Mumma's Kitchen

In the regional Queensland town of Bundaberg 28% of young people are unemployed. Bec McPherson is 24 and has always struggled with employment. Sue Tasker, has been a youth and social worker for over 20 years. Hear their insights on to what life's really like if you're out of work.

Regional Australia is often perceived to be highly conservative. So what happens if you’re gay? Is regional Australia really the narrow-minded conservative backwater we fear it to be? Or is being in a same sex relationship not that big of a deal? Chrissy Pratt and Chantel Turner have lived in regional Queensland for most of their lives. They’ve also been a couple for 12 years.

People living in regional and remote Australia face some pretty grim statistics when it comes to health, and that’s because healthcare can be really complicated when you live a long way from care. Marianne survived a stroke and ended up in rehab a long way from her family and home. For the past five years Michelle has been right alongside her husband as he's faced an all consuming battle with skin cancer and lymphoma.

Our two guest this week forged their careers in regional Australia. But isn't this where careers go to die? Tina McPherson left the city behind for a life less ordinary. She has governessed in the outback, ridden a bicycle around the world, been a dairy farmer in NZ, lived and worked on tropical islands, and in more recent years built a successful strawberry farm with her just outside of Bundaberg. With a childhood less than idyllic, Kallee Buchanan grew up in the country with a family in and out of work and struggling to pay the bills. School was a refuge for Kallee. Jumping at every educational opportunity that came her way Kallee excelled, and today she works in the media, as a rural reporter for the ABC.

Ever wanted to start your own business? That little nagging voice inside you urging you to make a move that your thinking mind decides is well outside your place of comfortable familiarity? Well Merissa Craft and Rahel Clarke did just that, setting up businesses that are well and truly outside the norm for Regional Australia. Listen as they share their experiences, all the blood, sweat and tears....

Feel like you are on the precipice and you have the potential to go beyond where you stand now? This podcast explores whether there is any correlation between where you live and your education opportunities… are regional Australians disadvantaged and does where you live determine your level and quality of education, Caitlyn and Wendy tell us of their experiences.

Are you a “world citizen”? Is your cultural identity in a new country something you embrace or, through attempts at social acceptance, you feel pressure to “let-go”. In this week’s podcast we explore if there’s a beauty in extremes and if wanting to get to know Australia is easier in a regional town….. Ariella Anderson moved to Australia with her husband 30 years ago. She was born in North Africa, and grew up in Israel where she met her Australian husband while working on a Kibbutz. Savita Gurung was born in Nepal, schooled in India and moved to Australia with her Nepali husband 10 years ago.