A road trip around Australia, discovering towns and communities outside the mainstream – and the colourful inhabitants whose grit and humour will uplift and inspire you.

Discover the resilient and inspiring people who live outside the big Australian cities – indeed off the beaten track altogether.

Defined by their strength and humility, these are characters whose grit and good humour will uplift and inspire. Meet strong women like Joan Sinclair, still riding horses in her 80s; Heather Jones from the Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls; and Diane Reeves, a transgender former dairy farmer, shearer and truck driver. Visit historic places, such as Pine Creek, built on the sweat of Chinese workers, and Marree, where cameleers forged new paths far from home in this remote part of the world.

‘They’re proud communities like my hometown, full of surprises, fight and spirit,’ says Heather Ewart, Back Roads presenter.

For anyone curious about what lies beyond, Back Roads will transport you from your city doorstep and show you a land of surprise and determination.