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A Big Country

ABC (Australia)

The ABC's team of specialist reporters introduce you to the people and places that make up country Australia.

Location:

Brisbane, QLD

Description:

The ABC's team of specialist reporters introduce you to the people and places that make up country Australia.

Language:

English

Contact:

ABC Radio National GPO Box 9994 Sydney 2001


Episodes
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The family that fossicks and a woodchopping legend

7/10/2022
Meet a woodchopping legend, come on a fossicking family trip around Australia and join the crowd gathered to meet some famous Muster Dogs.

Duration:00:25:18

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Three generations sharing a passion for railway and life of a remote road worker

7/3/2022
Three generations of family keeping tourist railway on track; remote worker survives weeks alone in the outback with the help of his guitar; Tassie devils adjusting to life in tropical north as part of conservation project; breeding Boer goats for meat and weed munching.

Duration:00:25:46

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Using fruit to flavour beer and giving grand, old homestead a new lease on life

6/26/2022
Unwanted passionfruit pureed to make funky beer flavouring; relocating and restoring historic homestead in outback Queensland; turtle research focussed on keeping nests cool to prevent male drought; celebrating the rosella with plans to crank up jam business.

Duration:00:25:43

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Tackling outback track on horseback and repairing river system

6/19/2022
A gap year with a difference for teen horseback adventurer; environmental project helping to restore river; family reunion to remember Italian forbears who made a new life in the cane fields of northern Australia; talking tea cosies over a cuppa with an expert in the craft.

Duration:00:25:42

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Exploring island bird life and challenging stereotypes of farmers

6/5/2022
Appreciating biodiversity in the Capricorn Cays; photographer aiming to smash stereotypes of what a farmer looks like; lambs that love mangoes are helping farmers manage their orchard; growing rare varieties of bananas has kept this farmer in business.

Duration:00:25:34

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Persimmon season and cast and crew remember Castaway series

5/29/2022
Demand growing for unusual autumn fruit; cast and crew of Castaway series return to filming location nearly fifty years later for history project; adventurous tree changers swap beachside apartment living for farm life; after 21 years of tending to their olive grove couple pick final harvest.

Duration:00:25:24

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Making beer with fresh local hops and perfect score for 100-year-old wine

5/22/2022
Making beer with fresh, locally grown hops; accolades for century old wine; ambitious attempt to circumnavigate Australia in record speed; pony time helping with learning and relaxation.

Duration:00:25:33

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Picking precious saffron stigma and restoring old boat

5/15/2022
Busy saffron harvest has bees in a flop; maritime restoration a labour of love; yachtsman finds connection to land through farm work; scientists make most of extraordinary breeding season to study pelican population.

Duration:00:25:45

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Fishing for success at world champs and finding hidden koalas

5/8/2022
Trading trout for Arctic greyling as female fly fishers head to northern hemisphere for ladies world champs; citizen scientists discover hidden koala colony during covid bush ramble; the wild, but true story that has inspired a film exploring a chapter of Australia's early colonial history; making May mum's month, florist's plan to spread out the joy of busy day.

Duration:00:25:38

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Dogs sniffing out weeds and falling in love with distilling

5/1/2022
Conservation detection dogs helping out with hunt for weeds; discovering distilling leads couple to new career working with botanicals and barley; short film project sharing stories of people living with dementia; beekeeper shares buzz for raw honey.

Duration:00:25:33

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An iconic pub re-opens its doors and a passion for sharing becomes a chain of seed libraries.

4/24/2022
Australian-born sun bear Maly celebrates 14th birthday, Walking from Sydney to Darwin to raise addiction awareness, a seed library bringing a community together and an iconic pub re-opens its doors.

Duration:00:25:45

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Swapping the emergency ward for an apple orchard and restoring a memory-filled bus

4/17/2022
Reliving the 1980s through a double-decker bus restoration, music lessons from 1000km away, kids get up close with fresh produce and a couple swap the hospital for the orchard.

Duration:00:25:11

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Pressing pretty petals for cakemakers and taking family life off grid

4/10/2022
Growing edible flowers for chefs and cakemakers; family living off-grid in rainforest 'paradise'; bandicoot study aiming to better understand mysterious marsupial; fifty years of collecting Furphy water carts.

Duration:00:25:46

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Making cheese using ancient methods and caring for 1800s rural homestead

4/3/2022
Award-winning cheese maker using ancient methods; tree-change takes apartment-dweller back home to become custodian of 180-year-old country homestead; outback school's 'happy heart hub' helping boost student attendance; native fish hatchery growing threatened species Murray Cod and golden perch to restock rivers.

Duration:00:25:13

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Teens getting a taste for shearing and timber turner working with ancient Huon pine

3/27/2022
School teens getting a taste for shearing with training course to ease skills shortage; outback cricket match brings remote communities together; craftsman turning ancient timber into wooden treasures; demand growing for rare, historic cattle breed.

Duration:00:25:07

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Revealing secrets of the deep and artist capturing quirky scenes of country life

3/20/2022
Wildlife filmmaker's grand plan to reveal marine secrets; regional artist's drawings capture humour of country life; prisoners learning horticultural skills, planting seeds of hope for future; farmer's beloved paddock bomb.

Duration:00:25:43

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Learning the ropes of cattle industry and making the switch from farming to flying

3/13/2022
Next generation ringers learning skills of cattle trade; farmer swaps working the land for taking to the sky to pursue passion for flying; date farm in outback grazing country becomes popular tourist spot, pop-up garden project bringing post-lockdown joy for apartment dwellers.

Duration:00:25:30

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Bringing back birds and drones helping wallaby conservation project

3/6/2022
Decades of tree planting paying off with birds returning to rural landscape; thermal imaging drones aiding rare wallaby conservation project; farmer recruits guinea pigs to help munch through weeds; foraging for seaweed snacks on beach walks.

Duration:00:25:37

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Next generation grain farmers milling wheat for flour and tapping into demand for local blooms

2/27/2022
Next generation of family farmers milling wheat crop into high-end baking flour; business blooming for hobby flower grower amid demand for locally grown bunches; modern day treasure hunter helping to solve mysteries, unearth precious items; teaching free divers to relax to dive deeper, for longer

Duration:00:25:45

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Robbing nests to save malleefowl and harvesting native grains

2/20/2022
Farmers and conservationists team up to help save endangered malleefowl; harvest with a difference as Indigenous led project experiments with native grain crops; , call out for volunteers to assist with farm flood clean up; getting up close with 'Old Mate'- the much loved 2.3 metre saltwater crocodile family pet.

Duration:00:25:01