Macca on Sundays Archives

The April 20 Show

One of the first calls came from Lightning Ridge, the opal-mining town in north-west New South Wales where the annual Easter festival was in full swing. A local festival volunteer described the scene: the main street was buzzing with a “goat race” unlike any other. After concerns from animal welfare groups, the town’s famous goat races had evolved into a comedy event with people—yes, people—dressed as goats pulling small carts. “It’s goat racing with a twist, and it’s a sight to behold,” she laughed. The caller said visitors absolutely love it and the town doesn’t mind poking a bit of fun at itself. Another highlight she mentioned was the Big Opal Dig – twelve mounds of opal-bearing dirt dumped in the main street, with thousands of dollars worth of opals buried inside. “Ten lucky folks get to dig for the prize opals,” she explained, saying it’s both a tourist draw and a clever nod to Lightning Ridge’s mining heritage. With live music, markets and a parade, the Lightning Ridge Easter Festival (18–20 April 2025) was attracting big crowds . The caller’s pride in her remote community was evident as she spoke about the boost in visitors. “For a town of 2,000 to host a few thousand extra people is huge – we’re flat out but loving it.” It was a classic bush event story of ingenuity and fun, setting a festive tone early in the show.

• From the Coral Sea coast, another caller phoned in amid celebrations at Gladstone, Queensland, where the last yachts had just arrived in the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race. This annual Good Friday race is a storied Easter tradition in Queensland, and the caller – a volunteer with the finishing committee – painted the scene vividly. Dawn had broken as the leading boats slipped into the harbour, greeted by cheers from locals lining the shores. She reported that line honours went to the 52-foot Maritimo 52 yacht, which led the fleet into Gladstone in the early hours of Easter morning. Many smaller yachts were still arriving throughout Sunday. The caller described how families stake out spots along Gladstone’s waterfront to welcome the sailors: “Half the town comes down to the harbour with picnic chairs. When those boats sail in, tired and sunburnt, you can see the relief and pride on every skipper’s face – and we all clap them in.” Macca asked about the conditions at sea, and she noted it had been a moderate downwind run this year with a few squalls on Friday night that tested the crews. Despite the challenges, all 30+ yachts that started were expected to finish safely. The segment captured the camaraderie and volunteer spirit around a major regional event: the pride of a coastal city hosting a 77-year-old sailing race, and an insider’s look at how Easter in Gladstone revolves around the marina.

• Back inland, the show turned to the practical realities of country life after recent wild weather. Bill from near Coonamble, NSW – a fourth-generation wheat farmer – rang in while calibrating his seeder for the upcoming planting. He told Macca this Easter brought something of a rare blessing on his wheat paddocks: soil moisture. After several bone-dry autumns, heavy rains in late March had left his black soil country “moist like a chocolate cake” and ready for sowing. “I’ll tell you what, this year – for once – I’m not planting in dust,” he said with a chuckle, the relief palpable in his voice. Bill described how in his part of north-west NSW, many farmers were busy seeding winter crops like wheat and barley earlier than usual to make the most of the moisture. He also noted the Darling River was flowing again and local dams were full, which bodes well for livestock. Macca asked if the recent floods had caused him any losses. Bill admitted some lower fields had waterlogging, but the long-term gains outweighed the short-term damage. “After years of drought, a bit of flooding is a problem we’ll take any day,” he quipped. The call gave a down-to-earth insight into agriculture: the optimism that comes with a good soaking of rain, and the timeless Easter ritual for broadacre farmers – tuning the tractor and praying for a bumper crop.

• In a more intimate conversation, Charlie, a saddler from Tenterfield on the NSW-Queensland border, shared the love of a nearly lost craft. He has been hand-making stock saddles and leather tack for over 50 years, working in a tin shed workshop behind the old Tenterfield saddlery. Charlie explained to Macca how he still uses many tools passed down from his grandfather – edge bevellers, awls, and a 100-year-old stitching pony. He described the process of crafting a saddle tree, covering it in wet rawhide, and patiently hand-stitching the skirt and fenders. It’s painstaking work that can take months. His latest project was a custom saddle for a local campdraft champion, complete with carved floral tooling and the rider’s initials branded into the leather. “You measure twice, cut once, and pray the hide holds,” he joked, saying he’s learned to be patient with both cattle and leather. Macca seemed fascinated and asked how demand is these days. Charlie said he mostly does repairs and bespoke pieces now – “I’m one of the last of the bush saddlers around here” – but noted a resurgence of interest from younger riders who appreciate quality. He also mentioned training an apprentice one day a week, passing on the old techniques. This call was a gentle dive into bush craftsmanship and heritage, and listeners could almost smell the saddle soap and leather through the radio. It highlighted the value of slow, skilled work in a fast-paced world.

• An especially heartwarming call came from Currawinya National Park in Queensland, near the NSW border, where a small team is working to bring the bilby back from the brink. Erin, a wildlife volunteer with the Save the Bilby project, phoned in at sunrise from the boundary of a vast fenced sanctuary. In the soft morning light, she described seeing two bilbies scamper back to their burrows after a night of foraging. “It’s magical! Those big ears and that hop, like little Easter bunnies of our own,” she said. The bilby, as Macca noted, has become an Australian symbol of Easter, and Erin’s update was fitting for the day. She talked about the 25-square-kilometre predator-proof fence the group maintains at Currawinya, which has created a safe haven free of feral cats and foxes. Within this enclosure, bilbies are breeding successfully. She reported several new joeys spotted this season. Erin recounted how she spent her Saturday night on “rabbit patrol,” not chasing rabbits but checking the fence for any holes or breaches after recent rain. The team’s dedication paid off: no intrusions, and the bilbies inside continue to thrive. Macca asked how people can see the bilbies or help out. Erin explained that while the Currawinya site isn’t generally open to tourists, the nearby town of Charleville has a bilby experience centre for visitors, and donations to the project help expand their work. The call ended on a hopeful note as she wished everyone a Happy Easter and reminded Australians to think of the bilby not just the bunny. It was a touching blend of conservation news and holiday cheer, clearly striking a chord with listeners who value these small marsupials.

• Not all Easter morning stories were about planned events. Some were happy accidents of travel. A pair of grey nomads, Doug and Val, called in from a dusty roadside along the Oodnadatta Track in outback South Australia. They had paused at an old telegraph station ruin near William Creek and, to their surprise, found themselves amid an impromptu bush gathering. Val explained that several caravans and 4WDs had converged at this spot the night before, entirely by coincidence. By dusk, there were about 15 travelers camped in a loose circle on the gibber plains. “Someone started a campfire in the middle, and before you knew it we had a little party,” she laughed. Different groups contributed something: one couple played guitar and fiddle, another family roasted damper and shared billy tea, and a group of backpackers produced a box of marshmallow Easter eggs to pass around. Doug chimed in to describe the sky above: “No light for a hundred miles – the stars were like diamonds. We even caught a few shooting stars.” (It turns out the Lyrids meteor shower was just beginning). In the morning, the ad-hoc friends parted ways, but not before swapping phone numbers and promises to send photos. Macca was enchanted by the story, noting how it echoed the old bush ethos of camaraderie among strangers. The callers said this unplanned Easter bush camp became one of their most cherished memories of their trip. Their tale captured the serendipity of outback travel – how the vast emptiness of the interior can still bring people together in the most unexpected and joyful ways.

• As the program neared its end, Macca squeezed in a handful of quick calls from all over Australia. A truck driver rang from Eucla, on the Nullarbor Plain, reporting a veritable convoy of caravans headed west and east: “You’ve never seen so many grey nomads – it’s like a pilgrimage across the Nullarbor this year,” he said, noting every roadhouse was overflowing with Easter travelers. Another listener from Launceston, Tasmania joked about pulling out her winter clothes as an early cold snap sent the mercury near freezing overnight, reminding everyone that summer was truly over down south. And in a delightful historical tidbit, a retired army mechanic in Victoria called to share that he had just finished restoring a World War II Willys Jeep in time for Anzac Day. He even took it for a spin on Easter morning, proudly noting, “80 years old and she purrs like a kitten.” Each of these mini-stories – from the open road to a chilly Tasmanian dawn to a piece of wartime history brought back to life – added extra threads to the rich tapestry of the show. They underscored what Australia All Over is all about: every caller, whether they have 30 seconds or three minutes, contributes something unique and genuine.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Disclaimer: Brisbane Suburbs Online News has no affiliation with Ian McNamara or the “Australia All Over Show.” This weekly review is an attempt to share the wonderful stories that Ian broadcasts each week and add value to what is a smorgasbord of great insights.

The April 6 Show

This week’s Australia All Over covered the country in a wide sweep—from the watermelon paddocks of Queensland to the backyards of Port Macquarie, and even into the remote mountain villages of Papua New Guinea. Macca kept the pace easy but steady, making time for stories that gave depth, texture and humour to what was, in the end, a classic Sunday morning episode.

One of the more vivid calls came from Chinchilla, where preparations are underway for the Melon Festival, held every second year. A local organiser explained the workings of melon skiing, a signature event in which participants slip their feet into hollowed-out watermelons and slide across a plastic tarp covered in fruit pulp. “It’s not exactly a clean sport,” she admitted, “but everyone ends up laughing.” The event has grown from a marketing idea for local melon growers into a full-scale community celebration, drawing more than 20,000 visitors. There’s pip-spitting, a melon-chopping speed contest, melon ironman races, and even a tug-of-war with teams pulling through sticky pulp. The caller said there’s a practical side too—off-spec melons that would otherwise go to waste are used for events, and the leftover slurry is sent off to local pig farms. It was a story of rural inventiveness wrapped up in a good dose of silliness.

From Port Macquarie, a caller shared the quiet progress of a long-term backyard project: a hand-built wooden sloop, constructed using traditional tools and native timbers. The hull is fashioned from spotted gum, bent into shape using steam, and fixed with copper rivets he sourced from an old boatyard in Newcastle. He described the sound of his drawknife on the timber, and how he tests each piece for grain and pitch before fitting it to the frame. The boat will carry a single mast, rigged for the calm tides of the Clarence River, where he plans to launch it. The work is slow—“you can’t rush timber,” he said—but he finds it satisfying. Macca asked him how long he’d been at it. “Four years,” came the reply, “But I don’t measure it in time anymore. I measure it in fittings I’ve finished.” The conversation was a quiet study in patience, tradition and solitary focus.

An interesting video about the Indonesian wooden boat building industry:

A traveller called in from Central Australia, where he had been camping beside a temporary desert waterhole created by recent rain. At sunrise, he found himself surrounded by what he estimated to be tens of thousands of budgerigars—a vivid, swirling flock that descended in coordinated waves to drink and bathe. He described the sound of the wings—“a high hum, like silk tearing”—and said the waterhole had drawn in kangaroos, emus and even a few wedge-tailed eagles. He noted that budgies are common enough in the desert, but their mass flocks only appear when conditions are just right, which in this case followed a large outback storm. “The ground was red last week,” he said. “Now it’s green and full of noise.” It was the kind of call that reminded listeners of how quickly the Australian landscape can transform itself.

Here’s a video along similar lines:

Another notable segment came from a station manager in the Barkly Tableland, who called in during a cattle muster already underway by dawn. Riders were out on bikes, assisted by dogs and a chopper, rounding up cattle across wide scrubland. He described the landscape as “yellow-green” after scattered rains, and said the cattle had spread far over the property’s outer paddocks. “It takes a day just to find them,” he said. The caller talked about the balance between helicopters and motorbikes—how the chopper does the spotting and tight turns, while the bikes and dogs handle the push into the yards. He noted this season has brought enough growth to avoid an early sell-off, but he’s still cautious. “One good rain’s not a wet season,” he added. Still, there was a sense of relief in his voice, and he said the birds had returned: finches, galahs and kites circling above the moving cattle.

A video featuring the Barkly Tableland:

From Grafton, a wildlife carer gave an update on a young eastern grey joey that had been rescued weeks earlier. Found in the pouch of its mother after a car strike, the joey was hand-fed and kept in a hanging pouch in a quiet room. The carer described the process of gradually reintroducing it to the bush—first with native grasses in its enclosure, then supervised foraging outdoors. “He’s got muscle now,” she said. “He hops, but still stays close.” She expects to release him fully by June. Macca mentioned how stories like this often bring follow-ups, and sure enough, another caller rang in to share a similar tale of a short-beaked echidna found injured near Kangaroo Valley. That one had taken to soft-boiled eggs and mealworms and was now back digging in a bush reserve.

From Papua New Guinea, an expat working with coffee growers in the Eastern Highlands called in during his early morning. He described the mist lifting from the forest slopes and the chaos of the Mount Hagen markets, where coffee beans, sweet potatoes, pigs and mobile phone credit are all traded in one place. He’d recently attended a sing-sing in a village outside Goroka, where tribes had gathered in full regalia—shells, ochre, and birds of paradise feathers—to perform their clan dances. He said the cultural depth of PNG was something Australians often overlooked, even though the Highlands were just a few hours north by air. He was helping coordinate a co-op model for smallholder farmers, many of whom grow Arabica beans at over 1,600 metres elevation. “They don’t call it highland coffee for nothing,” he said.

In the studio, Kieran Kelly dropped by with an update on his upcoming trek along the John Muir Trail in the U.S. He unpacked his rucksack in the studio, revealing a lightweight tent, a battered journal full of bush poems from his grandfather, and a carefully wrapped billy. He read out one verse: “The wattle blooms where rain has passed / and quiet tea is brewed at last.” He and Macca compared the American trail culture—shelters, switchbacks, food canisters—with the more solitary and unpredictable nature of Australian bushwalking.

A great doco about the John Muir Trail:

There were more quick calls before the morning ended: a beekeeper in Stanthorpe mentioned late-flowering ironbark had delayed their honey harvest by a month; a teacher in Charleville told the story of the 1902 meteorite that landed near town and sat outside the post office for decades; and a carpenter in Bega shared how he’s begun carving tool handles from reclaimed jarrah offcuts.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

The March 30 Show

Macca played a conversation about a call with Debbie in 2017, who ran a small grocery store. She pointed out back then the vast swathe of illegally imported cigarettes had come into Australia because the taxes on legal cigarettes had caused the price to go through the roof. Macca pointed out this was eight years ago and asked how much duty had been lost since then.

Here’s a video talking about the problem further:

Audrey messaged in to point out that hotel prices had gone up well over 100% for the NRL Magic Round in Brisbane.

Tony rang in from Moree. He was about to get into his chopper to shoot some feral pigs. He said the crop loss due to the pigs had been at record levels. Baiting and trapping was another way they were being culled. He said many pigs came with settlers, particularly Polynesian pigs. Tony had estimated that the pigs were ruining around $1 million of crop per annum in his area. Feral deer were also becoming very destructive throughout Australia.

Here’s a video about the Feral pig problem:

Troy rang in from “the mighty Macleay” and he gave a shout out to “A Need for Feed” who supplied hay for the local cattle. “The Hayrunners” was another organisation that would do the same thing. He said in the last 10 years his farm had been flooded out three times, burnt out twice and encountered the worst drought in his memory and the cattle price dropped by 60% at one stage.

The March 23 Show

Macca spoke to John, an apple-grower in Batlow. He mentioned it was a tough time to be growing apples as costs had risen a lot, most trees are netted for hail and to keep the birds out.

He also spoke to Ray who was a retired local builder, having lived in Batlow for 52 years, 2 of his apprentices are doing well in town.

Martha rang in, heading to Goulburn for the races, taking a horse they train at Warwick Farm to a showcase meeting. She and her husband had been training for 10 years. Her husband, Paul Cave had run a mare called Lahar in the 1999 Melbourne Cup and she finished 3rd. The race was won by Rogan Josh. The horse they were taking to Goulburn was called The Mona Lisa (beautifully named, by the stallion “Under The Louvre”)…

[UPDATE:] AND THE 3 YEAR OLD FILLY WON BY 3.7 LENGTHS FROM THE ODDS-ON FAVOURITE, PAYING 32.70 for the win and 11.10 for the place! Ridden by Shaun Guymer in a $50,000 Maiden Handicap. See the result here.

Sally called in driving across the Strzelecki heading to the Inverloch farmer’s market to sell milkshakes, Macca pointed out the Milkshake was an Australian invention. She has a small milk brand called Gippsland Jersey, they were awarded Australia’s Best Milk. She grew up on a dairy farm in Lakes Entrance, her dad worked offshore to supplement income until he smashed his knee with a sledgehammer, so he bought a milk churn and over the years the family focused on value adding to the products it produced. Sadly, her dad passed away but Sally started her milk company in 2016 at the peak of the dairy crisis.

See more about Gippsland Jersey:

Jo was driving through Geelong as the sun rose. She was heading to catch a plane to Perth with her 2 kids, heading to the Australian School Triathlon (Swim-Bike-Run) and Aquathlon (Run-Swim-Run) Championships. Jo and her husband had competed over the years, (having met at an Ironman event in Busselton) and now their 11- and 13-year-old-kids were competing in Rockingham, WA.

Karen and Phillip rang in from the Great South West Walk in the southern part of Victoria to South Australia. She waxed lyrical about how stunning the walk was. It was about 260km over 10-14 days. It includes a section along a 60km beach called Discovery Bay, with lots of sealife in the ocean.

Paul from Cessnock in the Hunter Valley rang in. His family had been to the Golden Slipper, where Marhoona won the big race. He had trained and run horses over many years, including keeping broodmares. Macca lamented the decision to sell Rosehill and can’t imagine why this would be sold. He felt the lack of tradition in Sydney caused such decisions.

More about Rosehill here:

Dave from Batlow was building a place called The Apple Thief (named after the fact that birds steal the best apples at the top of the trees). He had 10 different varieties which he makes cider from. It has been hard to get pickers. The Apple Thief Cider House will be a tourist experience around the cider production. Batlow Cider Fest will be on May 17, find out more here. They can get snow there, four very distinct seasons.

Carol from Caloundra phoned in to talk about her big trip with five racehorses across the Nullabor to ride at a winter carnival in WA in the 1980s. Her mum had always ridden horses and her dad was a blacksmith focused on Clydesdales. She rode ponies at the age of 14 that were rescues. She battled racing weight and still rides some ex racehorses. She pointed out Tropical Cyclone Alfred missed Caloundra.

Luke rang on his way back to Port Headland, from Exmouth having competed in Gamex, one of Australia’s premier fishing competitions. Fishing Marlin and Sailfish. A group of six went out on a charter boat about an hour off the coast (competition was up to 60 nautical miles from the coast). People came from all over the world, catch and release in 42 degree heats with lines in at 7:00 a.m. Some 350 fish were tagged out of 750 seen. They were tagged to get data to understand the fish movements. He said the fish that are tagged are often found moving to Mexico and back, especially the big Blue Marlin.

The March 16 Show

Robin wrote in about his great grandfather’s farm diaries that he was currently typing up, starting in 1906 running until 1948. His great grandfather’s name was Alfred Mitchell and the day’s entries reflect what he did on the farm, which was in Samford in Western Victoria. He said eventually he would find the right place to pass these historical records.
Jack wrote in about his camping equipment store in Beenleigh (North of the Gold Coast, Macca!) who got a huge lift in customers just before Cyclone Alfred.
Peter from Christchurch called in, having moved there from Melbourne four weeks ago. His wife was a Christchurch lady. It was the 5th anniversary of the terrible mosque shooting, the earthquake now in the rear view mirror, having happened in 2011.

Ted rang in about the Dandenong Glass Factory closing down, he reminisced about his connection with the factory. He was a skydiver and was offered a job of putting the roof on the factory, which he did to raise money for his skydiving. Back then in the 1970s, Dandenong was believed to be the only self-sufficient town in Australia. He also recalled the first pilot that worked on the Pakenham Skydiving club. He was a chap by the name of Sess Long and he went onto be the very first pilot of Reg Ansett’s airline. He also told the story of why he was moving to Condinon in WA, he had been looking to move somewhere with a good community spirit and he heard that in Condinon, a few months ago, the town swimming pool’s roof caught fire, the local residents took the roof down, repaired it and put it back on so the locals could swim in the afternoon of the same day.

More about Ansett’s history:

Libby from Mount Dandenong in Melbourne rang in to say the area is very dry, fires are occurring and there is very little rain falling.
Peter from Manly in Brisbane rang in to talk about the passing of Peter O’Reilly AM, who ran Green Mountains, O’Reilly’s Guesthouse and Lamington. Recognised for his work in tourism and conservation. Peter met him in around 1975. In 1977 he launched the first O’Reilly’s bird week, it is still going 48 years later. The caller had established a rainforest in his half acre, 142 different species of trees planted to attract a range of birds, though he feels birds are disappearing even from his rainforest.

Phil wrote in to point out that the word “posh” originated from wealthy english people coming back from their travels to India and speaking with a different accent on their return, Port Out Starboard Home produced the acronym.
Macca talked about Heard Island, and a film called The Great White Whale. The Island is very isolated. Michael Dillon, the film producer came into the studio for a chat. Big Ben on Heard Island was Australia’s highest mountain and was bequeathed to Australia in 1947. It’s very hard to get to, hence people don’t know about it or climb it. He said going back 120 years, a young 13-year-old boy got inspired by the view from climbing the Knobelist Hill in Orange. His name was George Finch and he became the World’s Best Mountaineer. His son Peter Finch became a well known actor. He was chosen to be amongst the team of the first attempt to climb Mount Everest in 1922, as a research scientist. He got higher than any other member of the expedition and would probably have reached the summit if the rest of his team hadn’t suffered so badly from exhaustion. He held the height record for many years but also pioneered an oxygen system that would be the same system used decades later when Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tensing climbed Everest. He also told the story that, in 1984, a group of five Aussies climbed Everest without Oxygen, a new record. Tim McCartney-Snape and Greg Mortimer were the two that reached the top. In 1990 Michael filmed Tim McCartney-Snape starting the Everest climb at sea level in the Bay of Bengal Surf, crossing India and swimming across the Ganges, and climbing to the summit, making a documentary about it. Michael told stories about Sir Edmund Hillary, who he got to know very well. He told a story of Chris Dewhurst who used a hot air balloon to go above Everest for the first time. Michael’s documentary-making career had been inspired by Albie Mangels and the Leyland Brothers who would hire town halls and other venues to showcase their movies. He runs a similar model including a Q and A. He funded this movie himself. He’s running the movie at a range of venues.

More about Heard Island:

More about The Great White Whale Movie:

The 1984 expedition without Oxygen:

Claire wrote in about a group of dads at Somerset College who have a Whatsapp group that keeps in touch about issues in their community. After Cyclone Alfred, they rallied together to clear trees, provide food and water, generators and hired an excavator so a family could get out of their driveway and allow access for Energex. This help extended beyond the Somerset Community. A homeowner on Strawberry Road in Mudgereeba had two trees fall on the property. The Somerset dads cleared the trees.
Macca replayed a 97-year-old gentleman talking about the great danger that the saddlery trade was encountering here in Australia with cheap Indian imports taking over the market. He was a life member of the Saddlemakers Association of Australia and he said there were no apprentices coming into the industry so they were applying for a grant to train apprentices.
Pam Cupper (wrote a book 40 years ago with Phil Taylor called “Gallipoli-A Battlefield Guide) called in from Canakkale, the city closest to the Gallipoli battlefields. She related Turkey is largely first world rather than the third world she recalls 40 years ago. She recalls when Australians and New Zealanders would be seen wandering around regularly in the area but no longer. She also demonstrated the strength of customer service over there compared to here. There were some fires last year that burnt areas around the Commonwealth War Graves, not the graves themselves though. She got to know two generations of gardeners employed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. She noted that erosion at the edge of Anzac Cove and Brighton Beach had required retaining walls to be built, rising seas have also damaged V Beach at Cape Helles. About a third of the cemetery had been flooded after the ocean washed over the retaining walls. She thinks erosion will cause the cemetary to disappear within this century. Beach Cemetery, where Simpson is buried, has suffered a lot of erosion already. The 1915 piers are no longer visible. The erosion she put down to rising sea levels, and the development of the road and parking, which cut into the hill. Cape Helles has become an eyesore with erosion and rubbish laying around. Visitor numbers have declined a lot since 2015, when they used to get 20,000 visitors, now it’s a only a dribble of people throughout the year. A local tour operator used to take battlefield tours everyday of the year and six or more a day in April, but now very rarely gets any interest. The local tourist office in 1980 was focused on Gallipoli but now has no profile of it. She was a massive fan of the local tomatoes. The locals say they are the best in the world.

Mark Campbell rang in from Manly the NSW Lifesaving Titles were happening, North Steyne and Queenscliff were two of the other venues. A shark was sighted and they shooed him off. Mark referenced that he knows where Keiran Kelly swims and he said, “You wouldn’t get me in there without a stainless steel cage”. Mark’s brother has been trying to invent a commercial anti shark wax. Macca related a story of Keiran Kelly doing a Palm Beach to Manly swim and being accompanied by a guy in a canoe with an electrical device designed to keep sharks away. Matt talked about how the number of girls participating in the surf boat racing had increased from virtually none in the 1980s to 50% of the current competitors.

Steve in Cairns called in having bought “The White Whale” documentary for his father in law, they loved it.

Sally from Culburra Beach on the south cost of Sydney, called in about Jack Jefferies who was a hooker for Wests and St George, passed away on Friday. Sally’s sister was his boyfriend. He was the guy that slapped Tommy Raudonikis in the face.

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Simon rang in about having brought some buildings over from Alice Springs to the Sultan of Brunei. His daughter had recently spent 2 years teaching on Palm Island off Townsville. Her experience was great, she taught grades 1 and 2. He said there were around 17 aboriginal tribes on the Island, after they were all moved there in 1918 after a cyclone. He was also in the process of reinstating a roadhouse at Cullamulla.

Danielle in Griffith talked about attending the National Donkey Championships in Young the previous week. She related many different breeds and sizes, the large Mammoth Donkeys were used in the war, she related that they are perceived to be very intelligent. The Young Pony Club hosted the event, the volunteers were exceptional and the event was great. Macca related there are a huge number of feral donkeys in the deserts of Australia, perhaps 100,000. They would have been used regularly in the past and then escaped and bred.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

The March 9 Show

Aaron from Dandenong was at the Oceania Glass Factory (old Pilkington Glass Factory), in the process of closing the factory for architectural glass manufacturing, typically 3mm to 12mm window glass for construction. The issues driving the closure were cheap imports (Indonesia, Vietnam, China), the furnace needing to be repaired, and the rise of energy and gas prices. The factory employed 250 people. Since announcing the closure, Chinese glass has gone up in price. The end of 169 years of glass making in Australia, as they were the last manufacturers of glass over here. Aaron had spent 20+ years cutting up glass and will now have to look for a new job in a new industry. Listen to the closure being discussed here.

Drone flyover of the huge factory here:

Ross Smith from the Australian Light Horse rang in from the Chauvel Light Horse Trail Ride from Shepparton to Tallangatta. Six weeks and 750km. It’s an anniversary ride, commemorating 80 years since Harry Chauvel died, doing educational talks along the way. Find out more here.

An insight into the important history of the Australian Light Horse here:

Tony from Singleton rang in to talk about the King Island Racing Carnival he had ridden at, riding seven winners. The horses were taken over on a barge, shipping on and off the island was difficult. He talked about King Island Dairy being sold to an Australian with the help of the Tasmanian government, saving the famous cheese brand.

This video talks about the King Island Racing Club Struggle:

Jalal rang in from KC in ACT to talk about Ramadan, which started on March 1 to 30 pr 31 (depends on lunar cycle). He was originally from Bangladesh. All muslims celebrating will have breakfast before sunrise and dinner after sunset.

Marion from Benalla rang in having sold her cherry farm, after 35 years. The children didn’t want to inherit it. She was organising a Women on Farms event, which is the 35th annual event, focusing on letting women know what’s happening in farming. The event is over 3 days from March 14-16, find out more here.

Bob Crowther’s book “The Wonders of the Weather” the tropical cyclone season in Northern Australia is normally from December to April. The earliest season recorded cyclone was Cyclone Innes in 1973 and the latest was Cyclone Herbie in Western Australia in May 1988. The average number of cyclones per year is 10 of which six cross the Australian coast. The highest number in one year was 16 in 1963. Cyclones cross the coast most frequently between Onslow and Cape Leveque in WA and between Mossman and Maryborough, Qld. Tropical Cyclones do less damage in Australia (compared to other countries) because coastlines are often sparsely populated.
John wrote about Cyclone Trixie which happened in February 1975. He was living in Dampier, he was working for Hammersley. Construction in the town had been to Cyclone standards, partially due to the managing engineer of Hammersley visiting Darwin to inspect what had happened after Cyclone Tracey where the city was smashed. The maximum recoded wind speed was 246km/hour, yet very little damage was done. He and his family hid in the bathroom in the centre of their house.

Rocks in Rockhampton rang in to talk about stem cell donation. Every 28 minutes in Australia someone gets diagnosed with Blood Cancer. Many of these people require a Bone Marrow Transplant. The Red Cross Blood operations used to be the only places to be able to register. Now cheek swabs are being used to register, making it more accessible to join the register.

StemCellDonors.org.au is where people can register, if you are 18-35.

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Bob from Flaxley, who talked about not having had rain in South Australia for 12 months. They are desparate for hay and so are getting it delivered from Gippsland, Victoria to the Adelaide Hills, Rotary are donating them, costing three trucks of 32 bales at $110 per bale. They are calling out for donations to Rotary Australia World Community Service, Project 42/2024/25. Donate here.

Wayne rang from Belladonia Road House heading to Shepparton for the 20th GT Falcon Nationals. He was in a group of eight cars from Perth, in a 1972 XA, yellow fire colour.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

The March 2 Show – Where Common Sense Prevailed

Suzanne from Canterbury, Melbourne was just back from her 6th cruise on the Queen Elizabeth, which no longer boards in Melbourne due to increased docking fees. The ship has been taken over by Carnival from Cunard.

Andrew from Maroubra was on his way to Freshwater, representing South Maroubra SLSC for the first time at the age of 50. An Irishman who loves the surf movement, his club has 1,300 nippers, the largest cohort in the world. He was heading to the Surf Life Saving Championships. He grew up in County Sligo in Ireland, in 13-14 degrees sea temperature, migrated to Australia with work and met his wife at the Coogee Bay Hotel. He was competing in team of six in the Champion Patrol, the first time South Maroubra had a team in the event for 25 years. He waxed lyrical about the Sunday Social at South Maroubra SLSC.

Daniel, Brose and Yatesy from Bogengay were working on the railway with his workmates, moving the tracks to “avoid people spilling their VB on the Indian Pacific”. In the big yellow machines repositioning the track, they’ll end up in Barinua near Forbes.

Ben from Echuca was about to take part in a fun run for Headspace: 380km – nine marathons in four days, four hours, 44 minutes. He had been training for 18 months, having lost a brother to suicide after his other brother lost his life in a ski-racing accident. He’s raised $270,000 so far for it, aiming for $440,000. Starting at Mildura Bay Hospital and finishing in Ecucha on Friday 7 March. It will be 33 degrees, 36 degrees, and 37 degrees over the three days. He will run at night as well. There will be a live track on an Instagram page.

Barry at Newry in Gippsland rang in to talk about his group Gippsland Wild Dogs Advisory Group. His group is rescuing sheep being attacked and killed regularly. In the last give months about 45 sheep have been killed by the wild dogs, as well as some calves and alpacas. The government decided all wild dogs are now dingos, he said, which means these wild dogs are protected. When it snows in the mountains the dogs move down into the farms and they are taking up residence on some properties.

Tony in Port Vila, Vanuatu pointed out that Radio Australia no longer covers the South Pacific so NRL games and “Australia All Over” as well as a range of Australian radio is no longer available over there. “We had a pretty big earthquake in December”. Tony operates an aircraft service with Britain Nortern Islanders and a Chieftain and an Aero Commander 690B Turbo Prop (bought from Kenya), having been in Vanuatu since April 1971. “My mum was a mechanic by trade so my fascination was with making things work.” Macca explained that Radio Australia was setup to showcase Australia to the outside world like the South Pacific but it was ended, which Macca didn’t agree with. The Vanuatu region had had a lot of cyclones lately which caused planes to be grounded.

Leo drives a road train to the Port Adelaide Wharves, carrying 140 tonnes of HMC from the Murray Durkin Mines. This gets shipped to China. The Chinese have just bought a farm of around 200,000 acres for $17-18 million just outside Murray Bridge. The heavy metal content gets refined through water filtration process, then the product is picked up and taken to China. There is zinc and titanium and many other minerals in it. Seventy tyres on his truck and three trailers.

Anthony travelling on the Great Ocean Road to Kennett River for a surf. Surf has a two-foot swell with the odd larger wave. He rides an old single fin. He lives in Torquay and surfs most weekends. He’s been going to Kennett River since he was two years old. Kennet River was a logging township, the remnants of the sawmill are still there. Water temperature was around 19-20 degrees.

Andrew wrote in about the decline of country towns. He says that in the last few years, he has spent time in other countries, where they have focused on boosting R&D into design and manufacturing, as well as aiming to retain the populations in their rural areas. The Nordic Countries, particularly Finland (his benchmark), has the productive area of Victoria with a smaller population; yet he says it outperforms Australia in Manufacturing, R&D, Education, Defence, and National Energy Security. He had only found three Australian brands in Finland which were Jacobs Creek wine, Yellowtail wine and an inflatable lifeboat whereas he listed over 10 big Finnish brands sold in Australia. The railway network in Finland, he says, is key to enabling a decentralised population. The Finnish has a highly trained defence force and has national service, producing 30,000 in the forces and 900,000 well trained that can be accessed. They also use their forests in the regional areas for bio mass and a range of timber products. Bio-energy and bio-economy, as well as regulated forest, are not things pursued by Australia.

Anne wrote in about William Lane who was the leader of a group of Aussies in Paraguay called Utopia.

Kevin wrote in about the best tasting tomato: “brandy wine” tomato, sensational fried on toast. He had been given the seeds.

Trevor talked about a TV advert where a boy and girl recited “I love a sunburnt country,” which massively reduced rubbish being dumped on roadsides.

Adam, a pro tennis player, has been on the ATP World Tour for 12 years. He reached 195 in the world in doubles, initially with his brother, for 10 years. He grew up in Port Macquarie. His dad coached him and his brother. Nowadays, he takes young players on the tour to improve their ranking. Julia was invited to visit her friend in New Caledonia. She sat in the wrong seat in the wrong row of the plane. Adam did as well, and they met and they are now together. Adam and Julia travel together, often competing with jet lag and managing loneliness. Julia built the first AI Charity game in the world and consults to tech companies.

Judy from Rye was about to go on tour with her Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir (two guys involved).

Michael from Acheron rang in to talk about feeding the cattle in his long paddock. He said Victoria is running out of water. He confirmed the dog problem mentioned by Barry at Newry, as he had lost 15 calves taken by wild dogs through winter-time. He said they are cross-bred domestic dogs and dingoes. As government assistance is decreasing, the problem is increasing. They are being culled one mile into the bush, but there are so many of them that the problem is out of control.

John calling from Eucla to talk about what he sees on the Nullabor. It’s so green. There are no kangaroos seen on the roadside where there used to be and the road toll is very low as they have plenty to eat away from the road. He said there’s an old telegraph station on the beach.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

The February 23 Show

Andrew from Vancouver, Canada told the story of last week his city, hosting the Invictus Games where he was a volunteer and was very proud of the Australian team’s performance. He had been living there for 20 years with a Construction Consultancy business.

Andrew reported that Prince Harry was on location, overseeing the event. This one being the 10th, the next one in 2 years will be in Birmingham. He also said that the construction industry in Vancouver has been hit by a 30-40% increase in costs, plenty of talk of getting young people into trades, “Vancouver has similiar problems to Sydney”. It costs way too much to build, but it will only get more expensive with the US tarrifs.
Christine from Northern Tasmania, a first responder for medical support with the firefighters, talked about her experiences. She’s be in Tasmania for 20 years but moved to Latrobe, “it’s quiet, it’s beautiful and it’s blooming cold!”
Rob Pollock rang from Maria, referring to the bombing of Darwin, he’d just done a charity row to PNG for Black Dog (Men’s Mental Health), Horn Island was the 2nd most bombed place in the war and he went past it. Horn Island being the most northernmost airport in Australia, hence it was heavily defended in WW2. On Thursday Island they had a rich heritage of Japanese pearl divers during the war so putting together a defence force to defend against the Japanese would have been fraught given the local Japanese cultural heritage.

It started at Seisia (on the tip of the Cape York Peninsula), they then rowed to Thursday Island then rowed through Islands in the Torres Strait, stopped at Mabuiag, then to Turn again Island, uninhabited but crocodiles everywhere. They called themselves the “Mussel Rowers” in a surf boat, a group of Surf Life Savers from all over NSW. It was a 4 day row to get there. Getting permission to go to PNG was tough as during Covid, PNG was shut off from Saibai Island, where the PNG people would go and sell their produce, but during Covid it was shut down, which caused a tough gig getting the visas, but with the help of a few influential people they got them. The local kids ran out to meet the boats and were delighted to get some free St George Illawara and Sydney Roosters merch. The previous year they took 150 pairs of second hand football boots as well as Roosters and St George Illawara gear, and footballs which will be dropped off by Border Force helicopter whilst they scan for the huge drug trade operating through there. He saw Dugongs and Turtles but no crocodiles in the water.

Troy from South West Ross called in to talk about the meeting at Kempsey Racecourse about the rural and regional crime. Local police are great but not enough of them there he said, “we are all living in fear”, he said. “Hopefully we’ll get some intervention and rehabilitation programs out of it instead of the lynch mob.”

Insights into the meeting and the crime being experienced, can be found here.

Anita rang in from the town of Tea Gardens in NSW and said “I grow peanuts”, her husband’s grandmother used to grow peanuts in Castle Hill over 60 years ago”. “I had some raw peanuts in the pantry, so i put them in some water and put them in the ground and low and behold they came up!”, she said. They have little yellow flowers. “I’d never seen anyone growing them in their gardens”. She said she lived on the hill and she has clay soil so she uses a raised bed, “the peanuts fix the nitrogen for my pumpkins.”

Find out more about how to grow peanuts in this video.

Marcus and Robin rang in whilst on the road with his Mustang going from Melbourne to Warrnambool, he’d just got fined $325, a speeding fine doing whilst being clocked at 116km/hour in a 100 km/hour zone. They reported it looked exceptionally dry on their way to Mortlake yet not far away in Gippsland it is very green.

John rang having just landed at Alotau in PNG, on the last P&O cruise, operating out of Australia, with approximately 2,800 aboard. The demographic has changed dramatically since Covid, he said, lots more younger people on cruise ships now. He had been involved in establishing a memorial to the Kiaps that died in PNG, a service will take place on the 50th anniversary of PNG Independence Day, on September 16 in Canberra. He called out to family members of soldiers that died in PNG during the war. He reminded us that PNG is only 4km from Saibai Island.

Find out more about the Kiapps Memorial here.

Geoff, a consultant for Energy and Clean Water, from Darwin rang in, a big electrical monsoon the previous night, it was the latest monsoon Darwin had ever had. He’d done a 7 day trip through Java on 7 different trains. He was a train buff and went on his own, started at Banyuwangi on the East Coast, had a look at the Dutch railway history and visited temples and museums in each city, went on a train in Java that reached 327Km/hour, built by the Chinese (who won the contract ahead of the Japanese). Very few caucasians were on the trains, “apart from cuttings and tunnels you could see houses at every stage of the trip.”

Get more insight into Banyuwangi here.

Captain Rebecca Levitt rang in about Navy Week which starts on March 3rd, the Navy 124th birthday is on March 1. She was not disconcerted by the recent Chinese Navy drills. Navy Week is around Australia, celebrating the strengths of the Navy and it’s contribution to the National Interest. She is the Commanding Offier for HMS Kuttabul at Woolloomooloo in Sydney. They are opening up to the public on Saturday March 8, where the public can get on the ships and talk to Navy people.

More information about Navy Week events here.

Lexie from Alexandria called in about a Bunnings BBQ on behalf of the Sydney Sirens Ice Hockey Club who play in a national league. They are the only women’s NSW team, the finals are coming up in Melbourne. The BBQ was to raise funds for the club’s travels, many ice rinks have closed in NSW so the club is rebuilding after Covid suspending the sport.

Find out more about the Sydney Sirens here

Chrissie from Hobart rang in about her local Rotary Roadshow, which is celebebrated the 100 year anniversary in Tasmania last year. They will go to various community events in Launceston and across Tasmania. Chrissie’s club is Salamanca Sunrise. She related that Rotary perform 47 million volunteer hours across the world each year.

See how they are celebrating their centenary here.

Allan was just leaving the King George Sound in Albany heading west to Freemantle on the boat, Southern Cross. He had visited the National Anzac Centre in Albany, which had a good interactive museum. Their trip can be followed on Social media #SouthernCross.

Christa from Inverell, rang in about Navy Week, “in the 60s when i left school i lived right alongside HMAS Cerberus at Western Port Bay in Victoria, three german girls including me landed jobs at the port and I loved the role.” She got married on the Naval base, the church was packed with people from the base. Her late husband were sprinkled in the Bight off HMAS Brisbane on the way to the Gulf war.

David rang in 15 years after calling in from the Qantas Flight Deck 128 from Hong Kong to Sydney. He left the job with A380s during Covid. He started flying sail planes as part of the Military Cadets in 1972, joined the Air Force in 1977, joined Qantas in 1985, always flying gliders and sail planes in his spare time. He had just left the 20m National Gliding Championships in Temora, heading back to Kingaroy. Kingaroy pilots did very well at the event, coming 2nd as a team, with a male and female pilots both winning their events. He is going to Boar in the Czech Republic representing Australia soon. He talked about Winglets at the end of each wing, becoming standard on all aircraft around 15 years ago. Macca asked what Gliders cost, he responded $6k to $500k+ and $30-50k would get you a reasonable performer but joining a gliding club is a far more economical option. He talked about the Morning Glory in Arabia, being the pinnacle of the Gliding world.

Watch this video to get an insight into the Morning Glory:

Alistair emiled from a large dairy complex in Saudi Arabia, he was there carrying out annual maintenace on 4 bottling lines at Nada Dairies. He related that the staff there from less developed countries have to do a 2 year stint before being allowed to visit home. He said there are over 70,000 Fresians there under cover from the desert sun, it’s winter and about 25 degrees but it was 52 in summer.

Get an insight into NADA dairy here.

John talked about his mother steaming envelopes to reuse the stamps and get free postage.

Brendan called from Wagga Wagga, was running a young sheep judging competition, the winners going onto the Royal Sydney Easter Show (April 11-22, 2025). He was from Gurley, and is President of the Moree Show Society.

See more about this year’s Sydney Easter Show here:

Daniel wrote in from a gas and oil site at the Cooper Basin in the Strzelecki Desert, a FIFO mechanic keeping the landcruisers going, he sees some beautiful flocks of budgies at times.

Learn more about the geology of the Cooper Basin in this video:

Rob called in from Blackman’s Bay in Tasmania and recalled being on board when an earlier caller’s husband’s ashes were sprinkled in the Bight on the way to the Gulf War.

Listen to a fascinating coverage of the HMAS Brisbane here:

Listen to the podcast episode here.