Experiencing Bhutan: Mrs Catherine Harris AO, PSM, FAICD

Taking a trip to Bhutan makes you realise how beautiful life can be when one focuses on the important things in life, not the material things.

Bhutan is a country that’s not especially popular for the average Australian traveller, so we thought we’d approach the Honorary Consul General for Bhutan in Australia, Mrs Catherine Harris AO, PSM, FAICD.

Mrs Harris is also the Chairperson of Harris Farm Markets, and has sat on many boards including the Museum of Contemporary Art, the National Gallery of Australia, the Australian Rugby League Commission, the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust, and was deputy Chancellor of UNSW Business School.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, Mrs Harris. Let’s start by asking, how many times have you been to Bhutan, and what’s the country like?

I have been many times since our first trip in 1984.

Being in the middle of the Himalayas the country is very mountainous but covered in trees and beautiful vegetation. There are two big-ish towns but mostly it’s small farms with the occasional small village and scattered along the roads some amazing very old temples and Dzongs (Buddhist style buildings that incorporates administrative and monastic institutions..).

It’s simply breathtaking.

So, has Bhutan changed much over the years you've travelled there, and if so, what have you noticed?

There was no television when I first went there but of course there is now, the big towns have changed hugely, but there is still only one set of traffic lights in Thimphu (the capital city where volunteers will work).

Because Bhutan is a Buddhist country, you are acutely aware of the lack of materialism and consumerism. I’m thrilled this has not changed; however, as the country grows and education increases, new jobs have to be found and this is the biggest issue facing Bhutan. It’s especially an issue for the cities where young people migrate to off their parent’s subsistence-based farms.   

What are some of the biggest challenges that Bhutanese people experience in daily life?

For those with jobs or small farms life is comfortable, - schooling is universal and free, medicine is also free and adequate, housing is basic and comfortable, and many years ago the Government introduced solar power in many regions to give power in remote villages.

As mentioned earlier, the biggest challenge is now higher education and employment. Giving people the skills to be able find jobs in the modern world.   

So you’ve been going to Bhutan on and off for a while now. How have your experiences in Bhutan helped you develop at individual and professional levels?

Taking a trip to Bhutan makes you realise how beautiful life can be when one focuses on the important things in life, not the material things. You may think Bhutan is a poor, underdeveloped country, but once there you find yourself emerged in a land of beauty, wisdom, peace, and in a place with a lack of hurry. It’s the absolute perfect escape!

I always come away realising how much more thoughtful I have to be about so many things. Bhutan is so sophisticated in an intellectual sense, but poor and underdeveloped in a material and structural sense.

What do you think volunteers will take out from their experience there? What can they expect?

Volunteers will find local teachers and students so thirsty for contemporary knowledge and will be so grateful to them for sharing it.

By the same token, volunteers will learn from Bhutanese traditional knowledge and ideas.

In addition, the young Bhutanese are great fun, they all speak English, enjoy a drink and a laugh, and many have been educated in Australia, so Australians are very popular in Bhutan.

The walking, trekking and rafting is just fabulous!

What advice would you give to volunteers in preparation for their time in Bhutan?

It is cold in winter and very pleasant at all other times. Pack your walking shoes. I’ve personally never been sick in Bhutan, but there are some very high places so watch for altitude sickness.

Definitely try and travel outside of the major towns.

If you’d like the chance to spend 4 weeks as a volunteer journalism teacher in Bhutan, go to our volunteer page and register your interest. You’ll then receive more information about the program, and an outline of the next steps you need to take to participate!

To receive more information on this exciting opportunity, REGISTER YOUR INTEREST NOW!

For more information, visit www.tourism.gov.bt

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