Back Roads
Take a road less travelled to the small towns and communities that make Australia special. Join Heather Ewart and guest presenters as they discover remarkable stories and inspiring people you'll never forget.
Seasons
1. Ceduna
Air Date: 2015-11-30
Award winning journalist Heather Ewart takes a trip to the Nullarbor frontier town of Ceduna on the Great Australian Bight, where breaking conventions is the rule.
2. Winton
Air Date: 2015-12-07
Heather Ewart visits the Western Queensland town of Winton, in Waltzing Matilda country. Heather spends a day at the races, goes digging for dinosaur bones & meets former Governor-General Dame Quentin Bryce.
3. Yackandandah
Air Date: 2015-12-14
This week Heather Ewart travels to the remote town of Yackandandah. In the foothills of Victoria's high country, this picture-perfect gold rush town gambled on itself and won.
4. Karumba
Air Date: 2015-12-21
This week Heather Ewart travels to the remote fishing town of Karumba in Far North Queensland and discovers why the locals love the isolation so much.
5. Birchip
Air Date: 2015-12-28
This week Heather Ewart explores the heart of wheat country, Birchip in the Victorian Mallee to enjoy a slice of country life in a town that thrives on bucking trends.
6. Derby
Air Date: 2016-01-04
Heather Ewart swaps reporting from political corridors of power to a new beat around the bush. In this episode she meets the characters and explores the stories from the WA community of Derby.
7. Queenstown
Air Date: 2016-01-11
In this episode Heather Ewart meets Young Tasmanian of the year, Adam Mostogl and explores the stories from the Tasmanian community of Queenstown.
8. Clarence River
Air Date: 2016-01-18
Heather Ewart swaps reporting from political corridors of power to a new beat around the bush. In this episode she meets the characters and explores the stories from the community of Clarence River in NSW.
1. Mundulla, SA
Air Date: 2016-11-28
Heather Ewart visits Mundulla, this tiny South Australian community cherishes its old world values, but doesn't mind a bit of healthy competition.
2. Innisfail to Normanton, QLD
Air Date: 2016-12-05
Heather Ewart joins a big-hearted hairdresser and her 76-year-old apprentice on a ten day road-trip from their home town of Innisfail to Normanton in Queensland's Gulf country.
3. Mallacoota, VIC
Air Date: 2016-12-12
Heather Ewart visits Mallacoota, a remote place at the end of the road on the far eastern tip of Victoria. Known for its natural beauty and wilderness, its isolation has bred a determination in the town to look after its own.
4. Thursday Island, QLD
Air Date: 2016-12-19
Thursday Island is a laid-back paradise that most Australians have never visited and know little about. While its isolation can present problems, locals are rising to the challenge and are carving out a new future.
5. Katanning, WA
Air Date: 2017-01-02
The "ordinary" sheep and wheat town of Katanning in Western Australia has laid out the welcome mat and transformed itself, extraordinarily, holding some delightful surprises.
6. Hermannsburg, NT
Air Date: 2017-01-09
Heather Ewart visits Hermannsburg (known as Ntaria in Western Arrarnta language), the stunning birthplace of Albert Namatjira. This Northern Territory town is nurturing both culture & creativity in its young people.
7. White Cliffs, NSW
Air Date: 2017-01-16
Heather Ewart visits White Cliffs, a tiny underground outback town in NSW, which is full of colourful surprises.
8. Cygnett, TAS
Air Date: 2017-01-23
This week Heather Ewart discovers the seaside hamlet of Cygnet in southern Tasmania's Huon Valley is undergoing some big changes with runaways from the city flooding in to town.
9. Harrow, VIC
Air Date: 2017-01-30
This week Heather visits Harrow, a creative community that took to heart the mantra "reinvent or perish" and found unique ways to bring new people and fresh ideas into the town.
1. Corryong
Air Date: 2017-11-27
Heather heads to Corryong, Victoria. A bucket-load of beauty and a fascinating history haven't been enough to cement the town's success. But that's changing, with some of Corryong's young people starting to move back.
2. Dunalley
Air Date: 2017-12-04
Dunalley is a small town in Tasmania that was almost wiped out by bushfires in 2013. But instead of destroying them, the tragedy has proven to be a catalyst for many people to pursue a new path.
3. Oodnadatta (Part 1)
Air Date: 2017-12-11
Back Roads heads along the legendary Oodnadatta Track in outback South Australia. Heather Ewart begins her journey in the small town of Marree, where the Oodnadatta and Birdsville Tracks meet.
4. Oodnadatta (Part 2)
Air Date: 2017-12-18
Heather continues along the Oodnadatta Track, SA. She hitches a lift with 'Wally' the truck-driver who delivers essential supplies; meets the Pink Roadhouse owner; as well as the workers at an isolated cattle station.
5. Robe
Air Date: 2018-01-01
Robe, SA, is a seaside safe-haven known for helping others and having a generosity of spirit. Local farming families offer their holiday houses to war veterans and give them a free weekend in their stunning town.
6. Canowindra
Air Date: 2018-01-08
Canowindra might be known as the hot-air ballooning capital of Australia, but there's plenty more going for this town. The Canowindra community is looking to reinvent its future, doing big gestures of kindness along the way.
7. Pine Creek
Air Date: 2018-01-15
Heather travels to Pine Creek, a pioneering outback town in the Northern Territory. On the fringes of Kakadu National Park, Pine Creek has long been a boom or bust mining area, but the town now finds itself at a cross roads.
8. Pilbara
Air Date: 2018-01-22
Heather Ewart heads to the Pilbara region of Western Australia to meet some of the remarkable locals who are driving change as the mining boom ends. There's also plenty of 'girl power' to be found out in this harsh landscape.
9. The Best of Back Roads
Air Date: 2018-01-26
In this episode Heather Ewart returns to communities whose good humour and inventiveness will inspire and uplift in the best of Back Roads.
10. Violet Town
Air Date: 2018-01-29
Violet Town, Victoria, is a small place with a very big heart. It might be well-known by some for its popular monthly market, but it's the way Violet Town locals embrace creativity & diversity that really makes a difference.
1. Waterfall Way, NSW
Air Date: 2018-06-11
Heather Ewart travels to Waterfall Way in NSW, one of the most beautiful drives in Australia. But it's not just the scenery that's spectacular, Heather meets some wonderful locals including celebrated pianist, David Helfgott.
2. Murray River, SA
Air Date: 2018-06-17
Heather Ewart travels along the southern Murray River. She meets locals who've weathered drought & flood. She experiences many shades of the river from its bountiful Riverland to the spectacular limestone cliffs of Big Bend.
3. Natimuk, VIC
Air Date: 2018-06-24
Guest presenter Paul West visits the small, yet spectacular, town of Natimuk in Victoria. Paul discovers that two worlds have collided in Natimuk, where the community is a mix of rock climbers and German-Lutheran farmers.
4. Scottdsdale, TAS
Air Date: 2018-07-02
Heather visits Scottsdale in Tasmania's north-east. After losing three major industries, the area's unemployment figures doubled. With the only options to move or innovate, locals started creating new jobs.
5. Thallon, QLD
Air Date: 2018-07-09
ABC News presenter Joe O'Brien visits the tiny Queensland town of Thallon. Joe grew up in regional Queensland, and he gladly leaves the studio behind to head into the outback.
6. Robinvale, VIC
Air Date: 2018-07-16
Heather Ewart visits Robinvale, in Victoria, which was named after a local soldier, Lieutenant George 'Robin' Cuttle, who was killed at the Somme during the First World War, near the town of Villers-Bretonneux in France.
7. Tiwi Islands, NT
Air Date: 2018-07-23
Guest presenter and triple j newsreader Brooke Boney is taking over the Back Roads reins this week, travelling to the Tiwi Islands, north of Darwin.
8. Nyngan, NSW
Air Date: 2018-07-30
In the midseason final, Heather Ewart travels to the surprising little town of Nyngan. The gateway to the outback in NSW, this isolated spot on the Bogan River, Nyngan locals are changing the lives of others.
9. The Greengrocer, QLD
Air Date: 2018-12-03
Heather Ewart is on a road trip in Queensland with a much-loved travelling greengrocer. For 30 years, Fari Rameshfar has travelled through droughts, cyclones and floods to deliver fresh food to people living in isolation.
10. Lightning Ridge, NSW
Air Date: 2018-12-10
Heather Ewart heads to the NSW outback town of Lightning Ridge, a place of dreamers and drifters, with most residents lured by the black opals. Heather discovers the many stories of Lightning Ridge's outback grit.
11. Furneaux Islands, TAS
Air Date: 2018-12-17
Guest presenter Paul West visits the Furneaux Islands, a wild and windswept group of islands in Bass Strait, just off Tasmania. The cold ocean waters are full of treasures like lobsters and abalone, plus rusted shipwrecks.
12. Beaufort, VIC
Air Date: 2019-01-14
Heather Ewart travels to the historic Victorian town of Beaufort, which is halfway between the two 'rats' - Ararat and Ballarat. 160 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, it's a place where old and new collide.
13. Marble Bar, WA
Air Date: 2019-01-21
Back Roads travels to Marble Bar, known as the hottest place in Australia. Singer-songwriter and ABC Radio's Saturday Night Country presenter Felicity Urquhart takes the wheel as we visit red-dirt country in the Pilbara, WA.
14. The Coorong, SA
Air Date: 2019-01-28
Heather Ewart visits The Coorong, an area spanning 130kms of South Australian coastline. It's a stunning mosaic of wild ocean beaches, lagoons and wetlands, but in many ways it's become the forgotten end of the Murray River.
15. Finke, NT
Air Date: 2019-02-04
ABC's Joe O'Brien visits the remote Northern Territory community of Finke, traditionally known as Aputula and famous for the Finke Desert Race, a 460 kilometre off-road endurance rally, one of the toughest in the world.
16. Windorah, QLD
Air Date: 2019-02-11
Heather Ewart visits the small town of Windorah in Queensland's Channel country between Longreach and Birdsville. Many people live there because they love the splendid isolation, but it comes with a price.
1. Glen Helen Ride
Air Date: 2019-06-17
Back Roads returns with an epic journey in the Northern Territory, from one of the world's most remote cattle stations to some of the most spectacular landscapes in the heart of Australia.
2. Tolmie, VIC
Air Date: 2019-06-24
Heather visits Tolmie, tucked away in Victoria's High Country. In the past it was known as a hideaway for bushrangers, near the infamous Stringybark Creek ambush where Ned Kelly and his gang murdered three police officers.
3. Woolgoolga, NSW
Air Date: 2019-07-01
Heather Ewart explores a vibrant coastal community in northern New South Wales, where East meets West and which the locals affectionately call Woopi.
4. Burketown, QLD
Air Date: 2019-07-08
Guest presenter, chef and farmer Paul West heads to the Gulf of Carpentaria to see one of the world's most extraordinary weather events.
5. Kulin, WA
Air Date: 2019-07-15
280kms from Perth, Kulin is home to less than 400 people. From the 'Tin Horse Highway' - horse-shaped sculptures made out of 44 gallon drums to a giant waterslide, the quirky town is known for its generosity of spirit.
6. Fish Creek, VIC
Air Date: 2019-07-22
Fish Creek is a whimsical town straight from a storybook, home to children's book authors and illustrators, world-renowned botanical artists, musicians and sculptors. It is near the southernmost tip of Australia's mainland.
7. Flinders Ranges, SA
Air Date: 2019-07-29
Incoming News Breakfast co-host Lisa Millar traces the footsteps of her Prussian ancestors who migrated to SA in the mid-1800s, discovering a town rich in film history and a spectacularly coloured yellow-footed rock wallaby.
8. Riverina, NSW
Air Date: 2019-08-05
Heather visits one of the flattest places on earth, the dusty Hay Plains. Home to a fascinating bunch with a dry sense of humour, the town hosts the Hay Rodeo and Rainbow on the Plains - the Hay Mardi Gras.
9. Snow Journey, VIC + NSW
Air Date: 2019-12-23
Heather Ewart discovers a very different type of community on the roof of Australia as she visits the peaks of Victoria and New South Wales' snow country.
10. Bulloo Shire, QLD
Air Date: 2019-12-30
Heather Ewart catches a ride to the Bulloo Shire in south-west Queensland, a community that thrives despite its isolation.
11. Wynyard, TAS
Air Date: 2020-01-06
Guest presenter Joe O'Brien leaves the ABC newsroom for the wilds of Wynyard in north west Tasmania.
12. Clunes, VIC
Air Date: 2020-01-13
Heather Ewart visits the preserved gold rush town of Clunes, in the Victorian Central Goldfields. Its golden days might be long gone, but a wave of newcomers is putting its untouched 19th century main street back on the map.
13. Koroit, VIC
Air Date: 2020-01-20
Heather Ewart discovers a patch of Ireland tucked away in coastal Victoria. Koroit is reportedly home to the largest Irish community in regional Australia, and it's a place that thrives on music, poetry and potatoes.
14. Menindee, NSW
Air Date: 2020-01-27
Last summer, Menindee in NSW made worldwide news when a perfect storm of drought and poor water management caused a mass fish kill of nearly a million fish. Guest presenter Lisa Millar uncovers the town behind the headlines.
15. Show Town, QLD
Air Date: 2020-02-03
Heather joins a cavalcade of showmen and their little town on wheels on an 800 km run through far north Queensland. It's a journey that will bust every preconceived idea of what the travelling carnival life is like.
16. Jabiru, NT
Air Date: 2020-02-10
Join award-winning journalist and Murawari-Gomeroi man Allan Clarke as he uncovers the small community of Jabiru. Buried deep in Kakadu National Park, it is one of the most extraordinary places on the planet.
1. Nullarbor, SA (Part 1) The Endless Horizon
Air Date: 2020-06-08
Back Roads returns this winter to take you to some of the widest open spaces on Earth. Join Heather Ewart on a journey across the Nullarbor Plain, discovering why people are drawn to this remote landscape and why they stay.
2. Nullarbor, SA (Part 2) Turning Back Time
Air Date: 2020-06-15
Heather Ewart resumes her Nullarbor Plain odyssey, this time from the South Australian border travelling west across Western Australia. It is a very special tale of time travel, outer space and underground secrets.
3. Rokewood-Corindhap, VIC
Air Date: 2020-06-22
Guest presenter Lisa Millar presents a COVID-19 special program about how the Rokewood-Corindhap community has come together when the heart of the town is not able to beat.
4. Biloela, QLD
Air Date: 2020-06-29
The Central Queensland town of Biloela hit the headlines in its bid to stop a Sri Lankan Tamil family being deported. The town, traditionally conservative, is now welcoming and full of opportunity.
5. Penguin, TAS
Air Date: 2020-07-06
Heather meets a community embracing rejuvenation and taking life head on. Once the overlooked Cinderella of Tasmania's picturesque north-west coast, a makeover transformed Penguin.
6. Girgarre, VIC
Air Date: 2020-07-13
Heather visits a Victorian town transformed by the power of music. The dairy industry and the community was hit hard by the Millennium Drought but creative ideas included a Moosic Muster.
7. Dampier Peninsula, WA
Air Date: 2020-07-20
Discover the cultural and culinary delights of WA's Dampier Peninsula, an the 'undiscovered' part of the coastline. Presenter Paul West meets people who have a deep connection to this land and the sea.
8. Omeo, VIC
Air Date: 2020-07-27
Victoria's High Country is famous for cattlemen & horsemen. Heather tracks down the extraordinary women of Omeo and its surrounds whose grit and determination have seen them survive droughts & bushfires.
1. Cobar, NSW
Air Date: 2021-02-04
Heather Ewart visits Cobar, NSW, where she meets the stoic locals who want to keep the community together, trying to discover what it is that makes people fight so hard for Cobar.
2. Kyogle, NSW
Air Date: 2021-02-11
Heather Ewart visits Kyogle in northern NSW. The traditional farming town is growing and changing as it welcomes newcomers from all walks of life. Heather discovers a town that dreams big and doesn't take no for an answer.
3. Coober Pedy, SA
Air Date: 2021-02-18
Guest presenter Poh Ling Yeow explores a remote outpost connected by their love of opal but also each other. Coober Pedy in SA has dust, tumbleweeds, no trees and a lunar-like landscape but it attracts people from everywhere.
4. Conquering Isolation Special
Air Date: 2021-02-25
On a wild ride through remote country we discover people need resilience, a sense of humour and creativity to make isolation work. Heather Ewart brings together the inspiring characters she's met and shares their latest news.
5. Eugowra, NSW
Air Date: 2021-03-04
Heather Ewart visits a town at the centre of the richest gold escort heist in Australian history and discovers where Eugowra's real treasure lies. She has a crack at driving a horse-drawn plough in this rich, farming country.
6. Agnes Water and 1770, QLD
Air Date: 2021-03-11
Join guest presenter Paul West as he discovers the heart and soul of the twin towns Agnes Water and 1770 in Queensland, where science is harnessing the 'power of people'.
7. Local Heroes Special
Air Date: 2021-03-18
Heather Ewart reconnects with some of our favourite characters - remarkable local heroes who live on the back roads. From the parched red dirt of Roebourne in WA to the rolling green hills of Corryong in Victoria.
8. Back To Mallacoota
Air Date: 2021-03-25
Heather Ewart returns to Mallacoota after the New Year's Eve 2019 firestorm engulfed the town. Heather catches up with some old friends to find out how they've dealt with the impact of the bushfires, then a global pandemic.
9. Cooktown, QLD
Air Date: 2021-04-01
Cooktown is a place heaving with history. Guest presenter Craig Quartermaine discovers what locals make of Captain Cook and how the community is making sense of its past in a story of connections, friendships and forgiveness.
10. Tenterfield, NSW
Air Date: 2021-04-08
Heather travels through time in historic Tenterfield, a town drawing on its past to try and preserve its future. Tenterfield suffered major drought, fires and COVID. Heather meets the characters who are making a difference.
11. Adelaide River, NT
Air Date: 2021-04-15
Heather Ewart takes a walk on the wild side of the Top End. In Adelaide River, she joins the Fawcett sisters on a buffalo muster, a rollercoaster ride which has her literally on the edge of her seat.
12. Central Highlands, TAS
Air Date: 2021-04-22
Guest presenter Lisa Millar heads to the 'land of a thousand lakes' in the wild beating heart of Tassie. The Central Highlands is a harsh, beautiful and isolated place regarded as one of the world's best fly-fishing spots.
13. The Mallee, VIC
Air Date: 2021-04-29
Heather Ewart discovers the Mallee spirit, where locals know how to roll up their sleeves and get things done. The Mallee people know the importance of investing in their children and the future to have a vibrant community.
14. Cloncurry, QLD
Air Date: 2021-05-06
Guest presenter Kristy O'Brien heads to north-west Queensland and big cattle country. A community that pulls together in tough times, they know how to look out for their mates and getting back on the horse is a way of life.
15. Rupanyup and Minyip, VIC
Air Date: 2021-05-20
Heather Ewart heads into silo country on a journey through Victoria's Wimmera. Meet the hard-working and humble people of Rupanyup and Minyip, whose fighting spirit and hard work ensure their future is full of opportunities.
16. Strahan, TAS
Air Date: 2021-05-27
Heather Ewart travels to Strahan in Tasmania, a tiny coastal community in one of the oldest and most spectacular wilderness landscapes, a place of world heritage beauty and an open library of stories.
1. The Great Australian Road Trip
Air Date: 2022-01-03
As the ABC celebrates its 90th year, Heather Ewart takes a look at the evolution of the great Australian road trip, and revisits some of the very best she's taken on Back Roads.
2. Tom Price, WA
Air Date: 2022-01-10
There are unexpected encounters when colourful South Pacific and traditional cultures kick up the red dust of the Pilbara as Back Roads heads to the town of Tom Price in Western Australia.
3. Cradle Mountain, TAS
Air Date: 2022-01-17
Guest presenter Joe O'Brien taps into his inner Bear Grylls in this Back Roads adventure to Cradle Mountain in the wilds of the Tasmanian Highlands.
4. Boulia, QLD
Air Date: 2022-01-24
Heather Ewart finds there are many surprises in the tiny town of Boulia on the edge of the Simpson Desert about 1700km from Brisbane.
5. Eyre Peninsula, SA
Air Date: 2022-01-31
In South Australia, guest presenter Paul West goes on a wild ride along the Eyre Peninsula's rugged west coast, finding a place with an untamed spirit and a fierce self-reliance.
6. Port Campbell, VIC
Air Date: 2022-02-07
Heather Ewart sets course for Port Campbell on Victoria's Shipwreck Coast, known for its wild weather and dangerous seas.
7. Charleville, QLD
Air Date: 2022-02-14
Guest presenter Kristy O'Brien heads to the outback town of Charleville in south-west Queensland, where she discovers a place that offers second chances and a community that always finds the silver linings.
8. Longford, TAS
Air Date: 2022-02-21
Back Roads host Heather Ewart takes an adventurous trip through Longford in Tasmania to find out if keeping an old world alive can still offer some surprises.
9. Leeton, NSW
Air Date: 2022-07-11
Back Roads kicks off its Winter series in the vibrant multicultural town of Leeton, in NSW's Riverina region.
10. Katherine, NT
Air Date: 2022-07-18
A unique insight into the NT town of Katherine, where blakfella and whitefella walk together. With Bardi-Kidja guest presenter Albert Wiggan.
11. Hebel, QLD
Air Date: 2022-07-25
Heather Ewart travels to the border town of Hebel in south-west Queensland, a little place with a big heart, where folk look for a silver lining in the toughest of times.
12. Tumut, NSW
Air Date: 2022-08-01
The Snowy Valleys come alive to the sound of music and traditions, old and new, bring a community together and heal the wounds of the past.
13. French Island, VIC
Air Date: 2022-08-08
Guest Presenter Lisa Millar goes on an adventure to Victoria's French Island. World renowned as a haven for many bird, animal and plant species - it is a Noah's ark of diversity.
14. Leonora, WA
Air Date: 2022-08-15
Heather Ewart travels to Leonora in the goldfields of WA. 800km north-east of Perth, its home to Australia's richest road mile running race and where heptathlete-turned-bobsleigh Winter Olympian Kiara Reddingius was raised.
15. Pinnaroo, SA
Air Date: 2022-08-22
Guest Presenter Kerry Staight travels to Pinnaroo in South Australia, a town that is putting the health and happiness of its people above everything else.
16. King Island, TAS
Air Date: 2022-08-29
Heather Ewart heads to King Island, in Bass Strait half-way between Tasmania and Victoria. A place famous for cheese, seafood and the treacherous Roaring 40's winds, she finds out why many who've left are coming back.
1. The Great Australian Pub
Air Date: 2023-01-02
In this special 100th episode of Back Roads, Heather Ewart looks at The Great Australian Pub. Our very own unique style of watering hole, the humble pub sits at the heart of many communities.
2. Brunette Downs, NT
Air Date: 2023-01-09
Back Roads heads to one of the country's largest cattle stations, Brunette Downs in the NT. Heather Ewart discovers what makes life on this remote and rugged property so attractive and arrives in time for the Brunette Races.
3. Marrawah, TAS
Air Date: 2023-01-16
Foodie and farmer Paul West packs his surfboard for a Back Roads visit to tiny Marrawah in northwest Tasmania for the legendary West Coast Classic: three days of big swells, blowing gales and woolly beanies.
4. Quilpie, QLD
Air Date: 2023-01-23
Heather Ewart visits the Quilpie shire in outback Queensland. With an average age of under 40, residents have transformed this former Opalopolis into a vibrant community, with a little help from Australia's biggest dinosaur.
5. Ord River, WA
Air Date: 2023-01-30
Wiradjuri woman and journalist, Rae Johnston, takes Back Roads on a water fuelled odyssey to the East Kimberley region, at the very top of WA, where the mighty Ord River is the lifeblood of the community.
6. Pyramid Hill and Nhill, VIC
Air Date: 2023-02-06
Nhill and Pyramid Hill lie 260km apart but are connected in the most surprising ways. These two old farming towns offer newcomers a fresh start and a fair go. Heather discovers the spin offs were surprising and unexpected.
7. Tennant Creek, NT
Air Date: 2023-02-13
Champion Paralympian Kurt Fearnley finds a heart of gold shining brightly amongst the townsfolk of Tennant Creek. Locals are overcoming intergenerational trauma by nourishing residents with great education, art and religion.
8. Musical Road Trip through Western Queensland
Air Date: 2023-02-20
Heather Ewart hitches a ride with singer-songwriter Josh Arnold across western Queensland as he makes stars of local kids, teaching them how to celebrate their community by writing their own town anthem.
9. Strzelecki Track, SA (Part 1)
Air Date: 2023-07-03
Back Roads returns with a journey on the Strzelecki Track, starting near Lyndhurst in SA and heading into the Strzelecki Desert. Heather Ewart witnesses a way of life on this historic track that's been unchanged for decades.
10. Strzelecki Track, SA (Part 2)
Air Date: 2023-07-10
Back Roads continues the journey on the challenging Strzelecki Track, heading up to Innamincka in the top corner of South Australia. Heather Ewart finds out what it takes to survive a job on this remote and historic track.
11. Great South West Walk, VIC
Air Date: 2023-07-17
Guest presenter Lisa Millar takes us on a journey along Victoria's spectacular Great South West Walk. Hiking the 250km trail is a chance to connect with nature but, as Lisa discovers, the experience can also be life changing.
12. Walhalla, VIC
Air Date: 2023-07-24
Heather visits the sleepy Victorian mountainside town of Walhalla, on the historic Goldfields Railway. Frozen in time, with movie-set looks, a cricket pitch that defies logic, and nearby creatures straight from the Dreamtime.
13. Cunnamulla, QLD
Air Date: 2023-07-31
Back Roads visits Cunnamulla in south-west Queensland with guest presenter, 24-year-old Yorta Yorta man and TikTok star Tom Forrest aka 'Outback Tom'. He finds a town transforming itself from a dark past to a brighter future.
14. Darkan, WA
Air Date: 2023-08-07
Back Roads is heading to Western Australia's vast wheatbelt region, to the little town of Darkan. Deep in the golden plains of sheep country, Heather Ewart discovers how a very small community saved itself from extinction.
15. Boot Scootin' Tour, TAS
Air Date: 2023-08-14
Heather Ewart heads to Tasmania with two intrepid line dancers who are on a boot scootin' line dancing tour of the nation holding 'Hoedowns for country towns', lifting spirits and raising money to help others, along the way.
16. Rabaul, Papua New Guinea
Air Date: 2023-08-21
For the first time, Back Roads leaves Australian shores and travels to our closest northern neighbour, Papua New Guinea. Guest presenter Tania Bale introduces us to Rabaul, a community with close ties to Australia.
1. Brunswick Heads, NSW
Air Date: 2024-01-09
Presenter Heather Ewart starts the summer season in the idyllic beachside village of Brunswick Heads in northern New South Wales and discovers the surprising joys of life in a holiday town.
2. Naracoorte, SA
Air Date: 2024-01-16
Join 'Back Roads' on a journey to Naracoorte on SA's Limestone Coast. Guest presenter, Amanda Shalala discovers a heartwarming community that's welcoming newcomers, changing lives and inspiring its young people to dream big.
3. Uralla, NSW
Air Date: 2024-01-23
Heather Ewart heads to the New England region in NSW and the former gold town of Uralla. Now the locals are uncovering a different kind of treasure, finding riches everywhere and using that to invest in a sustainable future.
4. Home Hill, Qld
Air Date: 2024-01-30
Back Roads heads to north Queensland sugar cane country and the town of Home Hill. Presenter Heather Ewart discovers the heartwarming, and at times heartbreaking, stories of the families that first came here to cut cane.
5. Timber Creek, NT
Air Date: 2024-02-06
Back Roads heads to Timber Creek in the Top End where guest presenter Kristy O'Brien finds an unlikely partnership is creating positive spin offs for the town and meets locals who've found love in the most unexpected places.
6. Wheatbelt Animal Carers, WA
Air Date: 2024-02-13
Back Roads sets out to discover the wildlife carers of Western Australia's Northern Wheatbelt. Presenter Heather Ewart meets the fascinating people who have dedicated their lives to helping animals.
7. Gemfields, QLD
Air Date: 2024-02-20
Guest presenter Lisa Millar goes fossicking on the central Queensland Gemfields, where anyone can strike it lucky. Lisa discovers a unique way of life and meets the miners who are keeping a slice of Australian history alive.
8. Eugowra Recovery, NSW
Air Date: 2024-02-27
We return to Eugowra, one of the first towns Back Roads visited when the pandemic hit in 2020. Two years later, it was almost wiped out by a flash flood. Heather discovers how they survived and what's driving their recovery.
9. East Arnhem Land, NT (Part 1)
Air Date: 2024-03-05
Rae Johnston discovers a remote and tiny community that punches above its weight on the international stage, in music, art, science, politics and culture - all while tackling a growing environmental and ecological crisis.
10. East Arnhem Land, NT (Part 2)
Air Date: 2024-03-12
Rae Johnston continues her journey to East Arnhem Land and two very remote communities we rarely see - Gapuwiyak and Galiwin'ku - where the Yolngu people's lives are deeply connected to their culture, the land and each other.
11. Gunbower and Torrumbarry, VIC
Air Date: 2024-03-19
Back Roads meanders the mighty Murray River as it criss-crosses the towns of Gunbower and Torrumbarry, in north central Victoria. Heather finds the communities share a passion for protecting and nurturing the most vulnerable.
12. Tasman Peninsula, TAS
Air Date: 2024-03-26
Joe O'Brien travels to the Tasman Peninsula, an hour's drive from Hobart. With rolling hills and tranquil bays, towering cliffs and roaring seas, the beauty and dangers of this coastline stirs people's passion for the wild.
13. Braidwood, NSW
Air Date: 2024-04-02
Back Roads visits the heritage-listed NSW town of Braidwood. Heather discovers what inspires the town's many artists and how their creative spirit helps the community pull together in challenging times.
14. Julia Creek, QLD
Air Date: 2024-08-20
While it's assumed men run things in the Outback, Heather arrives in the Queensland town of Julia Creek to discover the local women ROAR...running everything from cattle stations to the famous outback Dirt n Dust festival.
15. Tarkine, TAS
Air Date: 2024-08-27
Tasmania's north-west embraces one of the oldest and most spectacular areas in the world. Actress Marta Dusseldorp joins Back Roads for a journey of discovery through one of the most magical places on earth, the Tarkine.
16. Kurri Kurri, NSW
Air Date: 2024-09-03
Lisa Millar travels to an old mining town in eastern NSW. In the face of change, the town is fighting to hang onto its identity, but Lisa discovers that a much-maligned haircut is helping Kurri Kurri stand out from the crowd.
17. Bass Coast, VIC
Air Date: 2024-09-10
Back Roads visits the wild Bass Coast in Southeast Victoria. Uncovering the coastline's ancient secrets, Heather Ewart discovers why the locals aren't afraid to do things a bit differently and break new ground.
18. Heysen Trail, SA
Air Date: 2024-09-17
Back Roads tackles the longest walking track in Australia, the Heysen Trail. Presenter Paul West discovers the intrepid folk who traverse the 1,200 km trail in big groups and those brave souls that go it alone.
19. 90 Mile Beach, VIC
Air Date: 2024-09-24
Dive into Australia's iconic surf lifesaving culture in Victoria. Heather Ewart visits 90 Mile Beach in Gippsland, meeting the people who keep beachgoers safe on this dangerous coastline, and the next generation of Nippers.
20. South Burnett Rail Trail, QLD
Air Date: 2024-10-01
When Queensland's South Burnett rail line closed after a century of servicing communities in the region, it seemed the beginning of the end. But presenter Lisa Millar discovers new life and prosperity is coming down the same corridor in the form of cyclists, tourists and runners.
21. Ongerup, WA
Air Date: 2024-10-08
Back Roads travels to Ongerup in Western Australia's south-eastern wheatbelt country, where the younger generation are rebooting this once dying town in some unexpected ways. Presenter Heather Ewart helps celebrate its revival at the reopening of its only pub.
22. Charlton, VIC
Air Date: 2024-10-15
Back Roads travels to Charlton in north-west Victoria, for an event like no other. A festival that brings locals and blow-ins together, creating lasting friendships, in one big weekend of live music and country hospitality.
23. Nimmitabel, NSW
Air Date: 2024-10-22
Back Roads heads to Nimmitabel in NSW, one of Australia's highest altitude towns. Heather Ewart finds Nimmitabel has survived against all odds, by trying wild ideas such as a Steampunk festival and a contentious town bell.
24. Beechworth, VIC
Air Date: 2024-10-29
These days the Victorian gold rush town of Beechworth is known for bushrangers, beer and bikes. Guest presenter Annie Louey goes in search of Beechworth's hidden Chinese history from the 1850s.
25. Port MacDonnell, SA
Air Date: 2024-11-05
Presenter Tom Forrest explores the fishing town of Port MacDonnell, the Southern Rock Lobster capital of the world, on the rugged and most southerly point of South Australia.
26. Evandale, TAS
Air Date: 2024-11-12
Heather Ewart swaps four wheels for two - with mixed results - when she heads to Evandale in Tasmania, Australia's home of penny farthing races.
1. Andamooka and Roxby Downs, SA
Air Date: 2025-01-09
Backroads heads to the South Australian outback to check out two mining towns that are chalk and cheese - Roxby Downs and its unruly cousin, Andamooka.
2. Camperdown, VIC
Air Date: 2025-01-16
Camperdown in Southwest Victoria is a town nestled between dormant volcanoes and majestic crater lakes. Kerry Staight discovers a community that embraces its Scottish heritage while also supporting locals going their own way.
3. Theodore, QLD
Air Date: 2025-01-23
Back Roads guest presenter Anna Daniels heads to the central Queensland town of Theodore for its 100th birthday. She finds a town honouring its past, but also safeguarding its future, proving anything is possible in the bush.
4. Kandos, NSW
Air Date: 2025-01-30
Back Roads journeys to Kandos, on the edge of the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales. This is a town famous for making cement, where Heather Ewart finds an unlikely arts festival is reshaping the community.
5. Outback Way, NT (Part 1)
Air Date: 2025-02-06
In the first of a two-part special, Back Roads takes a trip on The Outback Way, also known as Australia's longest shortcut, where Lisa Millar finds remote communities reaching out to the world in surprising ways.
6. Outback Way, NT (Part 2)
Air Date: 2025-02-13
Back Roads continues its epic trip on The Outback Way. Lisa Millar soaks up spectacular natural wonders and meets people making a big difference educating kids, before hitching a ride with a couple of "Warrior Princesses".
7. Kangaroo Island, SA
Air Date: 2025-02-20
Back Roads goes in search of all creatures great and small on Kangaroo Island. Guest Presenter Paul West checks in to see how the island is faring after the devastating Black Summer fires of 2020.
8. Great Keppel, QLD
Air Date: 2025-02-27
Back Roads heads to Queensland's Great Keppel Island. Once a paradise for partygoers, Heather Ewart meets the locals looking for a better way to share their pristine backyard with the rest of the world.
9. Hilltops Region, NSW
Air Date: 2025-03-06
Back Roads presenter Lisa Millar heads to the Hilltops Region of New South Wales for the "shear" excitement and chaos of The Running of the Sheep - a unique event that could only happen in rural Australia.
10. Wheelbarrow Way, QLD
Air Date: 2025-03-13
Back Roads follows the Wheelbarrow Way from Mareeba to Chillagoe in Far North Queensland, where home town boy and ABC News presenter, Joe O'Brien, meets teams competing in the Great Wheelbarrow Race.
11. Bibbulmun Track, WA
Air Date: 2025-03-20
Back Roads explores Western Australia's beloved Bibbulmun Track - a 1000 kilometre walk through mighty forests and a rugged coastline. Guest Presenter Rae Johnston meets people transformed by the experience.
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Rating
5.0/10
Release Date
2015-11-30
Episodes
152 (11 seasons)
Status
Returning Series
Cast
Videos
Production Companies
Australian Broadcasting Corporation