A road trip in a 1961 EK Holden. A truckload of mandarins in Queensland. Bees, butterflies, wool, rain and a thousand-year-old tree.
It was one of those Australia All Over mornings where every caller seemed to open a different door into Australian life.
Northbound in an EK Holden
The first caller was another Macca, this one from Mount Waverley in Melbourne, who was preparing to drive his 1961 EK Holden to Cairns.
The trip would take him through Cooly Rocks On at Coolangatta before a detour to Stanthorpe for the FB-EK Holden Nationals. He’d travelled north before, but not in the EK.
When Macca asked whether he trusted the old Holden to make it all the way, the answer came without hesitation.
“No worries. I’m more worried about the driver doing it.”
The call would prove to be the first of several involving old Holdens and long Australian roads.
A Truckload of Fruit in Mundubbera
Peter rang from the middle of the citrus season in Mundubbera.
At first the line was breaking up badly until he explained why.
“Hang on a second, I’ll just pull up. I’ve got a truckload of bloody fruit.”
Peter works logistics across several citrus farms, moving fruit from orchards to packing sheds and then on to dispatch centres. The season is a busy one and he told Macca they were regularly putting in 13-hour days.
The conversation wandered all over the place, as good Australia All Over conversations often do. It started with export markets and moved into stink bugs, pest management, contractors, seasonal workers and the realities of running large orchards.
Macca was particularly interested in how commercial growers deal with the same pests that plague backyard citrus trees.
By the end they had arrived at fruit varieties.
Peter’s recommendation was straightforward.
“If you ever try one, try Royal Honey Murcotts. They come out of Mundubbera and they are bloody beautiful.”
When the harvest season finishes, Peter and his wife put work aside and spend months travelling Australia in a caravan.
Beauty in a Remote Place
One caller reflected on a visit to Kerguelen Island, a place so remote that most Australians will never see it in person.
He described the volcanic landscape, Christmas Harbour, elephant seals and the traces left behind by explorers who passed through over the centuries.
What interested him wasn’t the harshness of the place so much as the life hidden within it. He compared it to walking the Larapinta Trail — landscapes that appear barren until you slow down and start noticing the details.
The conversation was brief but memorable, the sort of call that takes listeners somewhere completely unexpected.
Finally Making the Call
Dave from Bamboo, north of Mossman, had been listening since the early 1980s but had never rung the program.
Until now.
“It’s taken me a long time to ring you, but I thought I’ve got to get this off the bucket list.”
His introduction to Australia All Over came while he was living aboard a yacht in Cairns Harbour. A friend rowed over one morning and told him there was a bloke on the radio who was “half interesting”.
Macca appreciated that description.
The call became a tour through Dave’s working life. He restored furniture in Port Douglas, sailed extensively and spent time working on cattle stations in Cape York.
One story particularly amused Macca.
Dave described himself as a “hey-you”.
On a cattle station, he explained, whenever something broke somebody would yell, “Hey you, mate,” and off he’d go to deal with it.
The conversation eventually drifted towards the changing face of Far North Queensland. Dave reflected on how much places like Cairns and Port Douglas had changed since he first arrived there decades ago.
From Singapore to the Bee Yard
Rachel called while driving to the Bundanon Trust Providore Marketplace in the Shoalhaven.
The call began with a discussion about varroa mite and small hive beetle, two problems that have made life difficult for beekeepers across New South Wales.
But Rachel’s own story quickly became the focus.
Years ago she was living in Singapore, working in the corporate world and travelling regularly. After returning to Australia she became interested in beekeeping through the Flow Hive movement and the work of Cedar and Stuart Anderson.
One hive led to another.
Today she teaches children and adults about bees and regularly introduces people to their first hive inspection.
One of her favourite moments is watching children see inside a hive for the first time.
“Their whole world just changes.”
Asked whether she missed her previous corporate life, Rachel didn’t need much time to think about it.
“Not at all.”
The Last Day at the Butterfly House
Ray Archer from Grantham rang with news that was both sad and uplifting.
It was the final day of operation for the Garden of Eden Butterfly House.
Ray and his wife had already spent years helping build and operate the Bribie Island Butterfly House before establishing the Grantham attraction. Along the way, he said, volunteer efforts had helped raise more than $1 million for charity.
The decision to close wasn’t driven by a lack of enthusiasm.
Following eye surgery, Ray has been dealing with double vision and depth perception issues that make the laboratory work increasingly difficult.
What stood out during the conversation was that Ray kept steering the discussion back to butterflies.
He spoke about breeding programs, disease management and the work that went into restoring healthy Ulysses butterfly populations.
Even when discussing the closure, he was still encouraging listeners to create habitat in their own gardens.
“You can grow butterfly-attracting plants.”
Earlier in the call he had introduced the story with a line that seemed to sum up both the project and the partnership behind it.
“My bride of 58 years and I…”
Wool, Kelpies and Knitting Needles
The All Over News segment took listeners through a busy calendar of rural events.
There were mentions of the Isisford Sheep and Wool Show, the Victorian Sheep Show at Ballarat, the Kelpie Muster at Casterton and the Alice Springs Beanie Festival.
Macca then spent some time revisiting the history of the Back-to-Back Wool Challenge, where competitors race to shear a sheep, spin the wool and knit a garment in record time.
A letter from Dawn Dunlop traced the origins of the challenge back to an 1811 wager in Berkshire, England, while Macca recalled watching a particularly impressive knitter at Murray Bridge many years ago.
He compared elite knitters to elite fruit pickers — specialists whose speed and skill only become apparent when you watch them at work.
A Conversation About Lifeline
During the week Macca attended Lifeline Australia’s National Congress and spoke with Michael Weir.
Weir discussed the growing demand for support services and reflected on the paradox of modern life: people are more connected than ever, yet many still feel isolated.
He encouraged listeners not to hesitate if they need help.
“Feel free to call. Don’t be afraid. Call us.”
Soup, Kookaburras and ABC Unearthed
A couple of shorter notes also caught Macca’s attention.
Gail Napier posed a simple question about a packet soup proudly labelled as Australian-made despite containing less than 10 per cent Australian ingredients.
Meanwhile, Vassilios Evangelou — better known as Bill — wrote in to draw attention to his composition Canungra Kookaburra, available through ABC Unearthed.
Rain at Last in Carnarvon
Joyce from Carnarvon had good news.
After dealing with heatwaves, cyclones, flooding and drought, her region had finally received some decent rain.
The way she described it probably resonated with plenty of listeners.
“It’s just so lovely to lie in bed listening to it.”
She also spoke about hay deliveries reaching struggling pastoral districts, including parts of the Murchison (?), where many producers have been doing it tough.
211 WB Utes
Bill called from between Moama and Deniliquin after attending the fourth annual WB Ute Run.
This year’s event attracted 211 WB utes, a remarkable turnout for what began as a much smaller gathering.
Bill praised organisers Shaun and Hayley Trotter and described a weekend built around friendship, storytelling and old Holdens.
The appeal wasn’t difficult to understand. Many of the owners had wanted one of these utes since they left school.
“We’re all 50 to 60-year-olds and we’re like little kids in a toy shop again.”
Macca suggested the vehicles might be breeding.
A New Purpose for an Old Tree
Helen rang from Guildford in Victoria to talk about the town’s famous big tree.
The red gum is believed to be somewhere between 500 and 1,000 years old. After a major limb fell in 2024, the timber was turned into a reconciliation seat that was being unveiled that day.
For Helen and many other locals, the tree is far more than a landmark.
It’s part of the town’s story.
Why I Live Where I Live
The regular segment delivered several memorable contributions.
Peter Chapman wrote from South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, describing a life that has included building, bush poetry, hospital chaplaincy and countless kilometres on Australian roads. His explanation for remaining in the region was difficult to top.
“The wrong girl brought me here and the right girl kept me here.”
David Skimmings wrote from Lorn near Maitland, reflecting on the comfort that comes from living somewhere long enough that its history becomes intertwined with your own.
Macca also revisited a letter from Dorothy at Encounter Lakes near Victor Harbour. Years after travelling around Australia, she had found the place where she wanted to stay. The discussion led into a poem by Max Fatchen celebrating the whales that visit the South Australian coast each year.
Together, the letters captured one of the recurring themes of Australia All Over.
People often start by talking about a place.
They usually end up talking about belonging.
Looking Towards Mackay
The final caller was Shane from Grange in Adelaide.
After 20 years in aviation, he and his partner are preparing for a move north to Mackay. Friends who recently relocated had already delivered a glowing review of life there and Shane sounded increasingly convinced.
The move isn’t happening tomorrow, but the planning has begun.
Like many callers throughout the morning, he found himself standing between the familiar and the unknown, looking ahead to whatever comes next.
Listen to the podcast episode here.
Disclaimer: ‘Australia All Over’ is a program produced and broadcast by the ABC Local Radio Network and hosted by Ian McNamara. Brisbane Suburbs Online News has no affiliation with Ian McNamara, the ABC, or the ‘Australia All Over’ program. This weekly review is an independent summary based on publicly available episodes. All original content and recordings remain the property of the ABC. Our summaries are written in our own words and are intended for commentary and review purposes only. Readers can listen to the full episodes via the official ABC platforms.
