Before she became Australia’s most infamous female killer, Katherine Knight was a child shaped by chaos, violence, and neglect. Part one of this 3 part series dives deep into her early years — from a brutal and scandalous family history to a childhood marked by trauma and cruelty. We explore the people, places, and patterns that molded her: the violent home she grew up in, her disturbing fascination with death and dominance, and how those early cracks in her psyche began to widen into something far more dangerous.It’s a story that forces us to ask — was Katherine born violent, or did her environment create her? And how do cycles of abuse, secrecy, and shame forge someone capable of such horror?

In this episode, we’re pulling up a seat around the campfire to share some of Australia’s eeriest stretches of asphalt. From the ghostly lights that chase drivers along Lemon Tree Passage Road, to the whispered tales of the Street with No Name in Glebe, and the long, lonely expanse of the Newell Highway where travellers have reported seeing things that defy explanation, these are the roads where the living and the dead might just cross paths. In this special Campfire Stories episode, we are joined by Claire, who brings her own spine-tingling story to the fire as well as Tim and Kate, who (for a change) Megan roped into a spooky adventure! Together, we dive into urban legends, tragic crimes, eyewitness accounts, and the strange energy that lingers long after the headlights fade. So light the fire, turn the volume up, and join us as we explore the haunted roads of Australia — where every bend in the road might hide a story waiting to be told.

High in the Blue Mountains, the road at Mount Victoria Pass twists steep and narrow through rock and mist. By day, it’s breathtaking. But by night, it carries a darker reputation. Travelers whisper of a woman’s ghost drifting through the fog. Her story etched into the stones of the pass nearly two centuries ago. This is the story of Caroline Collits. A child of the early colony whose short life was marked by hardship, betrayal, and violence. Her murder in 1842 shocked the settlement and left behind more than a legend, it left a haunting reminder of injustice that echoes into the present. In this episode, we explore the history, the haunting, and the legend of the ghost of Victoria Pass. Was Caroline just a tragic figure of the past, or does she still walk the road today? High in the Blue Mountains, the road at Mount Victoria Pass twists steep and narrow through rock and mist. By day, it’s breathtaking. But by night, it carries a darker reputation. Travelers whisper of a woman’s ghost drifting through the fog. Her story etched into the stones of the pass nearly two centuries ago. This is the story of Caroline Collits. A child of the early colony whose short life was marked by hardship, betrayal, and violence. Her murder in 1842 shocked the settlement and left behind more than a legend, it left a haunting reminder of injustice that echoes into the present. In this episode, we explore the history, the haunting, and the legend of the ghost of Victoria Pass. Was Caroline just a tragic figure of the past, or does she still walk the road today?

In honour of World Suicide Prevention Day, we share the story of Don Ritchie, the “Angel of The Gap,” whose quiet compassion saved hundreds of lives. We explore what it really means to be present for someone in crisis, and how connection can be life-saving. We also look at the real-life Patch Adams, the man behind the movie and why he challenged Hollywood’s portrayal of mental illness. Along the way, we reflect on the loss of Robin Williams, and I share my own lived experience with suicide and what changed the way I think about prevention. This is a deeply human story about pain, hope, and the importance of community. Join us, and this World Suicide Prevention Day, let’s commit to checking in on each other — because compassion and connection can save lives. Trigger Warning: This episode discusses suicide, mental illness, and lived experiences of crisis. If this topic is distressing for you, please take care while listening.

In this episode, we head to Beowa National Park, to uncover the lesser-known stories behind one of Australia’s most infamous colonial figures, Benjamin Boyd- whose dicey legacy is literally etched into the landscape.  We explore a life of ambition, influence, and wealth—and the human cost that history has often left unrecorded. From the lives of South Sea Islanders coerced into labor to the whitewashing of history in museums and memoirs, we uncover the shadows behind celebrated landmarks and heroic myths. Trigger Warning: This episode discusses historical instances of exploitation, coercion, and violence, including the forced labor of South Sea Islanders and the impact of colonial practices on Indigenous communities. Listener discretion is advised.

From defying his millionaire father to racing in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, Peter Warner lived a life that refused to follow the map. His life reads like fiction - except every word is true. In this episode, we follow the remarkable journey of the man who rescued six Tongan boys from the island of ‘Ata - a story that made headlines around the world. But that was just one part of a life spent chasing purpose across oceans, through storms, and into places most people would never go. Join us as we trace the wake of a quiet adventurer who kept turning up in the right place at exactly the right time.

What does it really take to live close to the land, to find strength in stillness, and resilience in simplicity? In this episode, we are joined by Eva Angophora — a rewilding facilitator, ancestorial skills practitioner, and deep believer in nature as teacher. Eva feels most at home outdoors, immersed in the rhythms of the wild: foraging, building, tanning hides, and guiding others back to connection with the natural world. You might recognise her from Alone Australia Season 3, where she moved through what most of us would see as one of life's toughest challenges with a quiet, grounded power that caught the attention of viewers across the country. We talk about what it really takes to survive, not just in the wild, but in ourselves. About the lessons nature offers us, if we’re willing to slow down and listen and how solitude can strip us back to who we really are. This is a conversation about healing, self-reliance, and the kind of softness that’s often mistaken for weakness, but might just be our greatest human strength.

Hidden deep in Tasmania’s remote west coast, Sarah Island was once one of the most feared penal settlements in the Australian colonies. Surrounded by dense wilderness and raging seas, it was a place of secondary punishment — a last stop for the resisters who refused to fall in line. In this episode, we are joined by Kiah Davey from the Round Earth Company to take a closer look at the history of Sarah Island and the realities of daily convict life there. Kiah and the team at The Round Earth Company, bring the island’s stories to life through guided tours and engaging site-specific theatre. Together we explore the history, the hardship, and the humanity of those who lived and laboured there. From shipbuilding and isolation to punishment and resistance, we unpack what made this place so notorious and what makes it so incredibly special.

During our recent trip to Tasmania, we had a surprising highlight.  Our hike to The Confluence — the meeting place of two rivers — and what we found was confronting. The Queen River, once flowing clear through the Tasmanian wilderness, is now known as Australia’s most polluted waterway.   Decades of mining in Queenstown left more than a scar on the land — they poisoned the water, stripped the hills bare, and rewrote the natural order. In this episode, we explore the legacy of mining, the price of progress,  and a personal reflection on what standing in that space stirred. 

In the vast, unforgiving landscape of outback Australia, strange lights have been appearing for over a century, hovering, following, and vanishing without a trace.  In this episode, we head deep into the red desert to explore the legend of the Min Min lights.

In this episode we step into the truth of our History, tracing the events of June 1838, when 28 unarmed Wirrayaraay people were brutally murdered at Myall Creek Station. We explore what happened, how it happened, and the long shadow it cast over the nation, one that still lingers today. This episode was recorded during Reconciliation Week. It is in our act of remembering, reckoning and honoring truth-telling, that we bring you this episode and the personal reflection that accompanies it.  Trigger Warning: Some content may be distressing. Please listen with care. This episode contains the names and experiences of Aboriginal people who have passed.

In this episode, we join Anne and Renata from Newcastle Ghost Tours, legends of the Aussie paranormal scene, for an after-dark investigation of Tomago House.  Nestled deep in the wetlands, this grand colonial homestead has seen nearly two centuries of ambition, heartbreak, resilience. Built by barrister and reformer Richard Windeyer, and kept alive by the unbreakable will of his wife Maria, Tomago House is more than a relic of the past. It’s a place where stories linger and, if you listen closely, where whispers of its former residents can still be heard through the silence.

Join us as we explore the natural beauty and charm of Patonga and then dive into the darker waters of its history. Because not far from this picture-perfect shoreline, its waters once gave up a secret it had been holding onto for years: a man strapped to a steel crucifix, known only as Rack Man. In this episode, we unravel the eerie mystery that ties this unsolved murder to the river’s depths, and to the tranquil little town we thought we knew.

In every corner of history, desperation has driven women into impossible choices. From the lonely banks of the Paterson River to the locked wards of the Newcastle Industrial School. From whispered agreements on Oakhampton Road to courtroom trials designed to shame. We trace the hidden stories of women like Ada Murray and Mary Ann Hughes. We look back, not because history is a lesson, but because it is a mirror.

A UNESCO World Heritage listed wonder where dramatic mountains meet turquoise lagoons, and time seems to slow down. Just 11 kilometres long and home to only a few hundred lucky residents, Lord Howe feels like stepping into another world, rich with rare wildlife, untouched beaches, and incredible coral reefs. I share our adventures, including our brush with fame on the tarmac as well as our discovery of the Catalina A24-381 flying boat wreck — a haunting piece of history linked to Rathmines, not far from my own backyard.  It’s a place of natural wonders, and a reminder of just how extraordinary our corner of the world can be.

In this episode, we uncover the forgotten stories of the first plague victims, the struggles of Sydney’s working poor, and the city’s sluggish response to a looming health crisis. As we look back, we ask: what has really changed? From 1900 to 2019, from the Black Death to COVID—have we learned from history, or are we doomed to repeat it?

For over 150 years, Manly’s Q Station served as a quarantine site for those arriving in Australia, isolating the sick to prevent deadly diseases from spreading. Thousands of people passed through its doors, many never leaving, their final moments spent in its eerie hospital wards and secluded burial sites. Today, its historic sandstone buildings and abandoned corridors stand as a chilling reminder of its haunted past, with countless stories of ghostly encounters and unexplained phenomena. We experienced this history firsthand on a ghost tour, walking through the shadowy hallways and dimly lit rooms where spirits are said to linger. From strange whispers in the darkness to sudden drops in temperature, the atmosphere was thick with an unsettling energy. Whether it was our imagination or something truly otherworldly, one thing was certain—Q Station’s past is far from silent.

In 1917, Harry was convicted of murdering his first wife, Annie Birkett. The case was sensationalised, his gender identity exploited for scandal, and public discourse was shaped not by justice, but by shock and misunderstanding. At a time when even the most basic conversations about gender were unheard of, Eugene’s life was a painful testament to the cost of forced secrecy. But as we examine his life and the events that led to that fateful moment, we must ask, how much of this tragedy was shaped by the world around him?  In a society where he could have lived openly, without fear, without persecution, would things have taken a different path? Would his life, and Annie’s, have reached a different ending?

History often remembers its outlaws, its murderers, and its tragic figures, but it rarely asks - what could have been different? In this episode, we step back over a century to tell the story of Eugenia Falleni,  who lived a life defined by secrecy, survival, and society’s rigid boundaries. Born in Italy in 1875 and later making his way to Australia, Eugenia lived as Harry Leo Crawford, a transgender man navigating a world that had no language, no acceptance, and no space for the truth of his identity.

For years stories have circulated about a mysterious man who roams Victoria's High Country known only as The Button Man. In this episode we ponder is he actually the Australian version of the Boogie Man as he has often been depicted, with people trying to connect him to the many disapearences in the remote region or is he just a man who we should all really look up to.