Scoot India GM’s pro-tip for surviving the Aussie outback: Buy local insect repellent

The lesson Johanes Ong learnt there is to be prepared for anything, be it the lack of mobile reception, or the mercurial weather.

By Shannon Tellis, ET Bureau | Updated: Sep 04, 2019, 08.33 AM IST

Ong’s biggest challenge there wasn’t the sand flies or the lack of reception, it was shopping.

As general manager, India, of low-cost Singaporean airline Scoot, Johanes Ong is always travelling to exotic locations. But his most memorable trip was to the Australian Outback. “The place is full of Darwin’s infamous saltwater crocodiles and sand flies; you will have a hard time if you are bitten by the latter,” Ong tells ETPanache. “Trust me, it is better to have the crocs bite off your leg!” His pro-tip for surviving the outback: “Buy the local insect repellent for sand flies.”

But the lesson he learnt is to be prepared for anything, be it the lack of mobile reception, or the mercurial weather. “A heavy downpour can prevent you from travelling further or you could get stuck in a mudflat without realising it.” Surprisingly, however, Ong’s biggest challenge in Darwin wasn’t the sand flies or the lack of reception. It was shopping. “A majority of the shops close after 5 pm. Only restaurants, pubs and supermarkets (stay) open till late, so that was a real challenge for a shopaholic like me,” he recalls.

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