Season 1

A notorious bank robber destined for a life in prison discovers a new path when he confronts his hidden trauma. Now he's working to help others seeking justice for crimes long buried.

Best of Blokes: The final program in the series concentrates on some of the memorable men featured on Australian Story. There's the quintessentially Aussie saga of Robert G. Barrett... the butcher who became a best selling author and the scourge of the literary set. (See Program 3 - 12th June). This is followed by the story of Robin Mogg, who suffered from Motor Neurone Disease, yet still cheerfully embraced the issues most of us spend our whole lives avoiding. Robin died just prior to the original airing of his story, but his wife has been contacted by people from all over the world telling her how touched and affected they were by his courage. (See Program 6 - 3rd July) The series concludes with a reminder of some of the other Aussie Blokes featured on the show.

Best of Relationships: This week's program is all about relationships. There's Betty & Me, the moving story of a marriage trying to come to terms with the burden of Alzheimers Disease. (See Program 8 - 17th July). This is followed by Dante's Inferno, an extraordinary tale of a group of strangers battling the elements to stage an outdoor theatre production, under the direction of Neil Cameron. (See Program 1 - 29th May) The program finishes with a montage of several of the many characters who've shared their lives and relationships with Australian Story over the past six months.

Calling the Tune: Our program begins with an incredible story of one of Australia's most high profile Asian women. She is Donna Tsang, wife of the Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney. Donna, who came to Australia from Taiwan at the age of 16, is the driving force behind Sydney's successful East West Orchestra, bringing together musicians from every possible background. Her story is inspirational because she describes herself as someone who used to be "afraid of the whole world". Now she says her husband says "the whole world is scared of me, because I drive them crazy". Donna also talks candidly about traditional Asian cultural values and her transformation from a submissive role to a liberated "western" lifestyle..something of which her husband has been very supportive, even though it's meant major changes in their marriage. PLUS: The Match Maker: Our second story is about thirty-five year old Simon Stein, who runs a picture framing business in Sydney's Marrickville. But for the last nine years, Simon has had an unpaid sideline...getting couples together by acting as a matchmaker. He has been phenomenally successful, claiming dozens of ongoing relationships, twenty five engagements and several marriages. Simon is motivated by his desire to see Jewish people marry within their own community and maintain their faith. He travels all around the country at his own expense organising meetings and dinners. He is an amusing and extroverted character...with a mass of anecdotes about the sensitive business of getting people together.

Fame: Our first story is about a group of gifted young students at Perth's Aboriginal Academy of Performing Arts and their quest for show business success. Among them is a talented young female vocalist who is being hailed in some quarters as the next Christine Anu. But, as filming progressed big question marks developed over the future of the group. PLUS: A Different Drum: Gary Shearston was the husky voiced Australian heart throb who had a huge world wide hit with his version of "I Get a Kick Out of You" in the seventies. Now, 57, he's an Anglican priest with a diocese based in Hay which takes in nearly a third of rural New South Wales. This year, having resigned himself to a life of "priestly bachelorhood" he remarried and now has a six month old baby. His is a fascinating story of a life of great contrasts and surprising choices.

The Last Muster: Brian O'Sullivan, a grazier and incidentally, Victorian State President of the National Party, tells of the anguish of having to sell off his family's herd of cattle. Their property in Patchewollock, in the Mallee country, has been home to the family for three generations. However it has now been gazetted to be part of a National Park. O'Sullivan talks frankly about the pain and heartache involved in the sale, and the void that it will leave in his life. He also affirms his faith in the parliamentary system despite the cruel blow that it has dealt him. The programme follows O'Sullivan and his family as they embark on "the last muster". The story is introduced by Deputy Prime Minister, Tim Fischer. PLUS: Mr Squiggle: Our second story is a unique insight into a national institution, Mr Squiggle, the longest running programme on Australian Television. Originally commissioned for a run of six weeks Mr Squiggle has now run for thirty seven years. Mr Squiggle's creator, Norman Hetherington, his wife Margaret who devises the stories, and their daughter Rebecca, the sixth presenter of the show, guide us through the Aladdin's cave that is their house. Norman explains the appeal of the pencil nosed puppet who lives on the moon at 93 Crater Crescent as 'a family show, devised by a family, performed by a family for families everywhere.' Rebecca details life growing up with Mr Squiggle and how he is the alter ego of her father, whilst Margaret admits to getting most of her inspiration for stories when in the shower. It's a fascinating look behind the scenes of one of Australia's best loved characters. This story is introduced by Mark Barnard, current Executive Producer of Mr Squiggle.

Longley's Endeavour: John Longley, the man behind the Endeavour replica, tells his own story for the first time. As the Endeavour sails off triumphantly to England, Longley talks frankly about the financial struggles, the heartache and personal hardship that dogged the twelve year project. He and his wife Jenny recall the triumphant years of the ascendancy of Alan Bond culminating in the Americas Cup win. Longley also reflects on the subsequent downfall of Alan Bond and the manner in which the jailed tycoon has been completely abandoned by all his friends apart from a few mates from the sailing fraternity. "It is", says Longley, "a pretty poor reflection of Australian mateship". This story is introduced by former Americas Cup skipper Ian Murray. PLUS: Home Grown: Our second story looks at Regurgitator one of the hottest young Australian bands at the moment and winners of two 1996 ARIA awards. The program focuses on lead singer Quan Yeomans and his relationship with his Vietnamese mother Lien who runs a Vietnamese restaurant and delivers food to the band whenever they play in Brisbane. Usually seen as the outrageous front man for Regurgitator, Quan reveals a surprising side as a home loving "computer geek".

Master of Ceremonies: We go behind the scenes with the ultimate Master of Ceremony, Ric Birch. He designed the Matilda show for the Brisbane Commonwealth Games in 1982, the opening and closing ceremonies for the Barcelona and Los Angeles Olympics - and of course the now infamous inflatable roos on bikes at Atlanta. We see him working with John Farnham, Barry Crocker and others to prepare for the Centenary AFL final and we learn about his background, philosophy and bid to be the designer for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. PLUS: Tall Poppies: Poppy Tremayne is young and beautiful and wants to make her career out of it. This story offers another behind the scenes insight into the competitive world of fashion modelling as we join Poppy and her friends in their bid to win the Elite Model of the Year award.

A League of His Own: This story is an unusual and revealing look at the personal side of a normally very private individual. Ken Cowley is Rupert Murdoch's top man in Australia for News Limited, and is the chairman of Ansett. We join him in the Queensland outback where he talks about his passion for the bush, his love of roses, and his long-standing friendship with the legendary R.M Williams. He reveals major turning points in his life, and provides insight into his business life and his relationships with Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan. The guest presenter for this story is Lachlan Murdoch. PLUS: Twilight Rebel: This is a story about a man who could not be more removed from the corporate manouverings of News Limited. His name is Harry Reade. He's a pensioner and he lives on a small boat. Reade is a passionate old leftie...a former cartoonist, children's author and revolutionary who went to Cuba to fight with Fidel Castro and Che Guevara.

Life of Slicer: Tasmanian conservative politician Michael Hodgeman introduces one of his political foes, but someone for whom he has enormous respect, Justice Pierre Slicer. This is an amazing story about the former head of the Tasmanian Communist Party who has gone on to become a Supreme Court Judge. He reckons he's probably the only Australian judge who's spent time in the clink (during the Franklin protests). PLUS: Seize the Day: This is the story of Mrs Ainsworth, an inspirational teacher still teaching and celebrating her 95th birthday with her students. PLUS: Dancing Dad: The final story includes a guest appearance from dancing star Paul Mercurio. It's about a Canberra public servant who has found a new lease of life by joining his kids' dance class. Much to their embarrassment, he is going to play Bottom in a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Medicine Man: This story is about Dr Miles Little who has just retired from his medical practice and as Professor of Surgery at Sydney University. Dr Little's approach to medicine was completely turned on its head after an encounter with a young teenager called Belinda. Little had to tell her that she had inoperable cancer. She sat up in bed, wept, put her arms around him and said, "Well doctor, what are WE going to do about it?". From that moment they had a partnership and together they beat the disease. Belinda is now a healthy young woman and we see her being reunited with Dr Little. Little wants to project the message of "scientist as poet" and of the absolute need for doctors to focus totally on their patient and what that patient is really saying and really needing. PLUS: Acting Up: This is a story about the township of Wynyard in Northern Tasmania and the residents' production of the annual concert. The doctor becomes the director, the electricians, shopkeepers and housewives become the stars, set designers and costume makers. It's all great fun and in the end, highly professional. We see the rehearsal, first night and the sad burning of the sets when it's all over for another year.

A Woman's Place: Mary Kostakidis from SBS Television introduces the first story which is about Mary Kalantzis - and yes, lots of people get them mixed up. They have both taken a very high profile in the 'multi-cultural' arena. Mary Kalantzis came to Australia as a small child. Her parents felt that a good education was only required to improve her status as a potential bride and she was married straight from school - the marriage arranged by her parents. Since then Mary has gone on to educate herself and become one of the best known academics in the country. She is a professor at James Cook University. She holds passionate views about Australia and the need for individuals to be pro-active in their communities. She believes that multi-culturalism is much more than singing and dancing and being happy with our differences. She is intense and passionate in her views - and great fun - a woman of wit and substance with a surprising passion for Elvis Presley. PLUS: Song of Joy: Another woman of substance, this time in the operatic arena. Elizabeth Whitehouse is one of the great opera singers in the world currently singing the lead in The Flying Dutchman at the Sydney Opera House. This is her first trip home to Australia in many years, and her enthusiasm for the country and its major icon, the Opera House is unbounded and infectious. This film is a wonderful blend of Elizabeth's personality combined with stunning pictures and music.

Kerry's Baby: Kerry has bi-polar disorder (manic depression) and yet she desperately wanted to have a baby. Her religious beliefs prevented her from having a casual sexual relationship in order to conceive, so she managed to find a doctor who would perform an IVF procedure. Kerry battled with her own conscience and ethics before taking this step. It was also very hard for her parents to accept, both because of Kerry's illness and their religion; her father is a church minister. As Kerry describes it, in the end love won out over theology and Sean Michael was born nearly a year ago. Not everyone will agree with the choices Kerry has made but they will respect her determination and take pleasure in the love that Sean Michael has brought to her whole family. Sean Michael is a happy healthy baby. He also has Down Syndrome. The story is introduced by Brisbane 7.30 Report's David Margan and his two baby boys, Nicholas and Jake. PLUS: The Go Between: This is the story of Rick Farley and his decision to leave the heady but manipulative world of politics. The story traces his rather hippy past, his dramatic leap from being a Labor staffer to a central role with the Cattlemen's Union, before going on to become Executive Director of the National Farmers' Federation. He's had enough of all that and now wants to indulge his own passions; his family, land care and Aboriginal issues. The story is introduced by Farley's old mate, Philip Toyne.

The Grand Obsession: Introduced by Caroline Jones, this is the story of an ill-fated camel trek across the Great Sandy and Gibson deserts. The expedition leader is 69-year-old Perth doctor and historian, Bill Peasley. Bill is obsessed with the great 19th century explorers ...especially David Carnegie whose steps he's retracing. But as the journey unfolds, problems emerge, and tensions develop amongst the trekkers with sometimes hilarious consequences. PLUS: Good Move: The story of a young Russian chess master, Irina Feldman, who is about to represent Australia in the Chess Olympiad. She and her family recently emigrated to Sydney where she works as a chess tutor. In a game dominated by men she is cutting quite a dash. She has a passion for her new country and for teaching children to play chess. The guest presenter for this segment is Brisbane Bears star Roger Merrett . PLUS: Debbie's Place: Sue and Waldo Bayley live with a menagerie at Humpty Doo just outside Darwin. A quintessentially Australian couple, they have no airs, a larrikin sense of humour and great resourcefulness. Sue makes shoes out of barramundi skins - and Waldo has an unlikely connection with Royalty. As the story evolves, they reveal a family tragedy which has had a lasting impact on their lives.

Caroline Jones introduces Australian Story's first half hour special. Thirteen years ago a South Brisbane boarding house was destroyed in a blaze. It's a day Wendy Webster can never forget - her mother was one of the two killed in the fire. The day is also etched forever in the mind of Kevin Doherty. He lit the fire deliberately and for profit. Neither of their lives would ever be the same. Wendy spent years in desperation unable to accept what had happened. She found work and relationships impossible to manage. It wasn't until 6 years later, when someone was charged with the crime, that Wendy realised her mother had been the victim of murder. Kevin had spent the intervening 6 years expecting to be caught at any moment and doing battle with guilt and alcohol. His arrest came as a relief to him; he needed to be punished. Wendy felt that she could not go on with her life until some of her questions had been answered and only Kevin could do this for her. "I knew I had to see him, to know what he looked like". She contacted the prison and spoke with Gerald Palk who was with the Catholic prison ministry and later became a project officer with the restorative justice program; a program of mediation between victim and offender. After much consideration by the prison authorities, it was decided to allow Wendy and Kevin to meet. Wendy describes that first meeting: As I got up to him, I looked into his eyes for about 4 seconds and I saw this look of sheer terror .. a look I never want to see ever again, and I got my hands and held onto him and looked into his eyes and said - "It's okay, it's okay" and he broke down and cried and said - "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry". The story of this amazing relationship and the freedom that forgiveness brings to both Wendy and Kevin is the subject of this most unusual Australian Story.

Pride of the Fleet: Commander Peter Sinclair is a navy man from a long line of navy men. For the past three years he has been overseeing the completion and commissioning of Australia's first home grown submarine, HMAS Collins. In a surprisingly candid self-portrait, Commander Sinclair and his wife Tania reveal the stresses and strains of navy life including the toll it has taken on their family life. The submarine went 18 months beyond its completion deadline but that's nothing compared with the overdue renovations on the Sinclair family bathroom. We get a real insight into navy life both for the families involved and for the close knit crew of the 'Collins'. Filmed in Adelaide, the story is introduced by retired Admiral Peter Sinclair, former Governor of NSW and father of Commander Sinclair. PLUS: A Place in the Sun: This second story is about a completely contrasting and yet still distinctly Australian community - the community of Tara west of Toowoomba. Once a quiet country town, Tara became the scene of one of the biggest rural sub-divisions in Australian history. Hundreds of families, most of them from the big cities on the east coast, have moved to Tara in the hope of dirt cheap land and a better life. We meet one of the descendants of the original pioneering families and learn of her horror when she found out about the sub-divisions. We also meet the "Blockies" to discover whether or not "going home to Tara" fulfilled their dreams.

Mother & Child: The story of a mother and daughter, separated for more than half a century, finally rediscovering each other. Norma Pearsons was only sixteen when she was raped by a stranger. She subsequently found she was pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl in a Salvation Army home. Norma adored her baby but was forced by family pressure to give her up after six weeks. 51 years later her daughter, Jan Scott finally tracks her down and Australian Story witnesses the highly emotional reunion. PLUS: Personal Best: This is the story of Hamish McDonald, a young runner and shot putter preparing for the Atlanta Para-olympics. We observe him through the hardships and pressures of training at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra in the last few days of training before departing for America. Hamish has cerebral palsy which effects the function of his legs but he has become one of the best para-olympians in the world. Hamish was among the gold medal winners in Atlanta.

The Surgeon's Story: From Hobart, Caroline Jones interviews Dr Bryan Walpole, the surgeon on duty in Hobart Hospital on the day of the Port Arthur murders. He reflects on that night, on the treatment of the victims and of the alleged perpetrator and how he reconciles all this with his personal philosophy. PLUS: Dingo Dash: Karen Howie has a passion for the sport of dog-sledding. Most people use huskies but Karen's approach has a particularly Australian touch - she uses dingoes. Rusty and Rascal do okay in the trials but when it comes to the big race only one of them makes it back by his own steam. PLUS: The Deep End: This is the story of Roy and Judy Holland and their back yard pool. Parents of former Olympian Steven Holland, Roy and Judy fostered their own swimming training school. The pool has played host to many champions including Steve Holland, Hayley Lewis and some young chap called Wally. Roy Holland always knew young Wally would not cut it as a swimmer.

The Great Escape: Former Federal Treasurer, John Dawkins left politics at a time of his own choosing, which makes him one of a rare breed of ex-pollies. Dawkins tells us his own story and candidly lets us in on how and why he left politics. He speaks of the importance of his wife Maggie and daughter Alice, and how he once juggled delicate post-budget negotiations from the maternity hospital. John and Maggie allow us a glimpse their lives as grape growers in South Australia's beautiful Barossa Valley. PLUS: Love Story: The somewhat bizarre story of hard bitten sports journo Jeff Wells and his dilemma - can he keep his two beloved moggies or should he move in with his new and stylish girlfriend? Who will he choose? PLUS: Food of Love: Stasia Dabrowski is an elderly Canberra resident. She's seen bleak times in her own life and had problems raising her sons after her husband walked out. The experience with her own boys led her to care for Canberra's homeless and drug-addicted population. Amongst that community she is fondly known as the Soup Lady. She works as a cleaner to pay for the food which she lovingly prepares for the needy.

Men's Business: Like a lot of mining towns, Moranbah is a mecca for people wanting to make big money. They are prepared to endure the hardship and isolation in order to set themselves and their families up for life. Often the dream turns sour. Lack of work opportunities for women, the long hours worked by the men and the prevailing male pub culture put a lot of pressure on relationships. Many of the men are left by their spouses and are forced to contend with the child support agency- a good idea, badly administered, they say. They claim their experiences have caused unnecessary hardships and left them feeling angry. A group of them have formed the Lone Fathers Association to provide friendship and support for each other and to lobby for changes to the Child Support Agency. We see the story through the eyes of Mick McGee who came to Moranbah with his family seven years ago and now finds himself alone and broke. He talks openly about his loss, confronting suicidal thoughts, and the friendships he has made with other men. This story challenges the stereotypes of the Australian working class bloke. PLUS: The Nun's Story: Sister Ella is an 80 year-old Perth nun who won't retire. When she was 60 she felt she was being called to go and work with Mother Theresa in Calcutta. Since then she has travelled to India many times, working with poor children. When Sister Ella is home in Perth she's busy raising funds and talking to school children about her travels. She now feels she's too old to go back to India but she is making one more trip in November and then she hopes to go on to revisit Ethiopia. PLUS: The Hard Sell: Pat Stewart has a magnificent obsession - collecting. He's even collected an entire museum along the way. But times are tough and his family have convinced him that the collection must be sold. Auction day has arrived and Pat must part with his treasures.

Betty & Me: Betty and Me is a love story. It is the story of Betty and Dudley Hyde who have been married for over 60 years. Dudley was a methodist minister and feels that Betty had to give up a lot of things that she loved in order to marry him. She loved to dance and be with friends, but as a minister's wife she had to forgo many of life's pleasures. Dudley, now 86 wants to make this up to her and make her last years as happy and fulfilling as possible. The story is made all the more poignant by the fact that Betty has Alzheimer's disease. She can recall very little of their lives together - but she does remember when they met and fell in love on the train in Gosford. Dudley takes Betty back to events and locations that will prompt her memories. Australian Story shares these moments with them. Dudley has written a book about their lives, a latter day love story called Betty and Me. The story is introduced by Peter Hollingworth, the Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane. He describes the book as remarkable and moving. PLUS: The Barber: To the casual eye, this Brisbane Barbershop has remained unchanged for decades. It is reminiscent of a Gentleman's club - a rather beautiful and elegant setting. But times have changed - the jokes are less bawdy and the magazines provided for the clientèle are more likely to be Time or The Bulletin than Playboy. This gentle story takes a look at the changing relationship between men and their barber in an environment where judges and tradesmen can mix with equality. PLUS: Life on a String: Robert Hart had a very simple dream. He gave up a steady job with the police force and his home to travel in caravans in order to fulfill that dream - to teach the children of Australia how to fly kites. Generations of Australian children have subsequently grown up with his kites. Robert's own children are now in the kite business, although they say when they were growing up they wished their father had been more normal, perhaps a plumber. Robert feels that people need more play and beauty in their lives and kite flying is the way to go. Life is short - enjoy yourself!

The Postman: The postman is Tom Kruse who for many years had the mail run on the Birdsville Track. Tom starred in the 60's documentary Back of Beyond and became a hero - not only to the recipients of his mail and provisions but also to the wider movie-going public. Tom is now in his 80's and wanted to make one more trip down the track to meet old mates and collect spare parts for his beloved Leyland Badger. The film is a tribute to one of Australia's true pioneers, inter-cut with the early footage, we meet many of the participants in the original film and see what changes life has brought them in the intervening three decades. The story is narrated by Tom's mate Dave Burge, who accompanies him on the trip from Adelaide to Birdsville. PLUS: Rivka's Flock: Rivka is a woman with a passionate obsession for knitting. She's harnessed the energy of fellow knitters around the country and between them they've created over 7,000 beautiful jumpers for Melbourne's homeless and refugee communities. She says she believes in the original meaning of charity - a gift of love.

Robin's Song: A follow up on the previous weeks story with Petrea King. In that last episode we briefly met Robin Mogg - in a wheelchair and suffering from Motor Neurone Disease. This episode takes up Robin's story and the courage and hope he demonstrates in the face of a terminal condition. He speaks about death and how there is nothing to fear. Robin's last words in the film are as follows: "I have been through so many changes already that I suspect my death will be just one more change, and in a way I look forward to it - to see what it looks like. Maybe it's one last adventure like the adventures I've just been through. "There's absolutely nothing to fear, not death, not life, not living. There's no pain like the pain of your own fear, and there's nothing to fear at all. "That's it in a nutshell. Stop being afraid. There's nothing to fear. Nothing at all." Robin died peacefully 2 weeks after filming. PLUS: A Day At The Dump: A short film from Canberra about the local garbage tip called Revolve. The owner has turned an unpromising site into a recycler's paradise. A brief but fascinating insight into what some people throw away - and what others do with these cast-offs. PLUS: Lily's Children: The story of the Cubillos, a Darwin family whose history parallels that of Darwin. The descendants of a Larrakia Aboriginal woman named Lily, and Antonio, a Filipino pearl diver, now comprise a 400-plus member family as culturally diverse and rich as Darwin itself. The story traces their history through the last century, from World War 2, Cyclone Tracy and the land rights claims of the Larrakia people.

Coming Home: The story of Perth yarn-spinner Kel Watkins. On the surface a simple story about a comic story-teller about to take off for the Edinburgh Comedy Festival. Kel needed to return to his birthplace of Mukinbudin to come to terms with his past. As the story unfolds, it transpires that Kel's mother was murdered when he was a child. He talks for the first time about the murder and its effect on him and the rest of his family. PLUS: Sentimental Journey: A short and sweet story about the return of rail link between Sydney and Broken Hill - includes archival footage of the demonstrations caused when the line was closed. We journey back on the inaugural trip with some of the men and women who made their livelihoods on the railways. PLUS: Spirited Woman: Based in the Blue Mountains, the story of Petrea King - a modern day healer. Petrea has devoted her life to caring for people with terminal illnesses. We meet Petrea and some of the people she is helping.

Australia Street: Australia Street is a project by the Australian Museum and the University of Technology in Sydney, to document Australian suburban life on the internet. Everyone living on an Australia Street around the country was asked to participate - and a surprising number agreed. Every aspect of their lives and homes has been recorded. The project has proved the philosophy of Australian Story - that everyone has a tale to tell. We catch up with just two of the participants who reveal the richness of Australian suburbia. We get to know everything about them from their hobbies, their intriguing pasts, their photo albums even their bathroom decor. We will catch up with other participants in future editions of Australian Story. PLUS: Mother and Sons: A poignant story from the Northern Territory about a Vietnam Veteran bike rally that has been travelling around Australia. The story features "mother" who used to be a singer for the troops during the Vietnam War - and now acts as a counsellor for the vets - and her "sons", the vets. We also meet "Grub", a veteran who has felt lost for many years but has rediscovered his family and a sense of belonging through the mateship on this rally. PLUS: The Underwoods of Riveren: The story of life in what city folk would consider to be the harsh and isolated conditions of Riveren Station on the headwaters of the Victoria River in the Northern Territory. A true love story - our heroes met when he was a patient in a city hospital and she was his nurse. He told the patient in the next bed that this was the woman he would marry. That was 30 years ago and since then they've built a station from nothing and raised 4 children. The Underwoods consider themselves to be modern pioneers. They represent the dying era of the family owned cattle property. The Duracks, the Vesteys, the Quiltys, the Buchanans have all gone - replaced by corporate management - but the Underwoods survive.

Goodbye Mary: The daughters of the Australian literary figure Dame Mary Durack are attempting to document their mother's life. The story features fascinating archival material and ranges from Perth to The Kimberly. PLUS: Slow Business: From Melbourne the story of a Czech immigrant who has made a successful business from marketing pests - she's taken the common garden snail and put it on the menu in restaurants around the country. She says she gets very attached to them, but when they have to go, at least they only go to the very best establishments. PLUS: The Butcher's Pen: We move between Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Queensland's Gold Coast to chronicle the life of Bob Barrett. Bob was a butcher until a lump of meat fell on him and damaged his back. He took up writing and is now the best selling crime novelist in the country. He is highly entertaining, buckets the literary world and is decidedly politically incorrect.

Trail Blazers: A group of young boys who had lived on the streets and in the refuges of Sydney were taken on a cattle drive through the Riverina. The aim was to teach them life skills and to raise money to help other kids. PLUS: Cecelia & Justin: Cecilia and Justin is a story about friendship and affection between an elderly lady and a teenage boy. Brisbane icon and monarchist Cecilia McNally wants to pass her wisdom and her views to the younger generation - represented by Justin Le Blond. PLUS: The Chant of Tommy Lewis: A profile of actor and musician Tommy Lewis. Tommy talks about the early days of his life - hiding from the white bureaucrats who wanted to take him from his mother. He attained fame and success in The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith but then faced a bout of alcoholism. He has survived and found new success as a musician, travelling all over the world.

A Soldier's Story: Sir William Keys reflects on his use of Chinese medicine to combat his cancer. PLUS: Wild Stallion: Glen Innes farmer Robert Watchirs applies natural horsemanship techniques to catch and train a wild stallion in the bush. PLUS: Dante's Inferno: From Canberra, a look behind the scenes of Neil Cameron's spectacular production of Dante's Inferno featuring a huge amateur cast and real fire. The cast and crew overcome adverse weather to stage their poetic and inspiring work in an outdoor setting.