A.S.I Australian Survival Instructors

28/04/2026

A.S.I held our 'Forging in the Wild' course at it's new location in the middle of 28,000 hectares of bush, near Medowie, just Nth of Newcastle, NSW this weekend.
All attendees were returning students, and one even travelled from Melbourne to attend.
The weather held out, and the absolute silence of just the wind, the birds and ringing anvils, was awesome. This is what makes our forging course unique. It's the only one held in nature, not inside a factory or small clautrophobic shed, in the city or suburbia. Sitting around a camp fire under the stars, and relaxing after a hard day moving and shaping metal, is a brilliant way to spend the weekend.
A.S.I staff enjoy this course so much, we are expanding the forging curriculum, to now include an advanced forging module, for people to continue to learn and to make even harder projects. A new date will be posted very soon.

12/04/2026

Only 2 spots left on our up coming 'Forging in the Wild' course. Starting April 25th.

Be quick.

01/03/2026

What better way to spend 2 days over a very rainy weekend, than making Bows?
I had 9 students for another bow making course this weekend, one of whom was Kurt, a returnee from our 4 day survival skills course, who made an awesome Nth American style flatbow, which he was shooting quite early on day 2.
He smashed it out on day one, with the bow having been profiled, sanded and nocks cut ready for tillering immediately on the morning of day 2.
For his first ever bow, it was a ripper. I honestly said it was in the top 5 bows, we've ever seen made, on all of the bow course, we've ever held. It was that good.
I also got to shoot a nice laminated longbow, made by well known Coastie longbow maker Nick Lintern, which Paul bought along to show me.
It was a good way to spend a rainy weekend, and I have to thank Brett for the 'Freedom' subject talks we had late on Saturday night.

22/01/2026

We spent a great day teaching a corporate group of 15 students today. Lot's of traditional survival skill subjects were covered and lots of fun had by all. Everyone got fires started using the hand drill friction fire method (rubbing 2 sticks together).

23/12/2025

Up coming courses in 2026

06/12/2025

https://youtu.be/o8I8AgOouao?si=eLMV7Y9aib3K1giF

01/12/2025

Another 2 day Bow making course held over the weekend. I only had a small group of 5 students for this course, so it was a pretty relaxed weekend. 5 bows made, and 5 bows shot, on Sunday afternoon. Young Angus who had chosen the largest full sized round stave (I normally halve and split the logs), made a very impressive effort and shot his bow, with about 15 minutes to spare on Sunday arvo. It was an awesome effort he completed.
2 of the bows were measuring approx 40-45 lbs with a few more inches of draw left.

06/10/2025

Another annual October long weekend 4 day 'Comprehensive' survival skills course completed.
Tom Foley and myself instructed a small group of eager students through the various subjects of the course syllabus, and new skills were practised and learnt for all of them. They all enjoyed the night navigation exercise ending in staying in a large cave.
Well done to all of them.

02/09/2025

Another great 2 day bow making course completed over the weekend. The weather on the NSW Central Coast was chilly, windy, but nice and sunny both days. Everyone finished and shot their bows by Sunday afternoon, so we had big smiles all round. …-)

04/07/2025