The tiny outback town of Tibooburra, renowned for being the hottest place in NSW, hosts an annual gymkhana, bikekhana and rodeo each Spring. 

As a fresh-to-the-outback, former city-slicker, I had to know whether the rodeo experience lived up to my romantic yet uninformed idea of it: a blur of line dancing, cowboy boots and something to do with bulls.

In the very north-western corner of New South Wales, in an area aptly named Corner Country, is a place that seems to tick all the boxes of the classic, quintessentially Australian outback town: Tibooburra.

Kel, ‘the friendliest person in Merriwagga’ (certainly lives up to this reputation) and owner of the only caravan park in town: “The Old School Caravan Park”, which, as the name suggests, used to be a school ground.

The Black Stump Hotel, an unassuming pub in Merriwagga, New South Wales is shrouded in outback mythology and local folklore. There’s the tale of how the pub got its name; a woman named Barbara Blaine who burned alive in 1886 in the area, whose husband reportedly said “looked like a black stump”, or it could be because the surrounding area is known as “Black Stump Country”.

Along the Hume Highway between Sydney and Melbourne sits one of Australia’s few remaining original Greek diners; The Niagara Cafe.

On Thursday mornings the Indian Pacific train stops at the outback town of Broken Hill and travellers are invited on a tour; starting with scones, tea and coffee, milkshakes and spiders at Bell’s Milk Bar.

We hadn’t planned to visit Maria Island but after my car broke down in a tiny coastal town with no real drawcard other than being the jetting-off point for the ferry to Maria Island, we decided this must be the best way to kill time while we wait for car repairs.

In the midst of lockdown, Jemma, a classical singer from the Mornington Peninsula, found herself pining for a tree change.

Petah first came to Broken Hill in the 90s to work here in the police force.

Jack is a writer, who moved to Broken Hill in 2011, after hearing about a story of a murder, and the wrong guy going to prison for it back in the 50s.

I met Uncle Badger one evening at his home in Broken Hill, where he was talking to US journalists about the Murray Darling water issues.

Alex lives on a rambling property on Main Road of Campbells Creek. The building/s have been many things in its life but originally was a gold mining supply store, built in 1857.

Bridget moved to Castlemaine many years ago so that her child could attend the Steiner school here. She lives in a house up on a hill, overlooking acres of bush and dams below.

Jess came to Castlemaine to escape a rough breakup four years ago; she originally just came for the night but while at the pub she met someone looking for a housemate, and someone else offered her a job at the local brewery.

Nikki has lived in Elphinstone for seven years, on a sixty acre property that she and her partner Scott have converted into a kangaroo sanctuary.

Skip grew up on King Island in the Bass Strait, before his family relocated to Maldon. At fifteen Skip ran away from home to hitchhike his way to music festivals in the late 70s.

Keiran spent the first years of his life on the very same property he lives now. Back then there was no house, there was only a toilet up the hill with a crack in the seat that would pinch your butt when you sat on it.

Dan came to Broken Hill to work on a film about water rights in the Baaka. He stayed and is now studying a PhD on water policy.

Liz has always lived in the country - her parents lived a nomadic life where they moved every six years when she was a child.

Peter and Patsy live in Silverton with their kelpie, Teddy - who barks at ghosts, and they run the only pub left standing in Silverton.