Time to Roam Magazine Issue 7 - February/March 2014 | Page 49

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out the back celebrity camper

Celebrity Camper:

Emma Watkins
Born in 1989, the newest member of Australia’s
most successful entertainment act was only three
years old when the group first started performing.
At age four Emma Watkins was
already learning classical ballet
and remembers going to see the
Wiggles and coming away inspired
to do other forms of dancing.
By high school she was teaching dance,
then followed a full scholarship at the
Sydney Film School and a Masters
degree in Media Arts in Communication
at the University of Technology Sydney.
Emma first started performing
with the Wiggles in 2010 as Fairy
Larissa and then as Wags the Dog.
She’s been a full time member of
the new-look Wiggles since 2012.
Where did you go for camping
holidays when you were young?
Every year my family would drive down
to Jugiong in NSW for the Renault
Car Club Motorkhana races. All the

families would camp at the park and
watch the cars race around flagged
courses for the whole weekend of
Australia Day. It was always so hot
and the children didn’t really watch all
the races, we just went to the pool.
What was your favourite
place to camp and why?
Jugiong was my favourite place
to camp because I saw all of my
friends there, and I made a friend
who owned a horse and we would
go horse riding. I also learnt to drive
in Jugiong on a Junior motorsport
license when I was 12. We were in the
middle of the paddock in a really old
Renault 10. There were a few bunny
hops and a bit of stalling but I did
eventually learn to drive and went on
to compete in some competitions.

You must be a good
driver now?
Yes I am in charge of driving
the Wiggles bus.
Tell us about some of your
favourite camping memories?
When my sister and our next door
neighbours wanted to go on holidays
our parents would just give us the
tent and we would camp in the
backyard. That was my idea of a
holiday, a big sleepover together
outdoors. It was so much fun because
we still had breakfast inside in the
morning. Thanks Mum and Dad.
Any not so favourite camping
memories or experiences?
One time at Jugiong I was racing, so
I must have been about 14, and I had
finished my race and walked over
towards the tent to watch. After about
five minutes I could feel something
crawl up leg and as I looked down I
realised I was standing on a bull ant
nest. I remember screaming and hitting
my pants to get them out. I was bitten
a few times, definitely an ants in the
pants moment I’d never like to repeat.
Do you have any camping
tips - must dos and don’ts?

ALWAYS bring tent poles. Once
I forgot to pack them and Dad
was very unimpressed. Also,
don’t bring a hair dryer (I was 12)
there is nowhere to plug it in.
Do you still like to get out
and explore Australia? If
so, what’s on your camping
location wish list?
I am so fortunate being able to travel
Australia on tour with The Wiggles and
in a way it feels like camping because
we travel to a different town every day.
We’ve been to all the capital cities
but also to just about every regional
town you could think of. We’re doing
that again this year and it’s one of my
favourite parts of the job. I would love
to camp at Jenolan Caves again. We
camped there was I was little but I don’t
remember much except that we had a
lovely visit from some kangaroos out
the front of our tent. I would love to see
that again and visit the caves. I might
take my pet galah, Gucci, along for the
trip too, she’d feel right at home!
The Wiggles Apples and
Bananas CD and DVD is
released this month.
thewiggles.com
Issue 07 Feb/Mar 2014

49