What’s Happening?
Celebrity bush cook Ranger Nick will seek an Australian record for the largest meat loaf shaped like Australia.
He will use traditional camp oven techniques at the Australian Camp Oven Festival in Millmerran. There, patrons can see the cooking area prepared and fire lit before assembly and cooking.
Why It Matters?
Rather than beating the existing world record for meat loaf size, the plan creates an Australian-shaped category.
It also keeps bush cooking’s focus on preparing food that can be shared with a crowd. If successful, the finished loaf will be cut and served to festival patrons.
“I reckon that’s the best part,” Ranger Nick said. “You can make the biggest meat loaf in Australia. But there’s no point making something that just sits there looking pretty. We’re going to cook it, prove it, cut it up and feed people. That’s what bush cooking is all about.”
Local Impact
Festival patrons will gain a close view of a large-scale camp oven cook. If the attempt succeeds, they will also taste the finished result.
Meanwhile, local representatives will oversee the work and sign the official documents. Their role gives the Millmerran community a direct part in verifying the attempt.
For Millmerran, the record bid is planned as one of the festival’s main attractions.
By The Numbers
- Saturday, 3 October 2026 is the scheduled date for Ranger Nick’s record attempt in Millmerran, Queensland.
- 153.002 metres was the Guinness World Record damper length achieved in Charleville during 2019.
- Two respected local community members will oversee the process and sign the official record documentation.
- Thousands of visitors are expected to attend, with the record bid planned as a festival highlight.
Zoom In
The idea began over a beer with a mate who had helped develop Charleville’s longest damper record.
While discussing records and camp oven cooking, the pair noted an existing world record for the largest meat loaf. Rather than trying to beat it, they chose a new category shaped like Australia.
“It was one of those ideas that sounds brilliant after a couple of beers,” Ranger Nick said. “Then I thought, ‘Hang on… why not?’ There’s already a world record for the biggest meat loaf. So there’s not much point in just making a bigger one. But a meat loaf shaped like Australia? That hadn’t been done before. That’s when the idea really started to take shape… literally!”
Zoom Out
The wider festival celebrates Australia’s love of outdoor cooking, camp ovens, good food and a good yarn.
For Ranger Nick, the attempt combines his camp oven cooking passion with entertaining audiences and trying something different.
“Most good camp oven stories start with someone saying, ‘I reckon we could cook that,'” Ranger Nick said. “This one started with a beer, a mate and a pretty mad idea. Now we’ve just got to make the bloody thing!”
What To Look For Next?
Video, still photographs and supporting paperwork will document the full cooking process.
The local witnesses will sign the documentation before evidence is submitted to The Australian Book of Records. If successful, the loaf will be cut and served to patrons, completing the record attempt as a shared meal.
More information is available through Ranger Nick’s website.
