Oldest Living Australian Says He Eats 'Half A Dozen Prawns A Day' As He Celebrates His 111th Birthday

Dexter Kruger is Australia's oldest living citizen and is today celebrating his 111th birthday at a nursing home in Roma, in south-western Queensland.

Despite the impressive milestone, Kruger - who born in Kilcoy on January 13, 1910 - said that this year's celebrations will be limited due to the current pandemic.

But that doesn't mean he's going to enjoy the event any less.

Asked the secret to a long life, Kruger said he's kept it pretty simple.

"There's no secret," he told the publication. "Keep breathing, have three meals a day, and the time goes on."

He added that, along with singing and whistling regularly, he has a very Australian habit that he's regularly kept up over all these years.

"I have half a dozen prawns every day," he said. "I think they're very good for you. And for my evening meal, I'll often have a tin of sardines with my soup."

Some of the notable events throughout Kruger's life include living through both World Wars, the Great Depression and numerous droughts.

Despite this, he's adamant the positive events he's witnessed in his long life far outweigh the negative, such as using a telephone for the first time, which he called 'like magic'.

As for the current Covid-19 pandemic gripping the world, Kruger declared: "We'll get through this virus thing. In my industry - the cattle industry - we had several big problems overcome with vaccines.

"We've exterminated many things with vaccines, and that will happen with this."

Dexter Kruger took the crown as Australia's oldest living person after 111-year-old Mabel Crosby died on December 30.

The former farmer hasn't let his age stop him from achieving his goals as he began writing books at the age of 86, following the death of his wife.

He has written more than 300 stories in 12 books, the most recent being As You Like it, published on his 109th birthday, as well as penning poetry.

In May 2019, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk even purchased Kruger's collection of 12 books for permanent placement in the State Library of Queensland.