover why Alice Springs is such an important part of Australian culture.

In the credits of the new Australian film Kangaroo , the first name under ‘cast’ should read ‘The Northern Territory ’. Not only is Alice Springs (and the surrounding landscape) integral to the movie itself, but the spiritual heart of Australia and its local Indigenous owners also inform the look and feel of every frame, explains Producer Trisha Morton-Thomas of Brindle Films, who also plays Charlie’s grandmother Gwennie.

“By setting Kangaroo in Alice Springs (Mparntwe), the film embraces how visible Aboriginal people are here, and the living Aboriginal culture that is woven through this community,” she explains.

still from kangarro film — See *Kangaroo*, then visit the real-life filming locations.

And while shooting in such a sacred part of the Northern Territory required extra planning, it was something the cast and crew were highly invested in.

“There are incredibly significant sacred sites and places of deep cultural stories in the area, that at times are very gender-specific, which we’ve kept out of the production,” she explains. “Even if overhead drone footage captures a sacred site that isn’t meant to be seen by other people outside of that clan, we’ve made sure to omit it from the film.”

If Kangaroo piqued your interest in a Central Australian holiday, we don’t blame you. Read on to discover eight places featured in the movie that you can visit in real life – and get planning. Don’t forget to pack sunscreen and a hat.

1. Alice Springs/ Mparntwe

artist at Many Hands Art Centre — Visit the galleries of Alice Springs, like Many Hands Art Centre. (Image: Tourism NT/ Helen Orr/ Many Hands Art Centre)

The red and dusty streets of the film’s fictional town of Silvergum were filmed on the outskirts of Alice Springs. And, while the art gallery featured in the film is fictional, Alice Springs is a hub of creativity. See the work of local artists at the Araluen Art Centre , Yubu Napa Art Gallery , Iltja Ntjarra (Many Hands) Art Centre and the famous Tjanpi Desert Weavers .

2. The Kangaroo Sanctuary & Kangaroo Rescue Centre

The Kangaroo Sanctuary Alice Springs, the inspiration for the Kangaroo move — Visit the movie’s inspiration at Kangaroo Sanctuary. (Image: Tourism NT/ Kangaroo Sanctuary)

Kangaroo was inspired by the journey of Chris ‘Brolga’ Barns, who founded the now world-renowned Kangaroo Sanctuary based in Alice Springs. For lead actor, Aussie Ryan Corr, the animals were central to the movie, alongside the landscapes.

“The animals in this story were a real calling point for me,” he explains. “What this story tries to tell us about the connection between humans and animals is beautiful.”

To gain a real insight into the fauna and flora of the Red Centre, you can visit the Kangaroo Sanctuary on a sunset tour, where you might even get the chance to hold a baby kangaroo.

3. Ormiston Gorge

woman walking along the edge of Ormiston Gorge near alice springs — Take a dip in Ormiston Gorge. (Image: Tourism NT/ @domandjesso)

The film captures the raw beauty of the West MacDonnell Ranges, known in the Arrernte language as Tjoritja. This national park is rich in Indigenous culture and stark geological wonders.

Only a 15-minute drive from Alice Springs, Tjoritja offers visitors the chance to camp, hike and swim among ancient landscapes (most attractions are less than a three-hour drive away).

Ormiston Gorge , a cooling oasis in among the red desert sands, is one of the most popular destinations, no doubt because of the permanent swimming hole and towering red cliffs. From here, visitors can also embark on the beautiful Ormiston Pound Walk and the shorter – more accessible – Ghost Gum Walk. Bring your bathers – it’s safe for swimming.

4. Standley Chasm

woman walking through Standley Chasm near alice springs — Wander through Standley Chasm. (Image: Tourism NT)

The 1.2-kilometre walk to nearby Standley Chasm will be a highlight for any visitor as the imposing 40 metre-high chasm walls project strength and ancient wisdom.

Visit at midday to experience the path illumined by the midday sun. Not only will you fill your camera roll with vibrant red images of the gorge and its intoxicating shadows, but you can also camp nearby in a powered or unpowered site so you can watch the brilliance of the desert stars fill the night sky after dusk.

5. Simpsons Gap

three people walking on path through simpsons gap near alice springs — Walk the trails of Simpson’s Gap. (Image: Tourism NT/ Helen Orr)

Closer to Alice Springs, the photogenic Simpsons Gap is the perfect place to spot the endangered Black-footed Rock wallaby near the permanent watering hole. While swimming isn’t permitted, soaking up the sun and views certainly is.

Explore the area’s numerous walking trails, appreciate the soaring cliffs on either side of the ‘gap’ and pick out the shooting locations of Kangaroo in the area.

6. Ellery Creek Big Hole

aerial of Ellery Creek Big Hole near alice springs — Dive into Ellery Creek Big Hole. (Image: Tourism NT/ Tourism Australia)

When it comes to classic Northern Territory landscapes, you can’t go past Ellery Creek Big Hole/ Udepata : tall gum trees sidling up to a refreshing watering hole (fed by the West MacDonnell Ranges and surrounded by rugged red cliffs.

Swim in the cooling waters, hike the cliff tops, watch for birds and even stargaze as you camp here overnight. It’s locations like this that attracted the film’s director Kate Woods to the project.

“It humbles you to be in this environment: it’s so beautiful, so old and so vast,” she explains. “I was thrilled to get a chance to … shoot such a beautiful story in the incredible landscape of the Northern Territory.”

7. Larapinta Drive

aerial of Larapinta Drive into alice springs — Drive along Larapinta Drive. (Image: Tourism NT)

There is no better way to get a feel for how the characters arrived at the fictional Central Australian town of Silvergum than to travel along the iconic state road, Larapinta Drive.

Connecting Alice Springs to the mighty King’s Canyon in the west, via the historic community of Hermannsburg, this road takes in the West MacDonnell National Park, Alice Springs Desert Park and artist Albert Namatjira’s house, among other attractions. Take your time, bring a camera and prepare for numerous stops along the way.

8. Todd River

competitors in Henley on Todd Regatta, alice springs — Join in the fun of the quirky Henley on Todd Regatta. (Image: Tourism NT/ TImparja Creative)

Meandering through Alice Springs like a lazy Western Brown snake, the Todd River is a central part of Alice Springs culture. Known as an ‘intermittent river’, the Todd can go from a dry dusty riverbed to a flowing waterscape in less than 15 minutes after heavy rainfall.

When it’s dry, the famous Henley on Todd Regatta fills the sandy riverbed with handmade ‘boats’ carried by sailors. This is the world’s only dry river boating event, and it’s referenced in the ‘Silvergum Boat Race’ in the movie. Inspired by the real-life event, the characters built quirky “Flintstones-style boats” and competed in teams.

See Kangaroo in cinemas now, and start planning your NT getaway at northernterritory.com.

A third-generation butcher in Tasmania shares his passion for the trade

For a snapshot in time, we asked eight people around the country to reflect on Australia Now. Here, Marcus Boks, master butcher of Boks Bacon in Tasmania, shares his thoughts on what the global pandemic has taught him.