Susie Youssef is still pinching herself after getting the gig as one of the new cohosts for series two of SBS’s Great Australian Walks.
“I don’t know exactly how it happened, I thought at first it might have been a clerical error or some sort of mistake,” she laughed.
“But I got a call-up from the amazing production team that make Great Australian Walks and they asked me if I would be interested in doing some of the walks. Julia Zemiro did all of the walks in the first season but wasn’t going to be doing them all this time.
“She’s still very much involved in the show and hosts three of the walks. But they asked if I wanted to step up and do some of the walks myself.
“I had really mixed feelings about it. I absolutely wanted to do the show and experience it for myself, but I was definitely hesitant to try and metaphorically fill the shoes of Julia Zemiro because there’s just no one like her. It was daunting at first.
“I watched the first series and there was such a perfect symphony of elements to that show. I love the way that she interviews, I love how curious and interested in things she is and how funny she is and we got to see a whole bunch of walking tracks. Some I’d never seen before and some that I had. I used to go down to Kiami as a kid and I saw the episode she did at the Blow Hole and thought it was just lovely.
“It’s such a lovely, wonderful, funny interesting show. I thought, oh gosh what can I do with this – how can I bring anything new to it or try and make it my own. We were working it out as we went but it was a truly incredible experience.”
The actress and comedian, who is probably best-known for her appearances on The Project, did four of the 10 walks covered in series two. With the rest being shared between Julia – who does double duty as host and executive producer this time around and the inaugural Alone Australia winner winner Gina Chick. Though they bring something different to the table, the show is still cohesive and still a chance to get tips on where to walk, pick up history about an area or just take a moment to breath out in a busy week.
Over the course of the 10 episodes (which began on 22 August on SBS and it available to watch any time on demand), the show takes viewers on 10 spectacular new walks. Each episode invites viewers to slow down and join either Julia, Susie or Gina on an intimate journey of discovery as they soak in the sights, sounds and stories that define Australia. Walks featured in series two include: Cape to Cape Track (WA), Snowies Alpine Walk (NSW), Beechworth (VIC), Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (NT), Bruny Island (TAS), The Bay Trail (VIC), Wadjemup/Rottnest Island to Fremantle (WA), Wilpena Pound (SA), Bathers Way (NSW) and The Riesling Trail (SA).
For Sydney girl Susie that meant strapping on her now tax-deductible shoes and heading to Victoria and South Australia.
“We truly have one of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes and I pinched myself a couple of times,” Suzie, who was a big fan of the show before being asked to do it, said.
“There’s a moment in Beechworth when I’m up at a look-out with an incredible woman called Megan Carter and just looking out over the amazing view. I got light-headed and thought this is nuts, I could never have imagined in a million years that this is where my path would take me – it was breathtaking.
“And it was amazing that someone would pay me to do it, all my shoes are tax deductible now, I love it. It’s really why SBS made the show, they just wanted me to please my tax accountant at some point and for that I’m very grateful.
“I didn’t get to choose the walks, we had a few discussions about a few places that I might have been before that could be good to do again but I got to do new places. I got to do the Bay Trail in Melbourne from St Kilda to Brighton area or Albert Park was the beginning and then we went up to Beechworth in Victoria to do one of my favourites. They were all so good but Beechworth was an amazing walk – the people and the place and the history it was just gorgeous. The next two walks that I did were both in South Australia. The first was the Riesling Trail in Clare which was gorgeous and there was a bit of wine involved, which I would never object to on a walk and then we finished with the most challenging but the most spectacular walk at Wilpena Pound which in is Ikara Flinders Ranges Park. I’ve never ever done a walk like that before.”
While Beechworth was her favourite place, she described her visit to Ikara Flinders Ranges National Park as life changing.
“One of the big lessons I took away from my final episode, Wilpena Pound in South Australia, was to remember to breathe,” she said.
“I think I was walking through part of the landscape going gosh this is breath-taking but then I realised it’s also breath-giving. It’s like it reminds you to keep breathing and to be very present. I sound like I’m some sort of zenned out yoga teacher, which I’m absolutely not. Coming from a comedy background you don’t ever want to be too earnest or too serious about anything. But I think we didn’t shy away from the heavier moments and there were some stories that really were heavier. But the lighter times also came into it, there was a lot humour involved but the walking itself was just glorious. I think I slept better doing this job then any other job I have done in my life.”
“I don’t’ think the show is setting the challenge to get out and do all the walks that we’ve done.
“I think it’s saying if this sparked any sort of inspiration for you and you feel inclined – look at what this incredible and beautiful country and this incredible landscape has to offer. “Honestly, we could make this show for the next 50 years and we would never do all the walking tracks in Australia.”
The brand-new series of Great Australian Walks premiered on Thursday 22 August on SBS and SBS On Demand with episodes are continuing weekly.
