An Alaskan dream that started while working in the Optus Shop in Orana Mall has become reality for former Dubbo residents Alo Baker and Jonny Hibbard.
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Their television show Aussie Dreamlivers Alaska will air on Foxtel’s A&E network and will be the culmination of years of hard work for the pair.
While the pair no longer live in Dubbo, with Mr Baker a radio announcer on the Gold Coast and Mr Hibbard living in Canada, they said it was where their madcap idea was formed.
“I moved to Dubbo in 2005 and the dream started when Jonny and I were working in an Optus stall in front of the Coles in Centro, and later at the Optus Shop in Orana Mall,” Mr Baker said.
“We had grand plans of an American trip that included Alaska, and thought how good would it be if we could make it into a television show.”
While most people discard those dreams as every day life gets in the way, the pair continued to talk about it and decided to make it happen.
They sold everything they owned, maxed their credit cards, and bought a camera. They also recruited their friend Gimli McGloin to be camera man, and headed off on an Alaskan adventure.
“We hired an old campervan and basically set out to make our way across Alaska, experiencing everything we could before finishing with the big 4th of July celebrations at Seward,” Mr Baker said.
And while they are no longer living in Dubbo, Mr Baker said there had been plenty of support from friends and family here who had seen the promos for the show.
“Dubbo was where the dream started and it’s wonderful that people there still remember us and have shown us that support,” he said.
Aussie Dreamlivers Alaska debuts on Foxtel’s A&E from Thursday, October 5 at 7.30pm.