Category: Macca on Sundays

A Country Talking — If You Know Where to Listen

You don’t really follow these mornings. You drift through them.

One call rolls into the next — a bit of weather, a bit of work, something remembered, something noticed — and before long you’ve got a clearer read on the country than anything packaged neatly could give you.

This week, it kept circling the same idea.

People are still moving. Still working.

But something’s shifted.

A Soft Start in Borroloola

Samuel’s voice came in low and steady out of Borroloola, like the day hadn’t quite fully started yet.

“Bit foggy this morning… sort of dewy.”

The moon was just going down, and there was a fishing competition building at King Ash Bay — prizes, weigh-ins later, the usual rhythm of a weekend up there.

Macca asked about the crowd.

Samuel didn’t rush the answer.

“Yeah… a few visitors.”

Then, after a beat, he added what mattered.

“Not as many as we expected.”

Fuel, he reckoned. Enough to slow people down.

He didn’t push it any further. Just left it there.

Shearing, Travel and the Cost of It

Dave’s call had movement in it — packing up, heading home, already thinking about the next job.

He’d been shearing around Cootamundra, on his way back to Deniliquin after a solid run.

Macca wandered into the old shearer stories — bikes, rough travel, making do.

Dave gave a quick nod to that.

“They done it tough those days.”

But then brought it back to now.

“You just got to travel to get it these days.”

The work’s still there. It’s everything around it that’s changed.

“It’s not cheap on the road… you’re paying more for everything.”

No drama in it. Just how it is.

When the Desert Comes Alive

Chris came in over a bit of noise — wind, engines, other voices.

He was out in basin country with a crew, heading into another long day.

Macca asked what it looked like out there.

Chris didn’t talk about the job.

“The environment’s gone crazy.”

They’d had rain. Proper rain.

What had been dry weeks earlier was suddenly alive — birds, butterflies, rabbits, everything moving.

He kept listing things, almost like he couldn’t keep up with it himself.

You could hear it happening around him as he spoke.

Working the Same Ground

Phil’s call sat quieter, but it carried something.

He’s working near Batlow and Tumut now, building out transmission lines — pushing access into farmland, working around conditions, taking it as it comes.

But when Macca asked, he reached back.

Last time he called in was 2020.

Fires.

He was on dozers then, cutting firebreaks through that same country.

Different job now. Slower work.

But the same ground.

The Long Way for a Simple Fix

Dean’s call had that steady, long-distance feel to it.

He’d come down from Darwin chasing a gooseneck trailer so the family could get to rodeos without taking two vehicles.

Macca asked how far they travel.

Dean didn’t hesitate.

“We’ll go 1,000 kilometres for a rodeo… 1,400’s not unusual.”

That wasn’t the point though.

The point was the road.

“The road’s very quiet… quieter than I’ve ever seen it.”

He’d been doing that trip for years.

He knew what it usually felt like.

You Feel It From the Driver’s Seat

Matty backed it up straight away.

Heading out of Melbourne towards Dubbo, empty truck, steady run.

“It’s been quiet… very quiet.”

Macca pushed him a bit.

Just today?

“No… it’s been quiet.”

Then he drifted north — New England, west of Dubbo — talking about how dry it is through there.

You could feel how those things sit together for him.

When It Stops Adding Up

Steve and Maria in Tolga spoke like people who’d already made peace with a decision.

Macca brought up their rose business.

They laughed a little.

No, not anymore.

“Trying to compete… it just got too hard.”

They talked through it — fertilisers, labour, imports — but it wasn’t one thing. It was all of it, building over time.

They loved it. That part was clear.

But loving it wasn’t enough to keep it going.

The Things You Don’t Notice

Rick’s call in Townsville came through a bit scratchy.

He runs a window and door business.

Macca had been talking about glass earlier, so Rick jumped in.

“You just can’t get a hold of it anymore.”

Started with coloured glass. Now even the basics are getting harder.

Macca pressed him on it.

What does that actually mean?

Rick explained it in practical terms — people want repairs done properly, like-for-like.

But the materials just aren’t there.

And underneath it all was the part that didn’t quite make sense.

The raw material is here.

The finished product isn’t.

Build Your Own Solution

Doug had already had a morning before he even called.

Driving back from Karumba, a few pigs ran out in front of him.

He took care of them.

Macca picked up on that, but Doug didn’t stay there.

He’s an electrician.

Used to run a motel.

Got fed up with rising power costs.

“So I built one,” he said, describing what he now runs as a local power operation.

From there, Doug just talked it through — how it started, how it grew, what he supplies now.

He didn’t sell it. Didn’t dress it up.

Just told it.

Big Numbers, Same Problem

Peter came in from Wangaratta with numbers.

Six days near Warren.

About 1,200 pigs.

Macca reacted — that sounds like something.

Peter didn’t pause.

“You don’t even make a dent.”

He explained it — river systems, thick country, places you can’t get into properly.

Back home, he’s seeing more signs.

Ground turned. Movement where there hadn’t been any before.

It’s not a spike.

It’s a spread.

Not Everyone’s Slowing Down

Sue’s call from Mackay lifted the tempo straight away.

More than 500 riders in town for a Harley rally.

Macca asked if she rides.

She laughed.

“I absolutely love it.”

Then the trips came — Uluru, Tasmania, planning a full lap.

“Once you go somewhere… you plan the next one.”

Same roads everyone else was talking about.

Different reason to be on them.

Dry Country, Familiar Voices

Lucy was out near Tamworth, feeding cattle, dog beside her in the ute.

Three dry summers.

“We’re sort of back in 2019 again.”

Macca moved with her through it — drought here, floods somewhere else.

Then the call turned.

She told him she’d written in years ago.

About her dad. A regular listener.

Macca picked it up straight away.

Now she’s the one calling.

Same show.

Different voice.

Seeing It Over Time

Sean and Janine had been on the road for months.

Nullarbor. Up the coast. Through places like Kalbarri.

Macca asked what they’d noticed.

Sean didn’t hesitate.

“There’s not a lot of people out.”

He ran through it — caravan parks, stops, places that should have been fuller.

Not empty.

Just lighter.

Early Days on the Land

Nick was only a few months into farm life in Mickles Rivulet.

Fences still going in. Cattle not quite settled.

Macca asked how it was going.

Nick paused.

“It’s hard… but it’s good.”

Coming from a life at sea, it’s a shift.

And it doesn’t take long, he said, to understand why fewer people are getting into it.

The Drive Back to Alice

Ken was on the road to Alice Springs.

Macca asked what for.

“The Cup.”

His voice lifted slightly.

“Big day… for all the right reasons.”

He’d lived there for decades.

Knows the place.

Knows how it’s talked about.

Then, almost as an aside—

“No one waves anymore.”

Macca laughed.

Ken didn’t.

“I still do.”

Starting Again

Divine’s call sat quietly at the end.

Near Yea, living in a shed after losing her home in the Longwood fires.

Macca asked about rebuilding.

She answered simply.

“I don’t think we will.”

Only been in Australia a year.

There wasn’t much more said.

There didn’t need to be.

One Conversation at a Time

By the end of the morning, it wasn’t one story.

It was the repetition.

Quiet roads. Higher costs. Work still moving.

Different voices, same threads.

You don’t get the country all at once.

You get it like this.

One call at a time.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Disclaimer: ‘Australia All Over’ is a program produced and broadcast by the ABC Local Radio Network and hosted by Ian McNamara. Brisbane Suburbs Online News has no affiliation with Ian McNamara, the ABC, or the ‘Australia All Over’ program. This weekly review is an independent summary based on publicly available episodes. All original content and recordings remain the property of the ABC. Our summaries are written in our own words and are intended for commentary and review purposes only. Readers can listen to the full episodes via the official ABC platforms.

Voices Across the World on Anzac Weekend

From the cliffs of Gallipoli to a super yacht in the Atlantic, the April 26 broadcast unfolded as it so often does — a patchwork of voices, stitched together by memory, distance and the quiet weight of Anzac weekend.

Gallipoli: Trying to Understand the Inexplicable

Calling from the Gallipoli Peninsula, Angela Lathouras wasn’t trying to retell history — she was trying to make sense of it.

Travelling with historians including Professor Sinan Özdemir from Çanakkale University, she described the terrain as something that defies explanation until you see it.

“You just shake your head everywhere you go,” she said.

Standing at Anzac Cove and walking the ridgelines, she spoke about how small the battlefield really is — and how impossible it feels that so many fought and died in such a confined space.

Reading epitaphs in the cemeteries brought it home.

“Angel mark the spot, Mother.”

“Well done, Ted.”

“They’re just… so moving,” she said. “You could sob the whole time.”

It wasn’t her first visit, but this time was different — less about tracing individual stories, more about understanding the broader picture.

“It’s very hard to reconcile the beauty… with what happened there.”

A Stadium, A City, A Moment

From Christchurch, Jason called with a different kind of milestone — the opening of Te Kaha Stadium.

After 15 years without a major venue following the earthquakes, the city finally had its stadium back — and it was packed.

“Full house all weekend,” he said.

Super Rugby returned in force, but for him, the moment was bigger than sport.

“It’s a big thing for Christchurch.”

Closer to home, he also spoke about his son’s school Anzac ceremony — run entirely by the students.

“I was so proud of the little boys and girls.”

Keeping the Country Moving

In southern New South Wales, Kelvin Baxter’s world is measured in kilometres, crops and fuel.

Running a fleet of trucks across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, he’s spent decades moving grain, cotton and fertiliser — the quiet logistics behind Australian life.

“We’re quite busy,” he said. “There’s always something moving.”

But rising costs — especially diesel — remain front of mind.

“People talk about electric trucks… we’re a long way from that.”

His Anzac Day, though, is about something else entirely.

Each year, he and a group of locals take restored WWII jeeps through Berrigan, Jerilderie and Finley, carrying veterans who can’t march.

“We load up the old diggers and lead the parade.”

It’s something he’s done for decades — a small act that keeps connection alive.

War, Medicine and Perspective

In studio, hand surgeon and former umpire David Dilley offered a different lens on Gallipoli — the medical one.

“The planning was appalling,” he said, referencing findings from the Dardanelles Commission.

Basic supplies. Limited understanding. Conditions few had ever encountered.

“They had bandages… a bit of chloroform… and not much else.”

He explained how World War I reshaped medicine — from plastic surgery to trauma care — driven by the scale and nature of injuries.

“It was the first war where more died from enemy action than disease.”

The conversation drifted easily between surgery, cricket and history — as it often does — grounded in experience rather than theory.

Australians Abroad: A Different Kind of Move

Wayne didn’t just travel — he left.

Originally from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, he and his partner now live in what is likely Tulum, trading rising costs at home for something simpler.

“Australia’s getting dearer and dearer,” he said. “Everything costs more.”

After years caravanning across Australia, they wanted a new kind of adventure.

“There’s two economies here,” he said. “The tourist one… and the local one. We’re trying to live the local.”

The weather feels familiar — “like North Queensland” — but the lifestyle is still evolving. They’ve bought a place, are settling into a community, and plan to explore more of the country.

For Wayne, it’s less about escape and more about perspective — seeing how life looks somewhere else.

Remembering, Questioning, Reflecting

Emails filled the spaces between calls, adding context and contrast.

A retired CSIRO ecologist pushed back on claims of widespread reef decline, arguing many remain “healthy and actively growing.”

Another listener described visiting war sites across France and Papua New Guinea, noting how strongly Australia’s contribution is remembered overseas.

“In France, the gratitude is very evident,” he wrote.

Further reflections from listeners touched on family histories, lost relatives, and the long shadow of war — stories carried across generations.

From Japan to Borneo: Memory That Travels

Calls from abroad reinforced how far those memories reach.

In Yokohama, Nan described the Commonwealth War Cemetery — where eucalyptus trees mark the Australian section among carefully tended gardens.

In Sandakan, historian Lynette Silver reflected on decades spent guiding families through the legacy of the Sandakan death marches.

“There’s nothing glorious about being a dead soldier,” she said.

Her work continues to bring people back to those places — not for closure, but for understanding.

Poetry and the Everyday Voice

Poet Kate Llewellyn was named Australian All Over’s contributor of the year — a nod to a lifetime of quiet contribution.

“Poetry is about putting something into the world that wasn’t there before,” she said.

Her work, like the program itself, finds meaning in small, everyday observations — the kind that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Mid-Ocean, Still Connected

Then came Charlotte — calling from the middle of the Atlantic.

“I’m halfway through a crossing,” she said. “Day six… no land in sight.”

At 24, the nurse from near Lismore is working aboard a 60-metre super yacht, moving between the Mediterranean and Caribbean.

“It’s awesome… eternal summer.”

The yacht is worth tens of millions. The guests arrive by private jet. But the crossing itself is all crew — long days, open ocean, and routine.

“They look like normal people,” she said of the ultra-wealthy guests. “Just polos… normal.”

She handles medical needs onboard, blending her training with a lifestyle built around travel.

But the reason she called was simple.

“Mum and Dad listen every Sunday.”

So from the middle of the Atlantic, she rang in — just to say hello.

Harness Racing, Pride and a Christchurch Crossover

Back in Christchurch, Jason slipped in another moment that captured the spirit of the show — where sport, pride and everyday achievement intersect.

He pointed to Brittany Graham, a Queenslander now working in New Zealand racing, who had just pulled off something rare.

“She was presenting… then jumped in the sulky, drove her own horse — and won.”

It wasn’t a feature race — just a meet at Allington Raceway — but the image stuck. From sideline presenter to driver in a matter of minutes.

“She does a lot for racing over here,” he said. “She’s an amazing young lady.”

A small moment, but one that fit the morning — Australians abroad, quietly making their mark.

Trucks, Towns and the Long Way Round

Kelvin Baxter’s call didn’t stop at fuel and freight — it stretched into something bigger.

He spoke about taking part in “Crawling the Hume,” a convoy of more than 300 restored trucks travelling the old highway route through towns long bypassed by the freeway.

Starting near Wallan and winding through places like Broadford, Kilmore and Wangaratta before finishing near Albury, the convoy turned the old road back into a main street, if only for a day.

“People were sitting in camp chairs… cheering us on,” he said.

“They were so pleased to see us come through.”

For towns that once lived off that passing traffic, it was more than nostalgia — it was a reminder they hadn’t been forgotten.

War Stories Carried Through Generations

Among the emails, one stood out for its detail and weight.

A listener shared the story of two brothers — both pilots in World War II, but with very different outcomes.

One survived being shot down over Germany, captured and held as a prisoner of war for years.

The other did not return.

His aircraft, unable to make it back to base, was deliberately steered away from a village in France before crashing — killing all on board but sparing those on the ground.

Decades later, that village still holds a ceremony each year in their memory — a quiet act of gratitude carried on by people who never met them.

Coral, Perspective and Pushing Back

Not every contribution leaned into reflection — some pushed back.

A retired CSIRO ecologist wrote in to challenge claims about dying reefs.

“The majority of reefs I’ve seen are healthy and actively growing,” he said.

He acknowledged localised damage — storms, cyclones, patches of decline — but warned against sweeping statements that miss the bigger picture.

“Reports need context.”

In a morning built on lived experience, it was a reminder that perspective can shift depending on where — and how closely — you look.

War Cemeteries and the Weight of Place

The discussion around remembrance extended beyond Gallipoli.

Listeners spoke about cemeteries across the world — from Villers-Bretonneux to Port Moresby — where Australian stories are preserved far from home.

At places like Labuan War Cemetery, rows of headstones — many unnamed — carry the same inscription:

“Known unto God.”

Walking those rows, some reflected, gives a clearer sense of scale than any history book — line after line, name after name, and sometimes none at all.

“They were united while they were alive… and they’re united still.”

One Conversation at a Time

From Gallipoli to Christchurch, from country highways to open ocean, the program moved without agenda — just people sharing where they are and what they’ve seen.

Stories of war and memory sat alongside everyday life, travel, work and change.

And as always, it worked the same way.

One voice at a time.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Disclaimer: ‘Australia All Over’ is a program produced and broadcast by the ABC Local Radio Network and hosted by Ian McNamara. Brisbane Suburbs Online News has no affiliation with Ian McNamara, the ABC, or the ‘Australia All Over’ program. This weekly review is an independent summary based on publicly available episodes. All original content and recordings remain the property of the ABC. Our summaries are written in our own words and are intended for commentary and review purposes only. Readers can listen to the full episodes via the official ABC platforms.

From ocean swims to Anzac candles: A morning of quiet rituals, long roads and deeper reflection

Before sunrise, people were already in motion — in the water, on the road, out on verandas or preparing for the day ahead. That’s the shape of a Macca morning: small moments, told simply, that add up to something bigger about how people live and what they hold onto.

Cold water, clear heads

On the Central Coast, Nader was preparing to swim from Maitland Bay to Kilcare — about three and a half kilometres.

“It’s about three and a half kilometres,” he said, as if it were nothing.

But it’s part of a much bigger series — nine legs stretching to around 40 kilometres. Early starts, 12-degree air, 21-degree water. For him, it’s routine.

“It’s just so good for our mental health… everyone should get into it.”

Swimming, as Macca pointed out, has a way of simplifying things. No noise, no clutter. Just movement and breath.

Candles, surfboats and silence

Dawn’s call from Batemans Bay carried more weight.

What began with 300 candles after a visit to Gallipoli has grown to more than 1,300 at Wimbee Beach. Hundreds gather before dawn.

“And the candles just light up the entire foreshore.”

A bagpiper, Jamie Wright, plays from a rocky outcrop. The Ode is shared between an Australian and a New Zealander. Surfboats row in and raise their oars during the Last Post.

But it’s the silence that defines it.

“You can hear a pin drop… there wasn’t a dry eye.”

This year, the message will again be spelled out in candles: Lest We Forget.

Pickleball’s surge

In Blacktown, Gary was heading to the NSW Pickleball Championships.

“We’ve had 1,100 competitors.”

The sport — a mix of tennis, badminton and table tennis — is booming, especially post-COVID. All ages, all backgrounds.

Mixed doubles day brings its own pressure.

“A lot of married couples play together… test the relationship.”

No prize money. Just medals, bragging rights, and a growing community.

A veranda, frost and horses

In the Southern Highlands, Andrew started with a quiet image — a cold morning near Mittagong, mist settling over the valley.

From there, his story stretched wider. Sheep and cattle in New England. Horses from childhood. A family tied to the Australian Stock Horse world.

When asked about campdrafting, he broke it down carefully — separating a beast from the mob, controlling it, then guiding it through a course.

“You show the skill of the horse and the rider… then call for the gate.”

It’s demanding work.

“It is exhausting… but it’s good fun.”

Fuel, freight and hard numbers

For Joel Lydgate, the focus was cost.

“We’re looking at $850 to $1,000 extra… just in fuel.”

That’s per trip.

Fuel has surged sharply — at one point up more than 50 per cent, by his account — and it can’t be absorbed.

“Someone’s got to pay it eventually.”

He reflected on a drought run into the Pilliga, hauling hay when it was needed most.

“If it was diesel prices now… we wouldn’t have done it.”

That’s the shift — goodwill meets reality.

Back in the water — and a confronting return

From Fiji, Kieran Kelly’s call was one of the longest — and most reflective.

After more than 30 years away from diving, he returned expecting familiarity.

“I was stunned.”

He described reefs that felt emptier than he remembered — coral still there in structure, but with less colour and movement.

“All the little houses are still there, but there’s no one in them.”

In his view, the difference was hard to ignore. At the same time, Fiji itself has changed. Once basic and remote — “sleeping in a grass hut, eating bananas and coconuts” — it’s now built around tourism, with constant movement of boats and people.

“The very thing that attracts people… ends up spoiling it.”

Not a conclusion, just an observation from someone returning after decades away.

Signwriting, skill and doing it by hand

On Bruny Island, Rod was preparing for a job he’s done for decades — painting Lest We Forget across AFL grounds in Hobart.

“I don’t use any AI… it’s all done the old-fashioned way.”

String lines, measurements, steady hands. Letters up to 30 metres long.

It takes about four hours, most of that in preparation.

What stood out most — he’s dyslexic.

“You really do have to think about what you’re doing.”

After 50 years, this will be his last.

“It’s a privilege.”

River mornings

In Echuca, Richard was watching the paddle steamers come to life.

“Just watching the smoke start to come out of the boats.”

The Murray is low, a bit dirty — something you notice when you’ve spent your life on it. It takes years to earn a licence, but the river itself teaches more than anything else.

Heavy loads, long days

In South Australia, Kim was hauling copper concentrate in triple road trains — about 138 tonnes per load, two runs a day.

“Pretty good, actually… still busy.”

Like others, he turned to Anzac Day — a moment that cuts through routine.

Roads, floods and keeping Australia moving

On the NT highways, another driver painted a rougher picture after recent flooding.

“The potholes… you could park a Mini Minor in them.”

Sections of road have been torn up, but crews have kept traffic moving.

“The effort they put in… unbelievable.”

Even so, the country is alive — grass high, ranges green, the landscape pushing back after the water.

Old maps and letting go of a life’s work

Old maps and letting go of a life’s work

When Mehmet Tuglu reached out on the April 19 program, it wasn’t just about clearing space — it was about what to do with a lifetime of work.

He’s sitting on hundreds of paper maps — 600 to 800 by his estimate — detailed topographic sheets gathered and used over decades.

“They show things like hay sheds and ruins… surveyors have actually been to those places.”

That’s what struck him most. The level of detail. These weren’t just pulled from aerial images — they were built from people physically walking the ground, mapping it properly.

For years, they were essential. Precise. Reliable. Something you worked from.

Now, he hasn’t needed them for 20 years.

He’s tried to give them away — councils, organisations, anyone who might use them — but hasn’t had much luck.

“It would be a big waste to dump these.”

That’s the dilemma.

Because the world has moved on quickly. Paper maps gave way to digital versions, then interactive platforms, and now satellite navigation that tells you where to go in real time. You can zoom in on almost any part of the country without ever unfolding a sheet.

The convenience is obvious. But something has shifted with it.

There’s a generation that’s never really learned to read a map — and another that still trusts them more than a screen.

Mehmet’s collection sits right in between.

Still accurate. Still detailed. But no longer needed in the way it once was.

Not obsolete — just outpaced.

Flood memories and bush stories

Jumbuck’s call reached back to the 1970s — floods around Cooper Creek and Innamincka.

“Real white sand… about six foot deep.”

Clearing roads, living in a swag, watching the country reshape itself after water moves through it. The kind of story that sits with people who’ve worked that country long enough.

A quiet act of courage remembered

One message stood out in the lead-up to Anzac Day.

Trooper Kenneth Anderson Bain — injured at Gallipoli — later saw a young child fall overboard at sea and jumped in without hesitation to try to save him.

Neither survived.

A reminder that when the Last Post is played, there are countless names like his — acts of courage that live on quietly.

A march that won’t be missed

And in Colac, one story landed simply.

Brian Cuthbertson, 82, is preparing for his 53rd consecutive Anzac Day march.

“He didn’t want to miss it… so he’s flying home to do it.”

No fuss. Just showing up. Every year.

Across the morning, nothing felt forced.

Just people moving through their routines — swimming, driving, painting, remembering — and, in their own way, holding onto something that matters.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Disclaimer: ‘Australia All Over’ is a program produced and broadcast by the ABC Local Radio Network and hosted by Ian McNamara. Brisbane Suburbs Online News has no affiliation with Ian McNamara, the ABC, or the ‘Australia All Over’ program. This weekly review is an independent summary based on publicly available episodes. All original content and recordings remain the property of the ABC. Our summaries are written in our own words and are intended for commentary and review purposes only. Readers can listen to the full episodes via the official ABC platforms.

From Arizona to the Showgrounds: A Country in Motion, One Call at a Time

From a Brisbane operator standing in a vast Arizona mine to a phone box in Newcastle, from the Murray River to the Nullarbor, and deep into the sheds of the Sydney Royal Easter Show — this week’s Australia All Over unfolded the way it always does.

Not as headlines.
But as voices.

Each call a window. Each story a fragment of a much bigger picture.

Simon Bailey — Brisbane to Arizona, One Pitch at a Time

Simon Bailey wasn’t calling from home — he was on a mine site in Arizona, managing dust on haul roads at what he reckons is the biggest open-cut mine he’s ever seen.

His Brisbane-based company, Barion, manufactures road maintenance products. But this job didn’t come through a formal process. He drove up to the site a year ago, saw the scale of the dust problem — “like Mars” — and pitched a solution.

A pilot program followed. Then a 12-month contract. Now discussions about rolling it out across five more mines.

The scale still catches him. Hundreds of trucks, each carrying up to 400 tonnes, running non-stop. A place where time barely matters — no holidays, no slowdown.

And yet, the personal detail cuts through.

He’ll miss his wedding anniversary. His family’s in Noosa. He’s in the desert.

That’s the trade-off behind the global story.

Trevor Richards — The Murray River, Seen Properly

Trevor had just completed a tinny rally from Mildura to Mannum — 92 boats moving down the Murray.

What stood out wasn’t the trip itself, but the contrast.

On the Victorian side: protected riverbanks, thick with red gums, grasses and reeds.

On the New South Wales side: livestock access, degraded banks, a visible difference you don’t need a report to understand.

“You can’t believe it hasn’t been addressed,” he said — especially with the Murray-Darling Basin Authority in place.

Then came the second observation, picked up from a farmer they camped with.

Almonds.

The numbers stuck: 12.5 million litres of water per hectare. About 13 litres per almond. Roughly 3,000 litres for a single almond latte.

Not outrage — just perspective.

The kind you only get when you’re sitting on the river, hearing it firsthand.

Stratis — A Phone Box and a View on Sport

Stratis was calling from a phone box near Newcastle Interchange — visiting family, walking the streets early, waiting for the day to unfold.

But what he really wanted to talk about was sport.

That night, he was heading to Maitland to watch women’s football — Newcastle Jets against Melbourne City.

His take was simple: women’s sport feels more genuine. More effort. More sincerity.

Macca pushed back — drifting into rugby league salaries and the idea of docking players’ pay if they lose.

“Make them try harder,” he joked.

Stratis didn’t mind the pushback. It was the kind of conversation that wanders — but lands somewhere real.

Quentin — Townsville, Finally Cooling Down

Quentin’s call from Townsville carried that unmistakable sense of relief that only comes after a long, oppressive wet season.

For the first time in months, the temperature had dipped below 20 degrees. After weeks of heat, humidity and flooding, it felt like the city could finally breathe again.

He was heading out for a run along The Strand — something locals don’t take for granted when the weather turns — taking in clear skies and a calm morning that had been missing for a while.

After his run, he was heading to drop off Easter eggs to people doing it tough. No fuss, no big framing — just something built into his Sunday.

Sean Haines — Bacon, Flood Recovery and the Meaning of the Show

Sean Haines from Yugara stood beside a prize-winning middle cut of bacon — first place at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

As a steward, he wasn’t there for himself but to help present the best produce from across the state — the kind of display that reminds people where their food actually comes from.

Macca lingered on that point. In a world that often feels chaotic, there’s something grounding about seeing real food, made properly, judged on quality.

But Sean’s perspective didn’t stop at the show bench.

Back home, the reality is still unfolding. More than three years after devastating floods, some families are still living in temporary pods, still waiting for permanent housing.

The community continues to push forward — restoring assets, supporting one another — but the timeline is longer than most would expect.

The show, in that sense, becomes more than an event. It’s a moment of recognition — of effort, resilience, and continuity.

Judy Hannon — Shows, Change and The Block

Judy Hannon had come up from regional Victoria with a purpose — to see how Sydney’s Royal Easter Show compared to Melbourne’s.

As a CWA Home Industries judge, she’s spent years around show culture, watching entries come and go, standards shift, and participation ebb and flow.

Melbourne, she said plainly, has changed. Entry numbers are down. The feel is different. Not what it once was.

In Sydney, she was walking the sheds, comparing layouts, observing how things are run — taking it in with the eye of someone who knows what she’s looking at.

Back home, things are quieter — “no nonsense” — though not without interest. Her area is hosting The Block, bringing a different kind of attention to what is usually a steady, low-key place.

Gus — Horses, the Nullarbor and the Cost of Distance

Gus was somewhere east of the Nullarbor, heading home after delivering 20 horses to cattle stations in the Kimberley.

It’s part of what he does — sourcing and transporting horses across the country.

This trip? Around 11,000 kilometres all up.

Fuel alone? Around $14,000 to $15,000.

He spoke about waiting out road closures, navigating cyclone-affected routes, and taking each leg as it comes.

But also about the moments — sunrises over the ocean, the view from the truck along the cliffs, the sense that every lap of Australia is different depending on the season.

Trevor Wright — Lake Eyre Coming Alive

From William Creek, Trevor Wright described a year he hadn’t seen in decades.

Rain has transformed the landscape. Vegetation is everywhere. The lake is filling.

Pelicans have arrived in huge numbers — tens of thousands — forming rookeries across the water.

And then there’s the colour.

In places like Madigan Gulf, the interaction of salt, temperature and water can turn vast stretches of the lake pink — kilometres wide.

If flows from the Diamantina and Cooper Creek systems arrive as expected, it could become a major fill.

It’s something you don’t just hear about out there.

You watch it unfold.

Mark Kierens — The Slow Loss of Glassmaking

At the show, Mark Kierens — a stained glass specialist — spoke about a quieter shift.

Australia no longer manufactures large-scale architectural glass.

Factories have closed. Skills are disappearing. Materials are harder to source.

Even stained glass is becoming rarer, with many overseas producers shifting to solar panel glass instead.

There are only a handful of tradespeople left doing the work.

It’s not dramatic.

But it’s final.

Cheryl — Spinning Wool, One Thread at a Time

Cheryl from Jervis Bay sat at a spinning wheel made from Huon pine — a 50-year-old piece still doing exactly what it was built to do.

She talked through the process — feeding raw merino wool into the wheel, spinning it one way, then reversing it to create a balanced yarn strong enough to use.

It’s a tactile, precise craft. One that relies on feel as much as technique.

She spoke about natural dyes — eucalyptus leaves, bark, plant-based colours — and how they bring beauty, but also challenges. Without strong mordants, they fade.

Still, the craft endures.

Younger people are coming through, just in different ways — night groups, weekend sessions, community guilds like the one in Eastwood where courses run year-round.

For Cheryl, it started with curiosity — seeing a spinning wheel in a shop and deciding to try.

She never really stopped.

Dan Harrison — Trying to Cool the Reef

Dan Harrison, an oceanographer from the National Marine Science Centre, is working on ways to reduce coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.

One idea: marine cloud brightening.

Using cloud cover to reflect sunlight and cool ocean temperatures.

He spoke about the complexity — cyclones that can damage reefs, or sometimes protect them by cooling the water. Floods that can harm or help depending on timing and intensity.

Nothing about it is simple.

But the work continues.

Judy (Bundaberg) — The Truth Behind “Australian Made”

Judy, a soybean farmer from Bundaberg, raised a concern about how “Australian Made” is being used.

Soy milk sold under major supermarket brands can carry the label — even when the soybeans are imported — because the product is mostly Australian water.

Locally grown soybeans are being overlooked.

Meanwhile, farmers like her continue growing soy in rotation with sugarcane, using its natural ability to fix nitrogen and improve soil health.

It’s a practical system.

But one that isn’t always reflected in what consumers see.

Dave Conroy — The Orange Cake

Dave Conroy, a 65-year-old plumber, entered an orange cake into the show.

What started as a whim became a process.

Eighteen cakes. Testing ingredients. Refining consistency.

The recipe came from his grandmother.

Standing there on judging day, he was nervous — but clear about what it meant.

“Life is like a cake… it’s the ingredients, the blending, the time in the oven.”

Gary — Racing, Tradition and a Changing Crowd

Gary, a bookmaker at Randwick, had seen the industry shift over decades.

He spoke about the Doncaster, about betting movements, about horses running above expectations.

But also about something else — crowds.

They’re not what they used to be. Traditions like big Monday race days have faded.

Bookmaking has become tougher. Fewer people are entering the trade.

“If it was any good,” he said, “they’d be lined up.”

Louise — Karratha, Cyclones and the Long Drive South

Louise had been waiting for roads to reopen after Tropical Cyclone Narelle.

Finally, they had.

She was heading south from Karratha to Dongara to spend Easter with family.

There’s always uncertainty — conditions, weather, delays — but once the road opens, you go.

Heidi and Steve — Camping, Trucks and the Cost of Fuel

Heidi was camping with a group at Bawley Point — 12 people this weekend, more during their larger annual trips.

A mix of caravans, a bit of rain, a bit of sun — “glamping,” as she called it.

Then Steve came on.

A livestock truck operator, covering routes across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

Fuel prices have surged — from around $1.75 to over $3 in a matter of weeks.

For now, they pass the cost on.

Beyond that, like most, he’s unsure.

Jeff — Brass Bands, Tradition and the Next Generation

Jeff spoke about his friend Vaughan Price — a lifelong brass band player with the Warringah Brass Band, competing in Brisbane at the National Championships.

Vaughan’s story is steeped in tradition — growing up in a family where playing a brass instrument wasn’t optional, it was expected. Cornet, trumpet, rehearsals, discipline — a lifetime shaped by band culture.

But what struck Jeff most wasn’t just that history.

It was the present.

Half the band, he said, were young — many under 25 — choosing to commit their time to something that demands patience, repetition and effort.

“They wouldn’t be there unless they felt welcome… and unless they enjoyed it.”

He had been at their final rehearsal before the trip — the energy, the camaraderie, the sense of purpose.

Not just about competing.

About being together.

About keeping something going.

One Conversation at a Time

Across the morning, the calls stretched from Arizona to the Murray, from the Nullarbor to Lake Eyre, from Bundaberg farms to Sydney showgrounds.

Some were long. Some were brief.

But each added something.

Not a single headline.

But a country — moving, working, thinking — revealed piece by piece.

One conversation at a time.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Disclaimer: ‘Australia All Over’ is a program produced and broadcast by the ABC Local Radio Network and hosted by Ian McNamara. Brisbane Suburbs Online News has no affiliation with Ian McNamara, the ABC, or the ‘Australia All Over’ program. This weekly review is an independent summary based on publicly available episodes. All original content and recordings remain the property of the ABC. Our summaries are written in our own words and are intended for commentary and review purposes only. Readers can listen to the full episodes via the official ABC platforms.

Tomatoes, Tankers, Piano Keys and the Quiet Authority of Everyday Australians

It started in the cold of a Tasmanian morning and stretched outward — across tomato fields in Echuca, cattle stations in Queensland, floodwaters filling Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, classrooms in Port Vila, dairy plants in India, and a solar project in Chad — before circling back through Blue Mountains traffic, Toowoomba training schools and a quiet paddle on the Coorong. What held it all together wasn’t scale, but clarity: callers who knew what they were talking about, and who spoke with the kind of grounded common sense that turns a radio program into something much bigger than a conversation.

Cass and Andrew from Triabunna

Cass and Andrew set the tone from Triabunna, Tasmania, calling on their drive to work. Cass, originally from Papua New Guinea, has spent 14 years in aged care and spoke simply about loving the work. Macca lingered on that — the idea that purpose matters as much as pay — while the conversation drifted through autumn arriving early, four-degree mornings, and the quiet satisfaction of building a life far from where it began.

There was also a thread of PNG pride running through it, especially when rugby league came up. Even from Tasmania, that connection remains strong — a reminder of how identity stretches across borders without losing shape.

Chris from Echuca and the Tomato Harvest

Chris brought scale and pressure from the tomato fields around Echuca. Working with Kagome, he described a massive operation — thousands of tonnes processed daily — but also a season hit by rain, mould and rising costs.

The most telling moment came when he spoke about losing around 20,000 tonnes of crop to mould. No recovery, no workaround — just disc it back into the ground and move on. From there, the call widened into imports, diesel costs and the fragility of Australia’s remaining processing industry.

His message was direct: check the label. “Made in Australia” doesn’t mean Australian-grown. It was one of the clearest consumer calls of the morning — practical, specific, and rooted in real consequence.

Will from Quamby and Life on Gleeson Station

Will’s call from near Cloncurry shifted the tone back to the bush. A ringer on Gleeson Station, he was heading back to work after the races — part social event, part community glue.

The conversation wandered through weather, coffee runs and station life, but what stayed was Will’s ease with it all. He liked the work, liked the life, and wasn’t overthinking the future. Maybe management one day, maybe his own place. For now, it was enough to be where he was.

Fiona in Nowra and the Sydney Royal Easter Show

Fiona’s call added a slice of agricultural tradition. She was heading to the Sydney Royal Easter Show to steward egg judging in the Poultry Pavilion — a detail-rich world most listeners never see.

It was a quick exchange, but it highlighted the expertise behind the scenes: preparing birds, teaching students, judging eggs. The kind of knowledge passed on quietly, but kept alive through people who show up and do it.

Mario and the Fuel Question

Mario, the paper man, cut straight into national policy. If Australia wants to drill for oil, he argued, it needs refineries first.

His analogy landed clean: buying food but having no stove to cook it. Without refining capacity, crude oil means little. He pointed to the loss of refineries, lack of reserves, and absence of long-term planning.

Macca picked it up immediately — another example, he said, of a country reacting instead of preparing.

Peter MacDonald and Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre in Flood

Peter’s call from Barham lifted the program into something almost cinematic. Fresh from a flight over Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, he described water everywhere — lakes between dunes, green grass across the desert, pelicans arriving in numbers.

The detail made it vivid: insects swarming, roads cut, the William Creek Hotel sweeping out buckets of beetles. It wasn’t just water — it was a system coming alive.

For a moment, the continent felt vast, dynamic, and unpredictable in the best way.

Phil from Wollongong and Wartime Lessons

Phil added historical weight to the fuel debate. During World War II, Australia built dozens of inland fuel depots. Why not now?

He and a colleague had even proposed a small levy years ago to fund infrastructure — build it, pay it off, remove the levy. Simple, practical, and ignored.

Like Mario, he wasn’t just complaining. He was pointing to what had worked before.

Jerry Harvey and the AI Disruption

Jerry Harvey brought a different energy — sharp, fast, and slightly unsettling. He spoke about AI, rising costs, and constant disruption hitting from “left field.”

His core message was uncertainty. Even those closest to the technology don’t fully understand where it’s heading. But change is coming quickly — and adaptation will be essential.

He suggested a shift back toward trades, where skills remain in demand. Reinvention, he said, may become normal. It was a mix of warning and pragmatism — not comforting, but not defeatist either.

Alan from Buderim and Sally Hall from Blackheath

Listener correspondence sharpened the mood.

Alan from Buderim vented frustration over rising land valuations and government spending, reflecting a broader sense of pressure on everyday Australians.

Sally Hall from Blackheath offered something more immediate: a warning about the Great Western Highway closure at Victoria Pass. Detours, traffic through Lithgow, and serious risks heading into Easter travel.

It was local knowledge with real stakes — the kind radio delivers best.

Lynne Presley and a Plug for Blackheath

Lynne Presley followed with a practical response: come and visit the Blue Mountains — just not over Easter.

With businesses already feeling the impact of the highway closure, she made the case for supporting the region when travel conditions improve. She also pointed to the train as a reliable alternative.

It was community advocacy, grounded and timely.

Michael Kelly in Toowoomba and Training the Next Generation

Michael Kelly’s call moved into workforce planning. Visiting his son at a pilot academy in Toowoomba, he described the scale of training underway — domestic and international students preparing for aviation careers.

But his deeper concern was national capability. In shipping and aviation, Australia is increasingly reliant on overseas workers. Through Offshore Specialist Ships Australia, he and others are funding training themselves to keep local pathways alive.

It was one of the most quietly powerful moments of the program — people stepping in where systems fall short.

Luciano, Linton and Dawn in Port Vila

From Vanuatu came a snapshot of Australians abroad. Luciano, Linton and Dawn were part of a Bowral-Mittagong Rotary team building classrooms at Malatia School.

Linton described the physical reality — heat, unfinished work, the need to return. Dawn spoke about purpose and the impact of volunteering.

Together, they captured something enduring: Australians contributing quietly, without fuss, in places far from home.

Sandra at Narrung on the Coorong

Sandra’s call was pure atmosphere. Kayaking through the Narrows at Narrung, she described pelicans, swans, mist and still water.

Having recently retired, she had found a place that offered calm and connection to nature. It was one of the most evocative moments of the morning — simple, visual, and unhurried.

Ian Lucas, Piano Day and Music’s Place

Ian Lucas marked Piano Day from Montville, but the conversation quickly deepened. A former pilot who returned to music after decades away, he spoke about rediscovery and persistence.

He also raised a broader point: large-scale entertainment has squeezed smaller performance spaces, making it harder for emerging and independent musicians to find their place.

Macca agreed — not just the young, but the “brilliant old” too. It became a quiet defence of small venues and local music.

Craig from Wisconsin via China and India

Craig’s call spanned continents. After working in China, he had spent months in India’s dairy sector before landing in Wisconsin.

He described vast differences: automated systems in China, versus thousands of small-scale suppliers in India, each contributing small amounts of milk collected by hand and transported by scooter.

The scale was staggering — and so were the conditions. Families working at ground level, sometimes sleeping alongside cattle for warmth. It was global industry seen from the inside.

Paul in Chad

Paul’s call from Chad added another layer. Working on a solar installation project, he spoke about building energy reliability in a region where power is inconsistent.

Having lived there for years, he described strong local relationships and a sense of purpose in returning to complete the work. It was a reminder of how many Australians operate quietly overseas, contributing skills where they’re needed.

Lawrence in Bundaberg

Lawrence closed the program from Bundaberg, cutting turf after recent floods. His concern was familiar: labour shortages and the difficulty of finding workers.

That led into a broader discussion about education, apprenticeships and the value of practical skills — a theme that had surfaced repeatedly throughout the morning.

One Conversation at a Time

From Triabunna to Echuca, Cloncurry to Blackheath, Port Vila to Chad, the morning built its own map — not of places, but of perspective. Each caller added something grounded and lived-in: how to grow food, move fuel, train people, fix roads, build classrooms, or simply pay attention to the land. Taken together, it was a portrait of a country — and a world — still held together, quietly, by people who understand how things actually work.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Disclaimer: ‘Australia All Over’ is a program produced and broadcast by the ABC Local Radio Network and hosted by Ian McNamara. Brisbane Suburbs Online News has no affiliation with Ian McNamara, the ABC, or the ‘Australia All Over’ program. This weekly review is an independent summary based on publicly available episodes. All original content and recordings remain the property of the ABC. Our summaries are written in our own words and are intended for commentary and review purposes only. Readers can listen to the full episodes via the official ABC platforms.

A Sunday That Builds Itself: From Racetracks to Remote Stations, the Voices That Carry Australia

Some mornings on Macca’s program ease in quietly. Others gather momentum call by call, voice by voice, until suddenly the country is speaking to itself. This was one of those mornings. It began with the rumble of classic motorbikes at a revived country racetrack, stretched across triathletes chasing endurance on the Victorian coast, and reached deep into remote South Australia where a 10-year-old boy stepped up in a moment that would stay with everyone listening.

Along the way came talk of fuel shocks and fragile supply chains, of migration stories that shaped modern Australia, of community-built spaces reclaimed from neglect, and of people still choosing to get on the road, on the water, or in the air despite rising costs. It was a program that moved — like Macca said — like a train gathering speed.

The Sound of Old Machines at One Raceway

Cliffo called in from One Raceway near Goulburn, where the past was very much alive.

What used to be Wakefield Park has been reborn, thanks to the Shelley family, into a modernised circuit with strict noise controls and reworked terrain. But this weekend, it wasn’t about modern racing — it was about memory.

Classic motorcycles from the 1950s, 60s and 70s were back on track. Not on display, but racing.

“These are the bikes the old blokes wanted when they were younger and can afford now,” Cliffo said.

It wasn’t without challenges. Noise restrictions, wet weather, and the logistics of reviving an event all hovered in the background. A storm had already wiped out part of the weekend’s program. But still, the crowd came. Still, the bikes ran.

And for Cliffo, it was only the beginning. The next day, he was flying out of Canberra to officiate at MotoGP in Austin, Texas — one of a small group of Australian officials invited for their reputation in running world-class events.

It was a reminder of something uniquely Australian: grassroots passion scaling all the way to the global stage.

Bells, Bikes and a World Moving Too Fast

From racetracks to footpaths, Brendan in Brisbane had a different kind of concern — speed, and the lack of control around it.

Fresh back from China, he described electric bikes flying along footpaths at highway speeds. His solution? A redesigned “tram bell” for bikes — loud, mechanical, unmistakable.

“You can hear it 50 or 100 metres away,” he said.

But beneath the innovation was frustration.

“You cannot legislate stupid.”

It was a line that landed, not just about bikes, but about a broader sense of systems struggling to keep up — whether it was airport processing, enforcement, or the creeping feeling that rules exist but aren’t applied.

Ironman in Geelong: Endurance for Its Own Sake

In Geelong, Mark — “Dags” from South Australia — was watching thousands gather for an Ironman event.

His son Jack was among them.

A 3.8km swim.
A 180km ride.
A full marathon to finish.

Nearly 1,800 competitors.

Jack wasn’t a professional. He wasn’t sponsored. He was a diesel mechanic who paid his own way and travelled the country competing.

“Just an age grouper, having a crack,” he said.

There was no grand payoff, no prize money worth chasing. Just the pursuit itself.

Macca couldn’t quite get his head around it. But maybe that was the point.

Some things aren’t meant to be rational. They’re meant to be lived.

A 10-Year-Old Called Lawson

Then came the call that shifted the tone of the morning.

Mark returned to the line, this time not as a spectator, but as an emergency responder. He told the story of a crash on a remote South Australian cattle station — McDowell Peak — where a man had come off his motorbike at speed.

The first person on scene wasn’t an adult.

It was his 10-year-old son, Lawson.

Lawson had searched for his father when he didn’t return. Found him. Then navigated responders across rugged country to reach him. He carried equipment. Helped coordinate. Stayed composed.

When Macca brought Lawson on air, his voice was calm, matter-of-fact.

His father had broken a leg, hip and collarbone. He’d been travelling fast. The rain had made it worse.

Lawson didn’t dramatise it.

He just did what needed to be done.

Now back in Adelaide while his dad recovers, he spoke about station life, School of the Air, and his plans to one day become a helicopter pilot.

“I love it out there,” he said.

No fuss. No performance. Just quiet capability.

It was the kind of call that doesn’t need embellishment.

Fuel, Freight and a Warning from the Road

The conversation turned sharply when Ron Finnamore, one of Australia’s most experienced transport operators, joined the program.

The issue was diesel. And the numbers were staggering.

Fuel costs had surged dramatically in just weeks. For Finnamore’s business, that meant an additional $1 million per week in costs.

And there was no easy fix.

“It’s got to be passed on,” he said. “And that’s going to hurt everybody.”

Farmers, freight operators, small businesses — all exposed.

More concerning was what might come next: supply shortages.

With global disruptions affecting crude supply and refining, Finnamore warned Australia could face real constraints within weeks.

“We’re a country that’s left itself exposed.”

It was a sobering moment. Not theoretical. Not abstract. Immediate.

Policy, Politics and the Bigger Picture

Later, Dan Tehan joined from regional Victoria, echoing similar concerns.

His focus wasn’t just price, but preparedness.

Australia once had fuel depots across regional areas — reserves that could buffer shocks. Many are now gone.

“We’ve got to get back to storing fuel,” he said.

It wasn’t framed as politics, but practicality. A country reassessing how self-reliant it really is in a shifting global landscape.

A Story of Arrival — and Gratitude

Amid the tension, Macca read a letter from his old schoolmate George Fleming.

It told the story of a family that arrived in Australia in 1948 after being rejected by multiple countries while fleeing post-war Europe.

Originally the Fleischmanns, they settled in Bexley. Changed their name. Built a life.

There were moments of hardship, but also moments that felt distinctly Australian.

A neighbour asking them to “bring a plate” — misunderstood at first, but remembered forever.

They built a small business. Raised a family. Found safety.

“Australia accepted us when no one else would,” George wrote.

It was simple. Direct. And powerful.

Small Towns, Big Efforts

In Coleraine, a community had reclaimed an arboretum once left to decline. Volunteers restored walking tracks, replanted native species, and brought the space back to life.

In Coomera, Narelle and her husband were preparing a gathering of 60 to 100 classic speedboats — a labour of love nearly a decade in the making.

In Margaret River, Lisa was heading off to cook a free sausage sizzle for locals and tourists before flying back to her rail job in Port Hedland.

Across the country, people were still building things. Still showing up.

One Conversation at a Time

By the end of the program, the threads were clear.

A racetrack brought back from the brink.
A young man chasing endurance for no reason other than love of it.
A 10-year-old stepping up when it mattered.
A freight operator warning of what’s coming.
A migrant family remembering what was given to them.
Communities quietly doing the work themselves.

Nothing tied them together except the fact they were happening at the same time, in the same country, carried through the same line.

That’s what the program does. It doesn’t force a narrative.

It lets Australia speak.

One conversation at a time.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Disclaimer: ‘Australia All Over’ is a program produced and broadcast by the ABC Local Radio Network and hosted by Ian McNamara. Brisbane Suburbs Online News has no affiliation with Ian McNamara, the ABC, or the ‘Australia All Over’ program. This weekly review is an independent summary based on publicly available episodes. All original content and recordings remain the property of the ABC. Our summaries are written in our own words and are intended for commentary and review purposes only. Readers can listen to the full episodes via the official ABC platforms.

From Goldfields to Phone Boxes: Australia in One Morning

A young man heads underground in Bendigo and finds structure. Another sleeps in his car in Ballina and finds something close to calm.

Across this week’s calls, Australia sounded like a country adjusting — to rising costs, tighter housing, and work that no longer follows a single path.

But it didn’t come through as one story. It came through in voices. Some stayed longer, unpacking decisions and consequences. Others passed through quickly, leaving behind a detail that lingered.

Together, they formed something more complete.

Bendigo, VIC — Hunter Finds Structure Underground

Hunter, 25, called from Bendigo, now working at the Fosterville gold mine, and the conversation stayed with him.

He had been in sales in Melbourne — good money, but a different kind of pressure. The move underground wasn’t just about chasing higher pay, although with gold pushing towards $8,000 an ounce, the opportunity is clear.

What came through more strongly was what the job had given him.

Structure.

Routine. Long shifts. A system where effort translates directly into outcome.

“You think differently about money,” he said, describing how the work had reshaped his habits — spending less, planning more, being deliberate.

Then the conversation widened.

Why aren’t pathways like this more visible to young people? Why is university still treated as the default?

It wasn’t frustration. Just a clear observation.

Ballina, NSW — Josh and a Different Kind of Living

Josh’s call from Ballina carried equal weight.

He’s living out of his car on a friend’s property after being priced out of the rental market.

He spoke about the mechanics of it — where he parks, how he sleeps — but the call didn’t stay there.

He described the bush around him. The quiet. The absence of constant movement.

“There’s a calm to it,” he said.

Not as a solution. Just as something that exists alongside the difficulty.

It doesn’t fix the situation.

But it changes how it feels.

National — The Gap Behind the Stories

The All Over News segment gave those calls context.

Costs have risen across the board, but housing has moved faster — far enough ahead to reshape what affordability means.

That gap sits behind decisions like Josh’s.

And it’s starting to influence everything else.

Tasmania — John Harris Builds for What People Actually Need

John Harris, a builder in Tasmania, is seeing that shift firsthand.

After decades building traditional homes, he’s moved into modular housing — smaller builds, faster timelines, lower costs.

But the key detail was who he’s building for.

“A lot of them are single women,” he said.

Older clients. Downsizing. Or simply choosing something that matches how they live now.

Not space for the sake of it. Not scale.

Just something that fits.

Shenzhen — Brendan and a System That Connects

Brendan called from Shenzhen, where he sources e-bike components.

Everything runs through the phone.

“You don’t really use cash,” he said.

Payments. Transport. Ordering. Movement.

All integrated.

A city that has grown rapidly now operating with a level of efficiency that feels well ahead.

It wasn’t framed as better.

Just different.

Wagga Wagga, NSW — Starting Young, Learning Fast

In Wagga, a 16-year-old bass player called in, already performing in a band while studying at the conservatorium.

She’s playing gigs. Getting paid. Learning in real time.

There was no overthinking in it.

Just doing it.

Montville, QLD — Tony Finds His Way Back to the Piano

Tony in Montville called about something smaller, but no less meaningful.

He’s returned to the piano.

Working back through pieces he once knew. Slower now, more deliberate.

He described sitting down and playing a few notes — not perfectly, but enough to reconnect.

It wasn’t about improving.

Just returning.

Byron Bay, NSW — Narelle and the Sessions That Still Happen

Narelle in Byron Bay described the kind of music scene that doesn’t advertise itself.

People bring instruments. Someone starts. Others join in.

No set structure. No expectation.

“People just drift in,” she said.

It wasn’t about performing.

Just playing.

New Zealand — Jason and the Familiar Rhythm of Race Day

Jason called from New Zealand on his way to a harness racing meet.

A grass track. A local crowd. People who know each other.

He didn’t describe it as an event.

Just something that happens.

Regularly. Reliably.

A rhythm that hasn’t changed.

ACT — A Lifetime, Still in Motion

From the ACT came a caller still competing in sheepdog trials in his 90s.

He spoke about travelling, working dogs, turning up to events.

No emphasis on age.

Just continuation.

Camino — Chris and the Shift from Idea to Action

Chris on the Gold Coast is preparing to walk the Camino with his son.

It’s been talked about for years.

Now he’s training — building distance, getting ready.

That shift from idea to action had already begun.

Mildura, VIC — When Plans Tighten

In Mildura, a Lifeline fundraiser is working to keep a charity ride on track while fuel supply issues complicate planning.

Routes need adjusting. Coordination becomes tighter.

It’s the kind of pressure that doesn’t get seen.

But shapes whether things happen.

Queensland — Bede in the Middle of It

Bede called in from a surf lifesaving competition, mid-event.

There wasn’t time to reflect.

He was between races, focused on what was next.

It was brief.

But it showed how these days actually run.

Far West NSW — Jimmy and the Gaps Between Signal

Jimmy called from a phone box in far west New South Wales.

Out there, mobile coverage drops out completely.

“When it goes, it goes,” he said.

And when it does, this is what’s left.

Not outdated.

Essential.

One Conversation at a Time

Across the morning, the stories moved between pressure and adjustment.

Work changing. Housing tightening. Costs rising.

But just as clearly, people are finding ways through it — changing direction, simplifying, or returning to something familiar.

From underground shifts to roadside phone calls, it’s a country still moving.

One conversation at a time.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Disclaimer: ‘Australia All Over’ is a program produced and broadcast by the ABC Local Radio Network and hosted by Ian McNamara. Brisbane Suburbs Online News has no affiliation with Ian McNamara, the ABC, or the ‘Australia All Over’ program. This weekly review is an independent summary based on publicly available episodes. All original content and recordings remain the property of the ABC. Our summaries are written in our own words and are intended for commentary and review purposes only. Readers can listen to the full episodes via the official ABC platforms.

Across Australia and Beyond: Turtles, Floods, War Zones and Wide-Open Roads

From a turtle conservation victory in Hawaii to missile strikes over Dubai, this week’s calls to Macca painted a vivid picture of Australians scattered across the globe — each with a story to tell. Listeners heard how a grassroots group from Port Hedland earned international recognition for protecting one of the world’s rarest sea turtles, while an Australian construction worker described watching missiles streak across the night sky over the United Arab Emirates before finally making it home.

Back in Australia, dramatic flooding in the Northern Territory, a debate over electric scooter laws inspired by Japan, memories of one of Australia’s earliest aviation disasters in the Snowy Mountains, and an extraordinary motorcycle charity ride across the outback all added to the mix. As always on Macca’s line, the conversation travelled far and wide across continents, communities and causes.

Eye Movements and Medical Mysteries in Auckland

The morning opened with Dr Ian Francis calling from Auckland, where he had attended lectures by renowned neurologist Professor David Zee from Baltimore.

The event had been organised by Professor Dame Helen Danesh-Meyer, an ophthalmology specialist based in New Zealand. According to Francis, Zee’s lectures explored how subtle eye movements can reveal a surprising range of health conditions.

Doctors can sometimes detect nutritional deficiencies, neurological disorders and other illnesses simply by studying how a patient’s eyes move.

After the lectures, the group celebrated with dinner in Parnell at the restaurant Non Solo Pizza, where the conversation shifted from medicine to travel and good food.

Port Hedland’s Turtles Win Global Recognition

The program then crossed the Pacific to Kona, Hawaii, where Kelly Howlett checked in from the 44th International Sea Turtle Symposium.

Howlett, Operations Manager with the Care for Hedland Environmental Association, had travelled there to present research on flatback turtles that nest near Port Hedland.

Flatbacks are unique among sea turtles because they nest only in Australian waters.

Her presentation outlined how local volunteers monitor nests each season, tracking turtle numbers and protecting hatchlings along the Pilbara coastline.

The program received international recognition at the conference, winning the Grassroots Conservation Award.

For a small community organisation based in remote Western Australia, it was a significant moment and one that put Port Hedland firmly on the global conservation map.

Tasmania’s Dry Spell

From tropical waters, the conversation moved south.

Dave from New Town in Hobart reported unusually dry conditions across much of Tasmania.

The island state is often imagined as permanently green, but Dave said rainfall had been well below average. The dry spell had even begun affecting the hydroelectric system that generates most of the state’s power.

Lower dam levels have forced Tasmania to import electricity from the mainland, a reminder that even a place known for water can feel the effects of drought.

A Blood Moon Over Broken Hill

Trevor from Broken Hill reported on a spectacular sight in the night sky.

Cloud had initially threatened to spoil the view, but the sky cleared just in time for locals to see a total lunar eclipse, often called a blood moon.

Trevor said experienced astronomers have seen many eclipses, but events like this still excite people who rarely look up at the night sky.

Broken Hill’s remote location and stable air make it an excellent place for stargazing, with clear views that draw amateur astronomers from around the country.

Japan’s Orderly Streets

Another caller, Brendan, joined the program from Furano, a ski village in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido.

He described a culture where everyday life runs with remarkable order.

Crime is rare, homes are often left unlocked, and even bicycles must follow strict rules. Riders cannot wear headphones, and electric scooters require registration and number plates.

The comparison sparked discussion about Australia’s rapidly growing e-bike culture, where accidents and injuries have raised concerns in many cities.

Missiles Over Dubai

One of the most dramatic calls came from Scott Turner, who had just returned to Australia after working in Ras Al Khaimah, north of Dubai.

Turner had been involved in construction work on a massive resort project when regional tensions escalated.

Missiles were regularly visible overhead as they travelled across the region, many intercepted by air defence systems.

After several cancelled flights, Turner finally secured a seat on a plane back to Sydney.

When he landed, the relief was obvious. After days of uncertainty, he was grateful simply to be home.

A Story From the Music World

Jonathan Dixon from Melbourne shared a story from the entertainment world.

Decades earlier he had seen singer Engelbert Humperdinck perform in London. Years later, through a chain of coincidences involving actor John Pertwee, he ended up playing golf with the star in Australia.

According to Dixon, the international performer proved to be relaxed and friendly, introducing himself simply as “Eng”.

Remembering the Southern Cloud

Chris Riggs from Cooma called to discuss the anniversary of the Southern Cloud disaster.

On 21 March 1931, the aircraft vanished while flying across the Snowy Mountains, carrying eight people.

The wreckage remained undiscovered for nearly three decades until bushman Tom Saunders found it in 1958.

A memorial near Cooma now honours the victims, and locals gather each year to remember the event.

The Cost of Living Conversation

The program also turned to the cost of living after reports that food in parts of Europe can sometimes be cheaper than in Australia.

One listener suggested creating a simple “everyday inflation index” focusing on essentials such as food, petrol and electricity, the items households notice most.

The idea prompted discussion about how official inflation figures compare with the lived experience of rising prices.

A Doctor’s Research Into Driving and Illness

Dr John Gillette called in to describe his research into driving among people with advanced illness.

A palliative care specialist, he completed a PhD examining how patients, particularly women with late-stage breast cancer, make decisions about driving while taking strong medications.

Gillette said many patients remain careful and responsible drivers, but the issue raises complex questions about safety, independence and quality of life.

Floodwaters in the Top End

Attention then shifted north as Adam Steer from ABC Darwin reported severe flooding across parts of the Northern Territory.

Some areas had received more than 250 millimetres of rain in just 24 hours, pushing rivers toward major flood levels.

Communities around Katherine were among the hardest hit. Roads were cut, evacuations were carried out by helicopter and crocodiles were reported moving through floodwaters.

Forecasters hoped the worst of the rain would soon ease.

Marinus Link Debate

The national energy debate surfaced when entrepreneur Dick Smith called to discuss Marinus Link, the proposed electricity cable connecting Tasmania and Victoria.

Supporters say the project will help turn Tasmania into a renewable battery for the nation.

Critics question whether the state’s hydro dams can reliably support the plan during extended droughts.

The discussion highlighted the complexity of Australia’s transition to new energy systems.

Dogs at Work

From national policy the program returned to the paddocks.

Tomo from Ebor in northern New South Wales described watching dog trials in Dorrigo, where highly trained working dogs guide cattle through gates and obstacles.

Handlers used whistles, voice commands and hand signals to direct the animals, whose intelligence and speed can transform life on a farm.

Top working dogs can sell for tens of thousands of dollars.

Flood Stories From the Stuart Highway

Lindsay from the Humpty Doo area shared a story from the road.

Driving the Stuart Highway, he encountered a bridge whose foundations had been undermined by floodwaters.

Engineers eventually allowed traffic to cross slowly, with heavy road trains guided over the structure at a careful angle to reduce pressure on the damaged supports.

It was a reminder of how fragile transport links can be across Australia’s vast interior.

Floodwaters Around Katherine

Later in the program, ABC reporter James Elton joined Macca from Katherine.

River levels had reached around 19 metres, placing parts of the town under serious threat.

Floodwaters surrounded homes and emergency crews worked to protect key areas with temporary levees.

Residents were watching closely for signs that water levels upstream were beginning to fall.

Mining Life in Papua New Guinea

From the flood zone the program travelled to Papua New Guinea, where Richard Kerrison called from the Hidden Valley Gold Mine in Morobe Province.

Located nearly 2,800 metres above sea level, the mine operates in rugged terrain with heavy rainfall.

With global uncertainty pushing gold prices higher, operations are running at full capacity.

Despite the challenging environment, Kerrison said the region maintains strong ties with Australia dating back to World War II.

A Motorcycle Ride With a Purpose

One of the most inspiring calls came from Lida Szabunia, who is planning a charity motorcycle ride across remote Australia.

After surgery and chemotherapy for gastric cancer, she decided to organise a journey from Uluru through Warburton to Laverton in Western Australia.

The trip will take about a week across largely off-road terrain.

For Szabunia, the ride is about staying positive while raising funds and awareness for a cancer that receives relatively little research attention.

Life in Remote Northern Communities

Malcolm from Barunga, southeast of Katherine, described how quickly floodwaters can isolate remote communities.

Heavy rain in rocky headwaters can surge into rivers within hours, cutting roads and surrounding towns.

Despite the risks, residents say the Northern Territory’s storms and landscapes remain among the most dramatic in Australia.

Posters, Cars and the Joy of Collecting

The morning also included a lighter story from Noel in Bathurst, who has spent decades collecting historic movie posters.

His exhibition at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre features classics such as The Adventures of Robin Hood, Spartacus and Gladiator.

For Noel, the collection celebrates both cinema history and the many Australians who helped shape the international film industry.

A Country of Conversations

From turtle conservation in Hawaii to flooding in the Northern Territory, from Japanese ski towns to gold mines in Papua New Guinea, the morning’s calls once again showed how far Macca’s program can travel in a few hours.

The stories ranged from global events to quiet local moments, stitched together by the voices of listeners calling from wherever life had taken them.

It is that unpredictable mix that defines the program, a rolling conversation across a vast country where every call adds another small piece to the national story.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Disclaimer: ‘Australia All Over’ is a program produced and broadcast by the ABC Local Radio Network and hosted by Ian McNamara. Brisbane Suburbs Online News has no affiliation with Ian McNamara, the ABC, or the ‘Australia All Over’ program. This weekly review is an independent summary based on publicly available episodes. All original content and recordings remain the property of the ABC. Our summaries are written in our own words and are intended for commentary and review purposes only. Readers can listen to the full episodes via the official ABC platforms.

From Ocean Nash to Bormio Snow: Rain, Work, Emus and the Cost of Living

The first morning of March began, as it often does, with weather.

Not forecasts.

Reports from the road.

“I’ve Never Seen It Rain Out Here”

Leroy was driving through South Australia when he rang. Eight years running freight across that country and he’d never seen rain like this near Morgan and Renmark.

“Torrential.”

The kind of rain that makes truck drivers slow down. The kind that turns dry paddocks into sheet water in hours.

Around Lake Nash in the Northern Territory, 550 millimetres had reportedly fallen in a weekend. Three hundred and fifty in a single night. Not Lake Nash anymore, Macca quipped — Ocean Nash.

And then, half an hour later, Lyndon called from Wellington East near Tailem Bend.

Bone dry.

Three feet down with a post-hole digger and nothing but powder. Tumby Bay had 30 millimetres. Snowtown too. His place missed it entirely.

That’s Australia in one program — flood and drought separated by a few hundred kilometres.

Moreton Bay to Holbrook

Andrew was driving home through Holbrook after competing in the International Finn Class World Championships on Moreton Bay.

108 boats. 16 countries. The Finn — a single-handed Olympic class since 1952 — still pulling serious sailors from Europe and beyond, even after being dropped from the Paris Games.

He sounded tired, but satisfied. Weeks on the water, now long kilometres of highway back to Melbourne.

Macca lingered on the value of those gatherings — rowing regattas, sailing titles, surf carnivals. People from different lives converging briefly, then dispersing again.

Red Skies and Ancient Boats

Tracey rang from near Bairnsdale, below the silt jetties on the morass. Red sky in the morning. Spectacular light. Magpies and kookaburras providing the soundtrack.

She photographs the sunrise most days. Some mornings feel sent, she said.

In nearby Paynesville, the boat show was on — ancient boats, good food, impossible parking. Regional Australia still turns out for timber hulls and community sausage sizzles.

The Worker on the Pedestal

Guy from Swan Point shifted the tone.

April 28 is Workers’ Remembrance Day — three days after Anzac Day. He helped establish the Workers’ Commemorative Park in Launceston near Aurora Stadium.

There have already been 188 workplace deaths this year.

“We don’t lift the worker high enough,” he said.

It wasn’t an argument against military remembrance. It was an addition to it. Armed forces defend freedoms. Workers build the world in which those freedoms are lived.

The call sat heavily — no theatrics, just numbers and conviction.

Dolphins at Solomontown

Lucy from Port Pirie brought the temperature back up.

Morning swimmers at Solomontown Beach noticed a ripple. A dolphin calf surfaced two feet away. Then the mother arched between the swimmers and splashed.

“They were just hanging around us.”

No one reached out. They just watched.

You don’t have to fly to Antarctica for wildlife, Lucy said. Sometimes it swims past your knees.

From Ushuaia to Antarctica

Speaking of Antarctica — Chris rang from Ushuaia in Argentina, boarding a small cruise ship heading south.

Safety briefing horn sounding in the background. Survival suits to be demonstrated. Ten nights at sea ahead.

The cycling correspondent from Flying Fish Point, now on the edge of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Live radio rarely gets closer to the planet’s edges than that.

An Emu in a Banana Box

Then came Alan Hale’s letter.

He found the emu chick on his Snowy River property with a dislocated leg. Scooped it up. Jacket. Cardboard box. Hot water bottle.

The chick recovered.

And stayed.

Edward — named because he was third in line — followed him like a kelpie. Slept on his stomach. Travelled in the ute to Cooma Woolworths. Played with a retired guide dog during a house sit. By five months he was four feet tall and invisible when buried in sawdust.

Male emus raise the chicks in the wild. Edward simply reassigned the role.

It was the kind of story that can only unfold slowly on radio — detailed, funny, domestic, absurd and entirely believable.

Driving While Dying

Dr John Gillette rang while jogging in Toowoomba’s Peak to Park run.

His PhD research examined women with advanced breast cancer on opioid medication who still drive.

Ten women followed over a year. Two died during the study. All were conscious of risk. None had clear guidance.

They wanted to do school pick-ups. Groceries. Maintain some control.

The policy gap, he argued, is large. Doctors lack consistent advice to give. The conversation isn’t about recklessness — it’s about independence.

It was one of the morning’s most substantial discussions.

Grain, Pride and the Royal Easter Show

Rodney from Coolamon was collecting grain samples across the Riverina — Coleambally, Finley, Tocumwal, Corowa — for the Sydney Royal Easter Show district exhibits.

The colour in the dome comes from cleaned barley, wheat, pulses and seeds gathered by volunteers. Months of coordination for displays most city visitors walk past in minutes.

Agriculture still underwrites the spectacle.

Italian Golf and Measles Advice

Bruno phoned while driving to Victor Harbor for the South Australia Italian Golf Club’s monthly event — one of several Italian golf clubs across the country that hold interstate tournaments.

He is a GP. He casually confirmed measles cases are reappearing and vaccinations still matter.

Between jokes about handicaps and brothers, he delivered public health advice.

Bormio and the Price of Breakfast

Georgina Topp had just returned from Bormio in northern Italy, host town for men’s alpine skiing events.

Food, she said, was about 30 per cent cheaper than Australia. High quality. Local production. Wood-fired pizzas with big puffy borders. Pastries made on site.

The town square is more than a thousand years old.

The comparison with Australia’s cost-of-living pressures was unavoidable. Mechanic rates at $188 an hour. Insurance climbing. Groceries rising. Inflation spoken about in abstract terms until someone mentions the price of bread.

Marinus Link and State Debt

From Latrobe in Tasmania, Malcolm was driving to a rally against the proposed $5 billion Marinus Link power cable.

He fears rising state debt, stretched hospitals and long-term financial strain.

Energy infrastructure, like rainfall, depends on where you stand.

The Morning in Full

By the time the program closed, we had travelled:

Flooded highways near Morgan.
Dry paddocks near Tailem Bend.
Sailing courses on Moreton Bay.
A dolphin pod at Port Pirie.
An emu in a lounge room.
A thousand-year-old square in Bormio.
A protest in Burnie.
A fun run in Toowoomba.
A grain shed in Coolamon.
A ship leaving Ushuaia for Antarctica.

No grand theme.

Just the country speaking, one call at a time.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Disclaimer: ‘Australia All Over’ is a program produced and broadcast by the ABC Local Radio Network and hosted by Ian McNamara. Brisbane Suburbs Online News has no affiliation with Ian McNamara, the ABC, or the ‘Australia All Over’ program. This weekly review is an independent summary based on publicly available episodes. All original content and recordings remain the property of the ABC. Our summaries are written in our own words and are intended for commentary and review purposes only. Readers can listen to the full episodes via the official ABC platforms.

From the Nullarbor to the Tamar: Wine, Rain and the Long Way Round

Macca’s lines were wide open this week, and as usual, the calls stitched together a portrait of Australia that felt both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time.

From skiers bound for Japan to sheep on the way to Albury, from hay convoys into bushfire zones to Sauvignon Blanc revelations in Tasmania, it was a morning that moved across states and stories without ever leaving the studio.

Japan, Factories and the Price of Snow

Brendan rang in while packing suitcases — Japan for skiing, China for work.

Japan, he said, had become so affordable for snow trips that his brother had bought a place there. In his words, it had worked out “cheaper to get a joint over there and own it” than take the family skiing for a week in Australia. The strength of the yen, lift pass pricing, accommodation comparisons — all of it, he implied, had shifted the maths for Australian families who once defaulted to domestic slopes.

There was a quiet irony in it: Australians flying north for snow while their own alpine resorts battle short seasons and unpredictable conditions. For Brendan, it wasn’t ideology or tourism strategy — it was cost and practicality.

From the slopes of Japan, he was heading into a different kind of terrain: Chinese factories producing electric mobility components. That’s his line of work, he said — “spare parts specialist,” visiting plants manufacturing the small but essential parts that power e-bikes, scooters and electric vehicles.

It was a reminder that the global shift toward electrification doesn’t begin in showrooms. It begins in industrial parks, in supply chains, in component plants that most consumers never see. Later in the program, that global supply chain would resurface in a longer discussion about electric vehicles and where Australia sits in the evolving automotive landscape.

For Brendan, though, it was simply work and a bit of pleasure — skiing one week, factory floors the next. Modern Australia, suitcase open on the bed.

Wineries, Stories and the Latitude of Taste

Marcus from Tarragindi spoke about family-run wineries — the kind you won’t find in big chain bottle shops. The ones open “by appointment,” where you meet the owner or the owner’s children, and where one story leads to another.

That thread was picked up by John Howie, who shared his conversion moment in New Zealand’s Marlborough region. A glass of Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc at an Italian restaurant changed his palate forever.

Years later, performing in northern Tasmania, he was steered toward a Tamar Valley Sauvignon Blanc when the Marlborough had run out. The revelation? The two regions sit on almost exactly the same latitude. The flavour profile — bright, sharp, distinct — felt strikingly similar.

It was less about alcohol and more about geography, soil and climate — the quiet science behind taste.

Rain on the Nullarbor and the Long Haul

Glenn, a truck driver of 45 years, was edging toward retirement. He had just crossed from the Western Australian border toward Port Augusta in steady rain. The paddocks were green, humidity thick in the air.

He described sleeping in his cab with an auxiliary “ice pack” cooling unit running so the engine could stay off. Parcel freight in the trailer — he didn’t even know what was inside. Just another run across a continent where, as he put it, most freight still moves by road.

He remembered floods near Balladonia in the late 1990s — graders towing trucks through roadworks at night. The Nullarbor changes, but it also stays the same.

Sheep, Kelpies and 40 Acres

Bazza from Macclesfield was loading about 30 sheep for a regular customer near Albury. His co-pilot was Ozzy the kelpie. Also along for the ride: Banjo, an ageing Australian cattle dog.

Conditions at his 40-acre property were dry — a contrast to the rain reported further west. It was a reminder that in Australia, rainfall is never evenly distributed.

Licorice Roots and Hiroshima

Jared Gray phoned from Tokyo, listening via the ABC Listen app. His father had grown licorice root near Finley for export to Japan — eventually reaching 600 acres.

The root, not confectionery, was the commodity. Extracted for medicinal compounds and widely used in tobacco flavouring, it was described as vastly sweeter than sugar in concentrated form.

While in Japan, Jared visited Onomichi, where the licorice shipments once arrived, and travelled to Hiroshima, reflecting on his grandfather’s experience as a prisoner of war.

Trade, memory and reconciliation shared the same itinerary.

Pankind and the Hard Numbers

Judy from Hobart rang to promote Pankind’s “Put Your Foot Down” walk for pancreatic cancer.

She spoke about her own diagnosis in 2021 and said that, according to figures discussed within the organisation, pancreatic cancer carries a five-year survival rate of around 13 percent. She also stated that two Australians are diagnosed every hour and that approximately 75 Australians die each week from the disease.

Those figures were cited by Judy during the call, and listeners were encouraged to seek updated information through Pankind and official health sources.

Electric Cars, Range and Reality

Automotive columnist John Connolly joined the program to discuss electric vehicles. He said China is now building roughly two-thirds of global EVs and described Australia’s pure electric vehicle uptake as sitting at about 8 percent of new sales, with hybrids proving more popular.

He also raised concerns about battery replacement costs, insurance premiums and charging infrastructure outside metropolitan areas.

Later, Gordon from near Hillston offered a different perspective. His family owns three electric vehicles and charges them using rooftop solar. He cited what he described as American statistics suggesting EV fire risk is significantly lower than petrol vehicles, and said their experience has been overwhelmingly positive.

For long regional trips, however, he noted they still travel diesel.

The conversation reflected a broader national debate — less about ideology, more about practicality and geography.

The Hay Convoy to Longwood

Graham Cockrell from Need for Feed described 76 trucks delivering donated hay into Victoria’s Longwood fire zone on Australia Day.

Much of that hay, he said, came from farmers who themselves had received help in previous disasters. Communities affected by fire stood roadside as the convoy passed.

Need for Feed is a registered charity operated by volunteers, and listeners were directed to its official website for further information.

Soil, Hardpan and What We’re Doing Wrong

Calvin, calling from Kangaroo Island, argued that degraded soil structure — including what he described as a chemical-induced hardpan layer — is contributing to worsening drought and flood cycles. He believes funding should prioritise soil restoration before disasters occur, rather than focusing primarily on post-event relief.

His views reflect one side of an ongoing debate around land management, farming practices and climate resilience.

Captain John King Davis and the ANARE Club

Liz from Hobart spoke about Captain John King Davis, Antarctic explorer and captain for both Mawson and Shackleton.

After his previously unmarked grave in Melbourne was located, members of the ANARE Club organised a proper headstone with family permission. A ceremony was held last Thursday, with Davis now recognised formally in the cemetery where he rests.

Small acts of historical restoration can resonate widely.

Produce, Preserving and the 150th Bega Show

Beth in Ben Lomond described figs, peaches, plums, nectarines and pears coming in waves from a small orchard. Preserving, sharing and extending the harvest were part of village life.

Barb from Bega followed with news of the 150th Bega Show — pavilion judging, fireworks and the NSW Governor opening proceedings.

Country shows remain places where everyday abundance is displayed — in jars, flowers and livestock — not just in supermarket price tags.

Rubbish Pickers and Quiet Civic Duty

Jen from Ballarat walks Lake Wendouree each Sunday and fills bags with litter. She and another local — also named Jen — now call themselves “the rubbish pickers.”

No speeches. Just bags collected and bins filled.

Why We Live Where We Live

The morning closed with Magnus and Wendy aboard the sailing vessel Nutshell, currently in Holland and bound for Finland. Their piece described a life “where the water wiggles” — a floating home without postcode, routine or fixed horizon.

Across it all, one theme kept surfacing: movement.

Across oceans. Across paddocks. Across fire lines. Across the Kidman Way dodging emus.

And yet, always, coming back.

That’s the thing about Australia. You can wander. You can weigh anchor. You can drive the Nullarbor in the rain.

But eventually, the line reconnects.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Disclaimer: ‘Australia All Over’ is a program produced and broadcast by the ABC Local Radio Network and hosted by Ian McNamara. Brisbane Suburbs Online News has no affiliation with Ian McNamara, the ABC, or the ‘Australia All Over’ program. This weekly review is an independent summary based on publicly available episodes. All original content and recordings remain the property of the ABC. Our summaries are written in our own words and are intended for commentary and review purposes only. Readers can listen to the full episodes via the official ABC platforms.