WILD TALK
Nick Jaffe
Nick Jaffe photographed on Satellite Island, Tassie
Wild Life
WILD NAME
Once upon a time while I was sailing, I was referred to as Moby Nick. But today, I’m mostly just Nick!
IN YOUR OWN BREATH
Well, I should be in Mozambique, in Africa right now. I was attempting to drive from the most Southern road in Australia here in Tasmania, to the most northern road in Europe, which is located above the arctic circle in Norway. So far, I have driven all the way around Australia, and shipped to Cape Town in Feb of this year. I was on my way up the east coast of Africa before the pandemic began to change the world. I made the quick decision to fly home, managing to catch the second last flight out of South Africa into Australia - otherwise I’d be still there, stuck!
I have a house here in Tasmania which I run as an Airbnb when I am working and traveling – it’s called The Tin Lantern, in Eaglehawk Neck. I also run a small carry label called Kohutt, as well as working as a photographer which I studied at university.
In what feels like another life, I was doing tech stuff, going between tech and photography - however now, my primary focus is on photography, motion & adventure.
WILDEST PLACE YOU’VE TRAVELLED
During my sailing adventures from England to Australia, I visited some incredibly remote and beautiful atolls and islands in the South Pacific, including the island of Suwarrow, which was once home to the hermit, Tom Neale.
Sarah and Nick enjoying Nick’s Burrito
Wild Kitchen
WOULDN’T go to the wild without these 5
My camera, my memory card, matches, my new favourite camping appliance (my fridge!) and some snacks! I sailed for years without a fridge and my life is now changed!
WILDEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER COOKED
In the middle of the Atlantic when I was sailing on my own and I was closer to orbiting satellites than I was to land.
WILDEST RECIPE you’ve tried
I cooked a pretty amazing cheesecake the other day - that was probably the wildest for me!
WILDEST ITEM IN YOUR KITCHEN
Let's choose my kitchen that’s in my Land Rover in South Africa named Penny… I’d say the wildest thing I think is my Front Runner utensil kit - although perhaps it is more useful than wild!
Nick shoots Sarah’s recipe Scallops with Lemon Leaf Butter
Wild Business
YOUR CAREER CHOICE IS A WILD (NON-TRADITIONAL) ONE, HOW DID YOU START?
When I came back from my big sailing trip, half way around the world, I decided I wanted to keep living this life, a free life. So I made it a focus to get into business and be my own boss, which I've done since my 20s. I fund my adventures and my life through a few different things, a little bit from here, a little bit from there, mainly from photography, my house (my Airbnb), my label Kohutt and then just interesting projects that come along. By being free, it also makes you be available to take on things that otherwise might be difficult if you had to live a more rigid life. It’s not for everyone, but it is for me!
DID YOU EVER THINK THIS IS TOO WILD? I’LL NEVER MAKE A CAREER FROM IT?
I always loved the creative challenge of trying to make things work. Instead of fixating on the money, fixating on, ‘ah, I need the money to do this project.’ I like to work backwards by dreaming big, and then work on solving it in reverse, bit by bit. If you fixate only on the money aspect of the problem, you’ll never get there.
ADVICE YOU’D GIVE SOMEONE TRYING TO START A CAREER IN STARTUPS/EXPERIENCE
I think that you have to suffer, you have to sacrifice, you have to forego many comforts. You're going to have to sell all of your stuff. You're going to have to ask people to help you out and you're going to really have to put yourself out there. That's a really big thing, having the courage to put yourself out there and being prepared to fail. If you're going to do big things, you're going to have to suffer and deal with the very real and very probable reality of failing too. I could sit at home lamenting about the fact that I spent years dreaming about this project and working towards it - to drive around the world... Which is all now in limbo - but that's the reality of it all. I could complain about it, or I could return home to Tasmania and keep pushing towards doing interesting work and projects. Life is short, use your time well!!
WHAT’s NEXT?
Well, I've got some secret projects on the backburner, but I'm still focusing on driving to the top of the world. Right now, I'm here in Tasmania and we can't travel - so I’m using my time doing photography, travel, short films, short documentaries and working on Kohutt products. I’ve also been reaching out to amazing and interesting people who live here, talking about their stories and what drives them.
Nick with his recently published book The Years Thunder
All images: Nick Jaffe
Location: Satellite Island, Tasmania