Skydiving - wow that must have been fun spending your weekends - unpaid , dragging sweaty smelly skydivers around.
Yes there are spectacular parts of the outback, but when you don't have a two dimes to rub together , you don't really have the brass to do the overpriced adventure stuff that the wealthy tourists do. The spectacular bungles look like a rock in five minutes, oh but wait you will have the amazing opportunity to find true love with an indigenous girl.
In the ten years, most won't have saved a brass razzoo. Particularly now with no movement from the regionals , so very hard to even get a start at a regional.
Most are just going to be stuck in the regional abyss for eternity.
Your Jetstar mate , in the meantime did a couple of years on the A320, shifted bases to Darwin did a lot Asian flying. Took LWOP did two years at Jetstar Pacific, flew the 330 for a bit. Twelve substantial overseas holidays , owns three houses. 320 capt , now 330 capt thinking of doing the LWOP again to go up to Asia again.
Oh but you have been camping & crabbing, own zip apart from a beaten up ute & have spent years in the outback - gee you are just miles ahead.
Oh & you can also spend hours swapping war stories about the local derro in Wyndam - wouldn't change it for the world mate !
Yup, Flyboat, some people never get to smell the roses.
OH, and who said McGrath50 never got paid to drop meat bombs or never saved a brass razzo. But then again he probably didn't have a huge debt from his cadetships costs either.
EDIT: I forgot to add what a wonderful place Darwin can be at certain times of the year, or Asia for that matter.