Back Roads - Season 9

First aired: 1/2/2023 16 episodes

Episodes

1. The Great Australian Pub

Aired: 1/2/2023

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

Aired: 1/9/2023

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

Aired: 1/16/2023

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

Aired: 1/23/2023

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

Aired: 1/30/2023

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

Aired: 2/6/2023

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

Aired: 2/13/2023

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

Aired: 2/20/2023

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)

Aired: 7/3/2023

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)

Aired: 7/10/2023

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

Aired: 7/17/2023

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

Aired: 7/24/2023

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

Aired: 7/31/2023

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

Aired: 8/7/2023

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

Aired: 8/14/2023

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

Aired: 8/21/2023

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.