Age: 40

Hometown: New South Wales, Australia

Occupation: Outdoor Advocate and Educator

Nero grew up in the countryside of New South Wales. An average student, all he wanted to do was play and make things with his hands. He hoped to leave school early, but his parents insisted that, in order to do so, he had to secure a job that would provide him with a qualification to fall back on. To meet this condition—and to pursue his passion for building—Nero trained as a boilermaker and welder.

After several years in the trade, Nero realized the town he lived in wasn’t where he wanted to stay. Seeking new horizons, a fresh start, and a different career path, he joined the Australian Army as a Fitter Machinist and Armourer. He served for seven years, during which he deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and worked within Australia’s elite SASR unit.

When Nero learned that his wife, Jen, was pregnant with their son, Lockie, he immediately resigned from the SASR and left the Army to dedicate the next eight years to being a stay-at-home dad.

During this time, Nero discovered bushcraft while searching for outdoor activities that he, Jen, and Lockie could enjoy together. What began as part of Lockie’s homeschooling and family bonding quickly grew into a passion. After attending his first bushcraft course, Nero fell in love with the subject. His dedication and natural skill led to an opportunity to work at one of Australia’s top bushcraft and survival schools.

In this role, Nero traveled across Australia, facilitating bushcraft and survival courses and teaching on a variety of topics. A lifelong learner, he also attended courses with other outdoor companies to expand his knowledge and skill set. This period gave him vast outdoor experience but also meant long stretches away from his family. By mid-2023, Nero chose to leave the company to spend more time with Jen and Lockie and to establish their own family-run business, Campcraft Australia.

Together, Nero and Jen built NaturePost, a children’s outdoor program designed to help kids connect with nature and develop healthy, meaningful relationships with the outdoors. Alongside this, Campcraft Australia allowed the couple to share their love of all things campcraft with the wider community.

Soon after launching the business, Jen surprised Nero by booking him on an overseas expedition. In 2024, he traveled to Canada for a winter expedition with Kie and Dave Marrone at Lure of the North. Nero’s passion and aptitude for the outdoors impressed them so much that, when his expedition ended, he was invited to stay and assist with the rest of the winter season. What was meant to be a three-week trip turned into a three-and-a-half-month adventure, with Jen and Lockie joining him toward the end.

Nero developed a close bond with Kie and Dave during this time and returned the following year for another winter season, which he completed in 2025.

Now, fresh off two back-to-back winter seasons in the Canadian boreal forest—learning from two of the best winter guides in the field—Nero is uniquely equipped to bring his winter survival expertise and years of Australian bushcraft experience to the Alone challenge.