"I'm feeling a little bit emotional, to be honest... You can't help but be swept up by what it is to be human, what it is to witness the way we connect," says Melissa Leong, after witnessing a desert choir in a stunning natural ampitheatre in central Australia.
It's just one of many special, and sometimes almost life-changing, experiences that Leong, and fellow travellers Claudia Karvan, Steph Tisdell and Nazeem Hussain, experience in heartwarming docuseries Great Australian Road Trips. And they weren't the only ones making discoveries along the way.
"Directing this new road trip series was an extraordinary journey, both professionally and personally, made even more impactful through collaboration with an incredible crew and cast," says series director Jodi Boylan, whose past projects include War on Waste and award-winning SBS documentary Osher Günsberg: A Matter of Life and Death.
"From the outset, I envisioned this project as more than just a travelogue series – it became a vibrant exploration of identity, connection and the human spirit, brought to life through the unique perspectives and contributions of our fabulous four."
The six-part series sees the four hosts travel to stunning parts of Australia, from the scenic Great Barrier Reef Drive in northern Queensland to Tasmania's windswept west coast.
The series kicks off in episode one with food writer and TV host Leong and comedian Nazeem Hussain heading out of Alice Springs along the Red Centre Way; along with a camel ride adventure, the pair enjoy views of Tjorita, the stunning West MacDonnell Ranges, which inspired artist Albert Namatjira. They visit Stanley Chasm, where Mel introduces Naz to bush food expert Rayleen Brown, and then, heading on to Ormiston Gorge, hear a performance by the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir. Later episodes see the pair travel from Darwin to Ubirr via Arnhem Land, and also down the West Coast Wilderness Road in Tasmania.
Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir and guests performing. Credit: Great Australian Road Trips
Steph Tisdell and Claudia Karvan at Lake Barrine in Queensland. Credit: Mint Pictures
Director Jodi Boylan (centre) with Toby Ralph (DOP, left) and Jeremy Ashton (Sound) at work in the Red Centre. Credit: Mint Pictures
"Collaboration was the beating heart of this project. As director, I prioritised fostering a creative environment where every voice was valued. The contributions from the cast and expertise of the crew were instrumental in shaping the tone and texture of the series, ensuring it reflected the diversity and richness of our experiences. Together, we hope we have created a series that inspires audiences to embrace the adventure of hitting the open road," Boylan says.
These trips are as much about the journey, and the stops along the way, as the destination, as Tisdall, a proud Yidinji women, notes in episode 2, as she takes Karvan on a trip on the Great Barrier Reef Drive from Cairns to Cape Tribulations. "It's the detour, not the destination I'm most excited about," she says, the detour in this case being a visit to Yidinji Country in the Atherton Tablelands. Likewise in Tasmania, where Leong and Hussain stop to see the dramatic view of Horse Tail Falls, and visit the harbourside town of Strahan to learn more about the realities of Tasmania's convict history.
Nazeem Hussain, Melissa Leong and kayak maker Anthony O'Hern at Dove Lake, Tasmania. Credit: Rachel Frankenbach / Mint Pictures
Leong is similarly impressed. "I think sitting here in the middle of a lake alone with you, I'm really struck by the insignificance of us. You know, we are so tiny in the scheme of time and space and just such gratitude for being able to see a place this pristine."
Karvan says in the show, "If you really want to experience this great southern land, you've gotta hit the road." If you can't actually do that right now in person, joining this adventurous foursome for Great Australian Road Trips will give you another great way to visit roads and towns (and scenic lakes!) and meet people, right across the nation.
Great Australia Road Trips airs weekly on SBS from 7.30pm Thursday 31 July. Episodes will also be available each week at SBS On Demand.
