The Real Thing

After cycling the world, Nicolás Marino set off to cross his adopted homeland using pedal power alone. He discovered knowing Australia would require knowing himself. In this last episode of The Real Thing we're on our bikes, as lunch cooks in the deep fry.

As a teenager, Lita Lewis was expected to set the example for her siblings. So much so, that she wanted out. In an adult life far from her home and tribe, she'd battle pride and heartbreak alone. By sharing her rebuild of physical and mental health, Lita would have an impact far beyond her two sisters.

A school of fish help the Australian netball team win a Commonwealth gold medal. An introduction to Sum Of All Parts - a podcast that shares extraordinary stories from the world of numbers. Subscribe to SOAP: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/sum-of-all-parts/

For International Women's Day, a story about feeling incomplete. Khadija Gbla's repressed memory of female genital mutilation would surface during puberty. Being an outsider to a ‘clitero-centric' culture, was a decision made for her. Khadija is up against her mum, her culture, and the health system, as she breaks the silence around FGM.

The Real Thing perform live at Woodfolk Folk Festival, Queensland. In between music and magic tricks, Timothy and Mike risk it all by attempting to tell a story they've never heard before - live on stage, with improvised music, script, and sound effects. It's live and unedited and we have no idea how it will end.

It started as an idea in a Darlinghurst cafe and became the world's largest short film festival. Tropfest has helped kickstart generations of Australian film careers throughout its 25 year history. While controversy and financial hardship has threatened the event, Tropfest has endured and the picnic continues.

Miranda Gibson was an unlikely candidate to break the record for Australia's longest tree-sit. The shy Queenslander had never seen a forest until her early twenties. In 2011 she vowed to live in a tree in the Tyenna Valley until it was protected from logging.

Improbable hairdos, gyrating hips, overstretched jumpsuits, way too many rhinestones, and a whole lot of community spirit. You can't help falling in love with the NSW town of Parkes, where Elvis never left the building.

When Robbie Page discovered surfing it consumed him. The former Pipeline Master views the sport as a martial art. It led him on a global adventure, with stopovers in a Japanese prison, the French President's home, and now he's tracing his Indigenous roots in northern NSW.

Christmas; family, food, anticipation. The stakes are high. There's extra pressure for the Williams family, who are only able to get together every second year. But when a tradition goes wrong, the best day of the year turns into a horror show.

A bike ride and a book inspired Stephanie Lorenzo to cut her corporate career short and start a charity. Her passion to end human trafficking helped change young Australians' view on giving. When a crisis threatens everything she'd been working towards, tough decisions must be made about what's most important.

Gary the goat, an internet sensation, and friend of The Real Thing, has died on tour in Queensland. There's a reason Gary's episode is our most downloaded ever. Gary was a uniquely Australian larrikin and his antics made people laugh worldwide. We first met Gary a year ago, when he overcame a rough patch. To celebrate his life we're sharing his story once more.

Ford vs Holden. Blue vs red. Mate vs mate. There's no sitting on the fence when it comes to motoring's great rivalry. But factory closures are forcing fans to rethink a homegrown passion. The Ford-Holden passion is at a crossroads.

Alison and David Homer were ecstatic when they fell pregnant in 2005. "Finally, I feel part of something of consequence," Dave said. But at 32 weeks, Harper's heart unexpectedly stopped. How they coped with the grief that followed changed their lives.

David Ninness is one of the Cronulla Shark's biggest fans, despite living nowhere near Sydney's Sutherland Shire. When the NRL club was in turmoil he volunteered to resurrect their second mascot, MC Hammerhead. But before he could help cheer his team to grand final glory, he'd need to learn to dodge ruthless teenagers. Step inside the head of the NRL's scariest mascot.

Sleepy lizards keep popping up in the life of Off Track producer, Ann Jones. So she was curious to speak with Professor Michael Bull. He devoted over 35 years to studying them, in one of the longest running lizard surveys in the world. But just weeks after an in-depth interview, Professor Michael Bull passed away unexpectedly. Now the project's future is uncertain. Subscribe to Off Track: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/offtrack/

Positively Wilcannia, part 6: stop recording, start feeling. Robert Clayton broke his leg three years ago. The injury set off a chain of events that resulted in depression and drug use. For the 28-year-old to become a stronger member of his family, and the community, he would need to test the defining relationships of his life.

Positively Wilcannia, part 5: a tenacious Barkindji woman grabs every opportunity. Bobbi Murray loves her river, the Boomerangs football club, and the entire Wilcannia family. From a young age she followed her ambition to give back to the town. While the journey has taken her off country, it hasn't stopped her making Wilcannia a better place.

Positively Wilcannia, part 4: how The Wilcannia Mob took their river to the world. The Wilcannia Mob's Down River gave us a unique view into life growing up in Wilcannia. Band members, and the town, continue to see positive effects, fifteen years after it was first released. This is the story of how five boys from Wilcannia introduced the world to Barkindji culture.

Positively Wilcannia, part 3: taking anxiety out of health checks, and Barkindji for beginners. Rugby league is being used to improve men's health in more ways that one. When the town travels to Menindee to support their teams, The Real Thing hitches a ride. While there, we hear how Kayleen Kerwin's family knack for language is encouraging the next generation of Barkindji culture.

Positively Wilcannia, part 2: Mike and Timothy race to shake up Wilcannia. Timothy and Mike compete in a race to shake as many Wilcannia hands as possible. Along the way they gather a snapshot of the town; learn the Wilcannia shake, meet Barkindji elders and avoid dogs. But when all shakes are counted, the fun comes to an end and the loser must face embarrassing consequences.

Positively Wilcannia, part 1: The Real Thing is helping put Wilcannia on the map. Wilcannia locals are fighting for the town's reputation, despite numerous social challenges and a complicated relationship with the media. But a recent BBC documentary has been a setback for the predominately Indigenous western NSW town. The Real Thing travels to Barkindji country to help redress the balance by celebrating six positive stories.

Brad Guy went skydiving and his parachute failed. Incredibly, he survived. Although he recovered from the physical injuries, what followed almost flattened him.

Lizzy Gardiner's early life included minimal supervision, late nights at the Dubbo drive-in and a stint in Papua New Guinea. Her unusual experiences made her a perfect fit for the turbulent film industry, where she won an Oscar for the costumes in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. But she never thought a bold decision to wear a dress made out of credit cards would be part of her legacy.

Hey, it's Mike and Timothy. The car's fuelled up, the thermos is hot and there's lots of characters to meet. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast so you can join us on the search for the real Australia. But before we get stuck into season two, friend of the show has an important message.

Mark Colvin like you've never heard him. In 1978 the ABC's renegade youth broadcaster Double Jay premiered an audio experiment called, What's Rangoon to you is Grafton to me. Almost 40 years later, we got back on the Pacific Highway to make a tribute to this landmark Australian radio road trip. To cut a complicated story short, we roped highly respected, ABC icon, Mark Colvin into narrating the adventure. Mark wholeheartedly supported our lofty ambitions and we're sharing it now in tribute to him.

Deni Gordon's long and varied career includes musical theatre, television and film. While she no longer works in showbiz, an unlikely ten minute voice-over job in 1987 continues to blast out of Australian televisions. Deni is the voice of the iconic Rage scream, but she thought her contribution was forgotten. Until now.

Nothing on television compares to Rage. For 30 years the biggest artists have beamed weird and wonderful music videos to your living room, and Australia's psyche. Settle into the red couch as The Real Thing explains the history of your favourite music video program.

One man, one goat and a wide open road. Gary the goat is famous. Millions of fans have watched videos of the farm-animal-cum-cultural icon. Guided by best mate, comedian Jimbo Bazoobi, Gary has crisscrossed the country seeking adventure and making friends. However, fate has been cruel: Gary is sick and needs to go under the knife. Is this the end of the winding goat track?

Samantha Beranic was 12 when her Mother told her a secret. This information quickly became a burden that would shadow Sam's life. Eventually the secret would be set free, but its consequences would change her family for good.

Timothy and Mike are performing the podcast on stage. And you're invited! The Real Thing's 10th instalment of their search for the "real" Australia will be performed in front of audiences in Melbourne and Sydney. Mike and Timothy will bring music, a bit of magic and most importantly, some uniquely Australian stories to your ears (and eyes!). Come along!

Redgum's ‘I was only 19' united the Vietnam veteran's movement in Australia. The song tells the true story of an Australian soldier's experience fighting in the Vietnam jungle. But before Redgum could create an anthem that changed the national conversation, songwriter John Schumann would need to find a veteran willing to share their story.

Yadu Singh was ‘numb' when he found out his application for permanent residency was unexpectedly cancelled. The young cardiologist from a small Indian village had fallen in love with his adopted country's values and people. But what happened next would fuel his passion for this country. That path eventually led him to publicly defend Australia.

The small village of Tarcutta, NSW is sacred to the Australian truck driving industry. Every year since 1994, families, colleagues and mates have gathered here for a memorial service that commemorates those who have died. As storm clouds engulf the sky and thunder echoes, the ceremony begins.

Mary Leunig is an artist and self-described recluse living in regional Victoria. She comes from a creative family; her brother is cartoonist, Michael Leunig. In the 1980s she had books published. For many that was the last they heard from her. However, Mary never stopped drawing. Now her work is more political and personal than ever. So much so that her expression has come at a cost.

After the closure of the African Lion Safari in Sydney's far west, wildlife remained living inside its boundaries. The exotic animal park sat next to suburban houses and kids played near its fences. Despite several barriers, in 1995 a lioness escaped through a storm water drain and found itself in a local backyard.

Lisa Llorens is one of Australia's most decorated Paralympians with six medals across track and field events. She was dubbed ‘the cheetah' because she loves cats and was fast on the track. But everything changed after the Sydney 2000 games when the intellectually disabled category was banned. The chain of events that followed forced Lisa to reinvent herself.

Anton McMillan is a role model for younger residents in a uniquely structured household called Boys from the Bush. During the project he's worked his way up through the ranks at a meat processing factory in Junee, NSW. But his success has come with a cost, for himself and his family back in Alice Springs. Now, Anton is being asked to take on the biggest challenge of his life: China.

'Bronson' was the youngest member of the Round the Twist family. He loved food, had smelly feet and was often the easy target of his older siblings. Over four series of the iconic kid's TV show, three actors played the character. The second and third continue to work in show business. However, the first ‘Bronson' disappeared from the public eye. This is the search for the original Bronson.