<p>Host Alex Barwick hears just how far Pine Gap’s reach is today, uncovers the secrets of stolen land and explores what it means for Australia to have a spy base hidden in the heart of the country. Host: Alex Barwick Supervising producer: Piia Wirsu Sound engineer and producer: Grant Wolter Executive producer: Blythe Moore Additional production and research: Elsa Silberstein Special thanks: Eric George, Robert Mailer, Tim Roxburgh, Jane Connors, Mark Maley, Elizabeth Beal, ABC Alice Springs, and everyone who agreed to speak with us  Further reading: David Rosenberg - Inside Pine Gap Brian Toohey - Secret Kieran Finnane - Peace Crimes Desmond Ball - A Suitable Piece of Real Estate</p>

Host Alex Barwick hears just how far Pine Gap’s reach is today, uncovers the secrets of stolen land and explores what it means for Australia to have a spy base hidden in the heart of the country. Host: Alex Barwick Supervising producer: Piia Wirsu Sound engineer and producer: Grant Wolter Executive producer: Blythe Moore Additional production and research: Elsa Silberstein Special thanks: Eric George, Robert Mailer, Tim Roxburgh, Jane Connors, Mark Maley, Elizabeth Beal, ABC Alice Springs, and everyone who agreed to speak with us Further reading: David Rosenberg - Inside Pine Gap Brian Toohey - Secret Kieran Finnane - Peace Crimes Desmond Ball - A Suitable Piece of Real Estate

<p>Host Alex Barwick hears just how far Pine Gap’s reach is today, uncovers the secrets of stolen land and explores what it means for Australia to have a spy base hidden in the heart of the country.&nbsp;Host: Alex Barwick&nbsp;Supervising producer: Piia Wirsu&nbsp;Sound engineer and producer: Grant Wolter&nbsp;Executive producer: Blythe Moore&nbsp;Additional production and research: Elsa Silberstein&nbsp;Special thanks: Eric George, Robert Mailer, Tim Roxburgh, Jane Connors, Mark Maley, Elizabeth Beal, ABC Alice Springs, and everyone who agreed to speak with us&nbsp;&nbsp;Further reading:&nbsp;David Rosenberg - Inside Pine Gap&nbsp;Brian Toohey - Secret&nbsp;Kieran Finnane - Peace Crimes&nbsp;Desmond Ball - A Suitable Piece of Real Estate</p>

05: Spies in the Outback | The secrets of Pine Gap

In 1999 a young American dumped his bicycle and walked out into the Great Sandy Desert in remote northern Australia. He was an Alaskan firefighter, seemingly with everything to live for. So why did he risk it all to go into the wilderness alone? And how do you search for someone who doesn't want to be found?

In 2022, host Erin Parke became obsessed with the saga of Robert Bogucki, which became a media circus and prompted everyone involved to think about life, death and who we are when everything easy is stripped away. It's a story that spans three decades, two continents and a bizarre cast of characters. From booty-wearing bloodhounds, to a larger-than-life, cigar-chomping American named Gunslinger, the search for the missing man became a spectacle in itself.

In season 5, Expanse: Nowhere Man, Erin sets out to discover why some people are pushed to lose themselves in the wilderness on a search for meaning. At a time when so many of us feel lost, just how far would you go to feel found?

New episodes released each Wednesday.

Expanse is an internationally award-winning podcast that explores big stories from across Australia — a vast continent where anything can happen.

In Series 4: Uncropped, host Danielle O'Neal goes from a mosquito-laden lagoon in far north Queensland to the Australian government's classified UFO files, to the US Congress as she seeks to understand what happened, its legacy and why believable people say seemingly unbelievable things.

Spies in the Outback (Series 3) won the Excellence in Radio Broadcasting award at the Northern Territory Media Awards in 2024 for the story of Pine Gap, a secret US/Australian defence base hidden in the outback.

From the Dead (Series 2) won silver in the Documentary: History category at the New York Radio Festival awards. It delves into a wild tale of survival at sea off Tasmania's rugged southwest coast.

Pink Diamond Heist (Series 1) was shortlisted in the New York Radio Awards, Documentary: History category. This season takes you on a rollicking ride through Western Australia on the trail of a diamond heist.

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In 1999 a young American dumped his bicycle and walked out into the Great Sandy Desert in remote northern Australia. He was an Alaskan firefighter, seemingly with everything to live for. So why did he risk it all to go into the wilderness alone? And how do you search for someone who doesn't want to be found? In 2022, host Erin Parke became obsessed with the saga of Robert Bogucki, which became a media circus and prompted everyone involved to think about life, death and who we are when everything easy is stripped away. It's a story that spans three decades, two continents and a bizarre cast of characters. From booty-wearing bloodhounds, to a larger-than-life, cigar-chomping American named Gunslinger, the search for the missing man became a spectacle in itself. In season 5, Expanse: Nowhere Man, Erin sets out to discover why some people are pushed to lose themselves in the wilderness on a search for meaning. At a time when so many of us feel lost, just how far would you go to feel found? New episodes released each Wednesday. Expanse is an internationally award-winning podcast that explores big stories from across Australia — a vast continent where anything can happen. In Series 4: Uncropped, host Danielle O'Neal goes from a mosquito-laden lagoon in far north Queensland to the Australian government's classified UFO files, to the US Congress as she seeks to understand what happened, its legacy and why believable people say seemingly unbelievable things. Spies in the Outback (Series 3) won the Excellence in Radio Broadcasting award at the Northern Territory Media Awards in 2024 for the story of Pine Gap, a secret US/Australian defence base hidden in the outback. From the Dead (Series 2) won silver in the Documentary: History category at the New York Radio Festival awards. It delves into a wild tale of survival at sea off Tasmania's rugged southwest coast. Pink Diamond Heist (Series 1) was shortlisted in the New York Radio Awards, Documentary: History category. This season takes you on a rollicking ride through Western Australia on the trail of a diamond heist.

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05: Spies in the Outback | The secrets of Pine Gap

05: Spies in the Outback | The secrets of Pine Gap

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