Willie Cook is known as the bull-catching, helicopter-flying Kiwi from the ABC tv series “Outback Ringer”. I caught up with Willie at his home in the Adelaide River region of the Northern Territory to hear the incredible story of how he and his young family came to be in Australia. However, that story is coming next week. Today, I’m sharing the very beginning of our chat, where Willie told me about his early years in New Zealand.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Willie Cook - Before 'Outback Ringer' (Part 1)

True stories from the Australian Outback, told by the people who live them.

Meet the men and women who live and work on some of Australia’s most remote cattle stations.

There are tales of mustering, stock camps, working dogs, rogue cattle and hard bloody yakka, but also the fun of a bush wedding or kicking back at a rodeo.

There’s the simple wonder of living in an amazing landscape, but also the downside: the ravages of flood, fire and drought.

And always there’s the inherent danger of isolation – times when the Flying Doctor came to the rescue, but also times when lives have been tragically cut short.

These compelling true-life stories show what outback life is really like – and why many wouldn’t live anywhere else.

Personal Journals

Society & Culture

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

One moment can change your entire life.
Ashley Dowden learnt that lesson at age 11, when he survived an accident that claimed his mothers life and left his father with one arm.
Ashley’s childhood was cut short as he stepped up to support his father in running the family sheep station. 
In the 4 decades since, Ashley has continued to face his share of challenges, but his commitment to the family property has never wavered.
In this episode Ashley shares parts of his journey, and we explore how his deep love of the land he calls home has allowed him to not just persevere through the hard times, but build a life full of joy and love. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ashley Dowden - Triumph after tragedy [Repost]

The first year out of school is equally exciting and terrifying – you’re considered an adult by society, and with that comes both freedoms and responsibilities.
With her high school experience not being the best, and her first job on a station getting off to a rocky start, Pip Bain felt like she had finally found her feet only to learn that her mother had passed away by suicide.
The profound loss of her mother was only amplified by the shock, as Pip learnt she had been sheltered from her mother’s mental health struggles.
In this episode Pip shares her story of how the next decade of her life would be shaped by losing her mother, and how it led her to take the long away around to find her place in this world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pip Bain (Part 2) - Taking the long way around [Repost]

The time we spend with people and places doesn’t determine the impact they can have on our lives.
That is so very true for todays guest, Pip Bain. Although her family sold Mt Clere Station when she was just 8 years old, those 8 short years shaped Pips life and love of the land. The same goes for her mother, who passed when Pip was just 18 years old.
In this episode, Pip recalls memories of her time at Mt Clere and how she found her way back to the land. She also speaks candidly about losing her mother through suicide and how it influenced her views on mental health.
For our long term listeners, if any of this sounds familiar, that is because this episode was recorded and published in 2020 when the podcast was fairly new. Pips story is so compelling that I thought it deserved a second run. Be sure to tune in next week for a follow up episode with Pip.

If you are experiencing depression or are suicidal, or know someone who is, help is available. Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 Lifeline: 13 11 14  www.lifeline.com.au Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636  www.beyondblue.org.au/ Mindspot: 1800 61 44 34  http://mindspot.org.au/ Men’s Shed: www.mensheds.org.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pip Bain (Part 1) - Memories of my mother & Mt Clere Station [Repost]

Nick Ormsby has flipped the script on what it means to be a "high school dropout". Despite leaving school at just 14 and having his teachers tell him he'd never make it, Nick's proved them dead wrong.
Now, before he's even hit 40, Nick's running the show with not one, not two, but three companies in horticulture, agriculture, and forestry up in the Northern Territory.
But Nick's journey hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows. In this episode, he's taking us back to where it all began. We're talking about the setbacks, the challenges and the opportunities he's had along the way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick Ormsby - Self made

Paddy Heatley had a fairly unconventional childhood. By the time he left home at the age of 9, he’d already dropped out of school – foregoing learning to read and write. At the age of 12, he was smuggling tobacco, alcohol and cattle from South to North Ireland. And, at the age of 16, with his mother’s signature forged, he climbed aboard a ship bound for Australia.
In this episode, Paddy share’s yarns for his early days in Ireland, and his first few years in Australia. He speaks about meeting his future bride, the time he was almost charged with attempted murder, his day working with, and sometimes walking on, crocodiles, to settling in the Northern Territory as a cattle truck driver. Paddy sure has lived life to the fullest. As you can imagine, there was no way we could fit his whole story into one episode, so keep your ears out for more in the coming months.
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Willie Cook - Before 'Outback Ringer' (Part 1)

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