Seeing Australia
I saw most of the country—through the window of an aeroplane, from the driver’s seat of a rental car and on foot across dusty, remote and sometimes remarkable sites.
Our Story · Geordie Wright
The life of an auditor.
After 11 years on the road, it was time to look back, not only at the audits, flights and kilometres, but at the people, pressure, resilience and family moments that shaped the reason Cultiv8 Support Network exists today.
Geordie Wright
Founder, auditor, trainer and practical compliance specialist
Founder, auditor, trainer and practical compliance specialist
After 11 years on the road
A career of achievement, exhaustion, connection and solitude.
For 11 years I worked as a full-time auditor. It was a journey that shaped not only my career, but my life as I know it today.
I saw extraordinary businesses, travelled across most of Australia and formed thousands of relationships with growers, business owners, workers, colleagues and industry leaders. I was trusted to step inside businesses, understand how they worked, identify risk and help protect products, people and market access.
There was plenty to be proud of. There was also a cost that is difficult to explain unless you have lived a life constantly moving between airports, rental cars, motels and unfamiliar worksites.
11 yearsAs a full-time auditor
505+Trips away from home
1,000+Flights across Australia
5+ yearsAccumulated nights in motels
The highs
There were many—and they still matter.
Auditing gave me opportunities, relationships and experiences I will always value.
Meeting good people
I formed thousands of relationships with colleagues, clients, farmers, workers, business owners and industry leaders. Many remain among the best people I have had the privilege to know.
Learning from real businesses
Every audit was a glimpse into a different operation. I saw outstanding systems, difficult conditions, committed teams, innovative ideas and businesses quietly doing exceptional work.
Being backed and believed in
People encouraged me, trusted me and gave me opportunities to develop. Those moments when someone effectively said, “You’ve got this,” meant more than they probably realised.
The privilege of being trusted
Auditors often see a business at a vulnerable time. People open their records, explain their decisions and allow someone from outside to examine what they have built. I never forgot that trust—or the responsibility that came with it.
The real cost
The road teaches resilience—but also what matters most.
Most trips meant four nights away. Airports became a second home, and family life continued while I watched from interstate.
1
Travel became normal
There were months with as many as 25 flights and weeks with 12. I often needed a reality check at an airport—Where am I? What town am I heading to? What day is it?
2
Home could feel a long way away
I missed birthdays, milestones, quiet mornings and ordinary family dinners. More than once, tears rolled down my face as I left home or sat outside another site preparing to walk into another audit.
3
Some calls stopped me cold
There were frightening calls about my wife’s health, my sons being injured and family car accidents. I was interstate, unable to get there immediately, and completely helpless in the moment.
4
The hours took their toll
There were 18-hour days and months of roughly 220 hours, while employed on a salary based around a standard working week. I kept going because I believed the sacrifice might put my family in a better position.
5
Health eventually demanded attention
On one trip I became violently ill and left my motel door open in case someone needed to collect me. I made it back to Tasmania, went straight from the airport to hospital and spent a week there. The specialist later told me I had been very fortunate.
6
Not everyone welcomed the auditor
Some clients made it clear they did not want me on their property. I learned to absorb the initial anger, remain honest and respectful, listen carefully and earn trust through the way I conducted myself.
The funny side
Because sometimes you simply have to laugh.
One night in Devonport, shouting and banging erupted next door. A man repeatedly demanded: “Give me back my $20!” Police attended. He left, returned, received the refund he wanted, left again—and then came back to continue the performance.
I eventually opened my motel door and offered to sort the matter out if the noise did not stop. It worked for about ten minutes. Then the banging and the $20 chant started again.
Life on the road produced plenty of awkward, strange and unforgettable moments. Humour was often what made the next morning easier.
“The job gave me stories, friendships, resilience and pride. But it also taught me that being present matters—and that good support should help people, not simply add pressure.”Geordie Wright
What this means for clients
Technical depth with a personal approach.
The road gave me broad exposure to businesses, standards, risks and people. Cultiv8 now turns that experience into practical support tailored to each client.
01 · Audit confidence
I understand the pressure.
I know what it feels like when the audit is approaching, evidence is scattered and the business still has to keep operating.
02 · Real-world systems
I have seen what works.
Years across different operations showed me which systems help people and which ones create unnecessary administration.
03 · Honest guidance
I explain the reason.
People maintain requirements better when they understand why they matter, what the risk is and what good evidence looks like.
04 · Tailored support
I listen before prescribing.
The right solution must fit the business, its people, production, risks, customers and available resources.
05 · Direct access
You deal with someone experienced.
Clients receive direct, practical support from someone who has worked in agriculture, management, quality systems and auditing.
06 · Stronger outcomes
We stay focused on implementation.
The objective is not just a document. It is a system that people understand, use and can confidently demonstrate.
How Cultiv8 can help
Support before, during and beyond the audit.
Audit and certification preparation
- Internal audits and gap assessments
- Freshcare, GLOBALG.A.P., GRASP, HARPS, GROW and LEAF Marque support
- Evidence review and audit preparation
- Corrective action and root cause support
- Audit attendance and coordination
Food safety and HACCP systems
- HACCP plans and hazard analysis
- Procedures, policies, registers and checklists
- Traceability and mock recall systems
- Cleaning, calibration and verification programs
- Supplier approval and testing plans
Training and mentoring
- Freshcare and GLOBALG.A.P. training
- Food safety and hygiene training
- Supervisor and internal auditor coaching
- Toolbox meetings and staff resources
- Ongoing QA and technical mentoring
Broader business support
- Sustainability and environmental systems
- Ethical and social compliance
- Digital records, data analysis and technology integration
- Risk assessments and improvement planning
- Ongoing technical partnership arrangements
A more personal kind of support
Bring the problem. We will help identify and simplify the best path forward.
Whether an audit is close, a complete system needs to be built or the existing paperwork has become too difficult to maintain, Cultiv8 Support Network can help turn the requirements into a practical plan.