re:location

In the final of this mini series of re:location, I ventured to South Yarra and Carneige where I met Sue and Janine. Two wonderful women with a great sense of home but very different politics. 

We continue our adventure in Southern New South Wales where we meet Tony in Yass and Stuart in Queanbeyan. I loved these two conversations. Tony was ahead of the eight ball and Stuart had a beautiful philosophy on life in Australia and the role of community. 

This time we're in Wagga Wagga, where we meet Di, Teegan and Jesse. Wagga is New South Wales' largest inland city and it means something a bit different to the three. In two separate conversations, I chat with these Wagga residents about their sense of home and what they're hoping for at this year's federal election. Supporting pensioners and mental health are on the radar in these conversations. 

Re:location is back! On season two we explore Australians' sense of home against the backdrop of the 2022 Federal Election. To kick things off I ventured to Cairns and Mossman which are in the seat of Leichhardt in tropical North Queensland. For our first episode, we catch up with Aziz, Norm and Randall. 

In this edition of re:location, I talked with Lucy Graham about Tropical North Queensland's incredible environment.  Lucy is the Director of the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre (CAFNEC) and Cairns local. We chatted about her work with CAFNEC, the incredible nature that you will find in this part of the world and the community's strong history of activism in pushing for environmental protection.

This edition of re:location is about life in Karumba. This is a town with a real sense of ease and calm, and where nature rules.  Nestled in the south east pocket of the Gulf of Carpentaria, I talk with a few of Karumba's 500 locals about what makes town tick, barramundi and life alongside crocodiles. 

At times, it’s hard to focus in a city like Alice Springs. There is a strong sense of people having deeply contrasting experiences – and there is a huge economic gap between the first nations and white communities. But running against the stereotype and reputation, my first impression of Alice was as an upbeat kind of place, and that it’s incredibly welcoming. Have a listen!

It’s less than a week to go until the US Presidential Election and while the candidates make their final pitches, the States is registering record daily COVID-19 infections. Derek Bauman rejoins me on the show to update us on how the last six month have been in America and the lead-up to the Presidential Election.

I’ve met a lot more adventurers than normal over the past few weeks. Travelling along the dusty Oodnadatta Track, it’s been a real thrill meeting people wanting to get to know Australia a lot better. Luis and Almu are two very adventurous spirits who managed to find themselves in South Australia's smallest town. This edition of re:location is about their journey and life in William Creek.

On this special 21st edition of re:location, we’re looking back at the conversations that have featured on the show since we started in April. In a year that’s been characterised by challenge and loss – people have been forced to find positives and get to know their cities better. It's been fascinating hearing them reflect on 'home'.

This year, I was lucky enough to catch the premier of Brauhaus: A German-American fairytale. It’s a wonderful documentary that tells the story of Harry and Guenter Kempf and the history of Das Brauhaus, a real institution in the historically significant German-American neighbourhood of Lincoln Square. On this edition I talk with the team behind the documentary, Matt Richmond (director) and Jon Michael Ryan (cinematographer) about Chicago and the film.

It was super talking with Timmy D, I was grateful for how he shared his special connection with town and the surrounding area, how it stems from his love of family, and their long connection with this part of Australia.

I think you’re going to enjoy this conversation with Charlie, the story behind developing the cordless head lamp with his company Roobuck Enterprises, how it’s taken him all around the world and now landed him in Walgett.

Penny provides her insights into the level of disadvantage that exists in the community, the great work that Thiyama-li Family Violence Prevention Service does and what she loves about Walgett and the people who call it home.

The world hasn’t stopped spinning as a result of the pandemic, and in Narrabri the environment continues to be a much more powerful player in shaping futures. 

I liked Moree, a lot. There was a great sense of positivity that runs through the town, and a strong and resilient aboriginal community. On this edition of re:location I talk with Toby Osmond, the Gallery Director at the Yaama Ganu Gallery. Toby has a really interesting background, we talk about Moree, the gallery and what Toby is enjoying about being back inlan

This time on re:location, we’re entering the world of politics. Lismore with its unique community mix serves as a real mirror for how Australia is tracking in 2020. That’s why I couldn’t resist the opportunity to ask people whether they were feeling optimistic or pessimistic about where Australia finds itself in these challenging global times. The answer is a fascinating blend of apprehensiveness and gratefulness.

Bernard is someone who has definitely embraced life in Northern New South Wales. He sat down with me on this episode of re:location to talk about working on one of the largest coffee farms in Australia, how he ended up in Nimbin and the incredible nature that defines this patch of the world.

MH can be described as a designer, maker, programmer, tinkerer or even the juicy ‘creative technologist’. He’s originally from Iran and works at the crossover between art and digital engineering. It was a pleasure to hear his incredibly up-beat and reflective take on the Big Apple on this edition of re:location.

On this edition on re:location, it's all about 'relocation' to Bellingen. Get to know this beautiful part of the world from a diverse cast of people who have moved there.

Albert is an absolute gem. He’s been in Bourke for the last two years and brought a pair of fresh eyes where he was able to find positives in a fairly grim setting on this edition of re:location.

This edition of re:location features full interviews with Wayne Williams, Darriea Turley and Margaret Price on life in Broken Hill.

This edition of re: location is about the loyalty and commitment of locals to Broken Hill and some of the challenges attached to maintaining that sense of home. Have a listen. 

On this episode of re:location, we bring you the story of AJ and Trevor's friendship. It’s a story that involves cricket, multiculturalism and a lot of community mindedness.

On this micro edition of re:location, I talk with James Thomson about starting one of the first Shepparton micro-breweries. Wildlife Brewing brews incredible beer and James has a real passion for his home city. I think this shines through in the interview, as he talks about brewing for locals, how Wildlife has navigated Covid-19 and his impressions of Shep. Enjoy!

On this episode of re:location, we take a look at Shepparton. What I like about Shepparton is that people walk about with a spring in their step and have a real warmth and friendliness. It’s visibly diverse and people who I met and talked with had a way of making me feel very welcome.

On this edition of re:location, my guests: Toula Drimonis and Paige Saunders come to Montreal with very different backgrounds but both are incredible representatives for their city. The two live and breathe Montreal and dedicate their time to creating engaging and thoughtful media highlighting how the city ticks.

Chris is an educator, musician, podcaster and an excellent storyteller. He’s been in Bogota for the last ten years and he’s really seen the city transform. For decades, the city and country was mired in conflict between the Government and militant group, FARC. While Chris has been in Bogota, the country has changed significantly with violence steeply decreasing and a peace deal being signed in 2017.

Chris talked me through some of these changes, how the city has urbanized and where to find Bogota’s best empanada.

On this edition of re:location I talked with Deon Bing about all things Cape Town. We chatted about what makes the city unique, how it's responding to covid-19 and some of the challenges ahead. I really enjoyed this interview!

On this edition of re:location , I talked with Shashank Bengali about his experiences in Singapore, what it's like being an American in the city and some of the contrasts between the two political systems.

We chatted about what makes Singapore unique and and how it challenges various assumptions about the wider region and the city's underlying complexities and contradictions.

In this week's edition of re:location, we take a closer look at Mannheim. Mannheim isn't on most people's German radar but it's distinctly urban and multicultural.

I spoke with Matthias Rauch and Julia Koch - two fascinating people with a lot to say about their city.

This is 're:location', a podcast about people, places and ideas. In this edition, it's Derek Bauman and Cincinnati. Derek and I chatted about the Covid-19 crisis, American politics and how life goes on in Cincinnati.