Series 2: Episode 3 – Tim Wong-See

[00:00]
Tim Wong say you moved where
[00:02]
I moved from Sydney to Brisbane the Gold Coast Sunshine Coast. And
now in Albany in Western Australia.
[00:08]
How many in Western Australia in the wonderful great southern
region, which I am quite biased about growing up just down the road
in Koji, but you grew up in Sydney where media and entertainment
were very close at hand. What inspired you to get into radio.
[00:24]
Well, it’s actually a funny story. I think when I was 10 years of
age. I was always really interested in how things work Electronics.
I was a bit of a nerdy kid pulling the backs off remote controls and
causing a bit of chaos around the house. And so I had a fascination
with getting behind the scenes of things and because Electronics was
a bit of a an obsession. I remember getting one of these electronic
kits from Dick Smith when that chop actually existed and it was one
of those connects the wires between these points on the on the
chipboard and you can make whatever it is in this particular one one
day was an FM radio microphone and I built that a broadcast my voice
about 10 meters distance not very far at all. So my parents and my
brother were the main listeners and it kind of grew from there to a
bigger area from around where we lived in Sydney to the point where
it was illegal. The police got involved. I was arrested but not
arrested because I was underage volunteering Community radio study
did and then now working, you know professionally
[01:24]
Idea, so it’s been something I’ve done since I was a kid always been
passionate of mine and I feel very lucky to do what I love doing.
Yeah,
[01:30]
that is such a good story. And when you said I volunteered in
community radio almost sounded like because if you’re misdemeanor
with your illegal radio station that you had to do community service
in community radio station, but that is just part of the journey
often when you’re on the trajectory of you know, a radio career as
is going out to the bush is often something that you have to do to
earn your stripes talk to me about the first time that you left
Sydney.
[01:57]
So the first time I left Sydney, I went to Brisbane and it was for a
job with Nova and Commercial radio there and I guess people talk
about Brisbane as a big country town. I mean, I don’t really know
that’s triosity ever two years that it definitely feel like a city
to me. But it that was my first experience of leaving and you know,
first time in Queensland hot humid very laid back. I guess it was a
first introduction to the you know, no worries mate anything’s
possible made kind of thing that you really find Amplified in the
region. So I guess it was a bit of a, you know, wedding of the
appetite there, but that was my first experience of moving out of
that very busy, you know big Sydney.
[02:36]
and Tim radio is actually a very competitive industry to get into so
you’ve studied in Sydney like you just said after your desire to go
into radio was blossomed from your
[02:50]
Checked illegal history of creating your own radio station, which is
fantastic.
[02:55]
What gave you the point of difference or how do you think you’ve
been able to cut out a career that has then taken you beyond Sydney
to Brisbane and further.
[03:05]
Well, I think it was evident in the start. I think it’s had a
natural passion to want to do this job. So I think that has you
know, nothing’s been ever forced about it in trying to make
something great on the radio, whether it be in community radio
commercial radio what I’m doing now at the Abc. I think that at the
end of the day the thrill of having or knowing there’s someone who
you can’t see who’s invisible at the end of the line someone’s there
who is expecting something entertaining something interesting
something funny has always been a a challenge I’ve enjoyed so I
think that, you know, in order to progress through the various
levels that I have maybe has is the result of that just in a desire
to want to create something that’s interesting in audio form, which
is challenging. You’ve got no pictures. You’ve got no visual cues.
It’s only the voice or whatever audio sounds you decide to use but
I’ve always found that to be quite interesting quite a challenge and
quite rewarding when you do here from people on the other end who
did find
[04:05]
You’re seeing or engaging. So I think that has helped me to progress
to you know, the stages where I am now because it’s been this in a
fire really that has burnt into the young age.
[04:16]
Is it that fire that sort of has kept you propelling on this journey
in radio and taking you to different places like when you started
did you know that it would mean that you’d be traveling so much and
[04:28]
uprooting your life. Yeah. I did. I think I knew that pretty quickly
because you see where you might want to be. And what position is you
want to be at and you know, I grew up in Sydney and spend some time
in Brisbane. And so those Metropolitan City presenters have been
basically all of them have been to some Regional place in Australia
to learn their craft and to and that’s drives and so becomes pretty
clear that if you are also hungry or interested passionate about
that and getting there there are a few stones and Stepping Stones
along the way so you ready yourself to embrace a lifestyle in the
regions.
[05:05]
On the along the way so I did get I did get an indication very
quickly. Yeah,
[05:09]
so team you went down that traditional Road of moving out of Sydney
to kind of start your career and then you went Bush but you’ve
actually stayed Bush tell me what the experience was for you when
you moved from Brizzy to Sunshine Coast of Gold Coast and then
Albany
[05:27]
I think that from Brisbane and then Gold Coast Sunshine Coast and
now Albany Albany been the smallest of the places have been to I
mean, I think that in the regions you don’t have as much media as
you do in the cities, right? So we have the ABC here. We have a
couple of local papers as well some that have since folded since
then but I think that you you have this huge creative license in the
regions, which is very exciting you have stories that you know won’t
get told if you don’t do the story you’ll have things that need to
be highlighted, you know wrongs that need to be righted or things
that need to be exposed or just great fun stuff that just is worth
celebrating and I guess the feeling of responsibility knowing that
you’re one of the very few avenues for people to actually go to keep
to you in the job in the regions where you are because you the
community relies on you for that sense of stories healing
[06:27]
And coupled with what I mentioned earlier about being passionate
about doing that full stop. I think has been a recipe to keeping me
here in a regional area so far.
[06:37]
You’ve just talked about all of the different stories that you like
to be involved in sharing and I think the way you describe how audio
is a different form of Storytelling is really interesting because
you’re right. There are no pictures and things like that to support
it. You have to really be able to find a way to get to the heart of
the story and connect with the listeners. Tell me how you feel about
all of the different people that you get to meet through the
storytelling activities that you get to one to take on behalf of
ABC.
[07:09]
I mean that is really endless. I think people surprise you people
shock you people make you sad people make you laugh and I think
there’s a whole range of those people in the regions especially and
it’s just so, you know, I’ve been out of Sydney for a while now, but
it is so foreign and a lot of ways to the people that I am used to,
you know being around in in the city, but you come to understand the
sense of
[07:37]
Or how they relate even if it’s quite you know distant to what
you’re used to but that I mean that’s part of what keeps that the
job exciting is going back to your an early point you made about
what keeps us in in the regions. I think it’s the variety and
diversity of those people which makes you appreciative of the The
Melting Pot of people you can find in the regions and the the
attitudes and the mindset that you only really find once you leave
the the city boundaries.
[08:03]
And so tell me about like obviously your life in Sydney and I’ve
lived in Sydney and it’s it’s busy, right like there’s lots of cars
on the road. There’s lots of people living on top of each other, you
know, you wait for a coffee and it takes you quite a long time same
thing in the country really because people I don’t have a chat but
there’s a lot of things that are very unique to that big experience
of Sydney. How was it for you transitioning from City Life be that
Gold Coast or you know Sunshine Coastal still relatively big cities.
How was that for you transitioning to somewhere like Albany, which
is quite isolated. You know, like it’s right down the end there the
end point of wa Southern Point very far away from where you grew up
how have you kind of experienced that transition
[08:54]
all on one hand? It’s great because there’s no commute and there’s
five minutes down the road and there’s no traffic lights and I just
think that’s really good because
[09:03]
Live in the suburbs of Sydney where the M2 bus on the M2 was like
the way to get into town. It was always really exciting because he
crossing the Sydney Harbor Bridge and how you’re going to get home
from Kings Cross. You’re gonna take the Knight Rider but the Night
Riders awful and there’s lots of drunk people and getting into more
Park on our studying radio was like two buses and two hours and it
was a nightmare. So on that hand, it’s wonderful in Albany because
it’s great and that Regional lifestyle. I think at the start when we
moved my wife Sarah and I moved from Queensland to Albany that was a
a big transition. I was a huge move. We had never heard of Albany
before we’re probably calling it Albany and had to pull up a map and
find out where it was. No family no friends from Sunny Queensland
into the depths of winter Albany 2021 raining cold. No friends,
especially for my wife who doesn’t have any colleagues who working
for her Sydney business in in Albany. So I think that was definitely
hard it was hard for her and by consequence hard for me to actually
find those those networks, but I think
[10:03]
That when we talk about the people in the regions, when you do meet
these people who are really who might you might not have met that
people from those backgrounds or those kinds of people before you do
adjust and you do mold and you do transition into their way of, you
know, managing or I guess interacting with people so that you can
form maybe a friendship longer term friendship to make you feel more
at home away from the initial feeling of being uprooted and moved
and it is a bit of a shift that you make and some more comfortable
than others, but we’re back to me really great friends since then.
So I guess it really does just take time but it was difficult at the
start and we didn’t really know what the solution was but I think
time is probably one of the biggest things that has helped with that
[10:49]
within networks that you were able to tap into to start a kind of
form a social base.
[10:54]
Yeah, we part of a church. So that’s been a big source of a lot of
our friends and we’ve met some great people there. I’ve been getting
into running so athlet
[11:03]
Clubs, I’ve been saying a few events and because of the nature of a
small town these people that you made ones that want to one event
you bump into an il3 buying milk. And then you see them down to the
local butcher buying some wagyu. That sounds very latest of me
sausage sausages. Let’s say sausages, but you know, I think just
because you the the sample pool of people I makes it sound very
clinical like a survey but you know what, I mean? Because the
population is smaller. There’s more chance that you are going to see
these people regularly and build those kinds of friendships to make
our regional life feel like home. It’s
[11:36]
such a big role being the breakfast announcer for station like the
ABC because radio plays such a critical role in the lives of
regional people, you know growing up in the country. You always had
the ABC on the radio and the kitchen in the youth basically anywhere
there was a radio
[11:55]
In the shed, you would hear the ABC. It just became a part of the
background noise, which is very nostalgic which makes people like
yourself have quite a strong identity within the community, you
know, you become someone that they really turned to because you’re
waking them up at the beginning of every day. What’s that experience
been like for you?
[12:14]
I loved it. I mean it’s a responsibility. I feel every day. I think
I’ve always felt from day one that the ABC no matter where you are.
But in the regions as you say you’re on the shoulders of giants, I
know that’s a cliche but it’s very true. They’ve been people before
me which people really remember and really miss being on the air who
they have good memories of who you are now benefiting from that
reputation that’s been built over many years and your role is to try
and continue that understand what was so great about some of that
history that you know, you mentioned honor the shared and that kind
of thing and trying to factor that into continuing that with the ABC
so I’m never forgetting the fact that I’ve been people that have
gone before.
[12:55]
But I think you’re always very humble as well. You know, you’ll say
I mean not that I’ve ever say this because I’m a few years down the
track now but rain’s not always a bad thing, you know, I’m just
because it’s raining as many terrible day all might want his crops
to grow and that’s the poor example, but you always learning those
kinds of things and I think always being open to to that not being
defensive when you hear criticism of which there can be a lot of
working in this in this business when you’re tired and you’re trying
to do the best you can and are you getting is that kind of
stonewalling what it can feel like anyway, but I I think yeah always
being open to that. I think I don’t know who said it may have been
Mick Jagger, but he said make ordinary people feel like rock stars
and rockstars feel like Ordinary People and I think that’s a great
way of how to approach country radio.
[13:42]
Oh, I absolutely love that and it’s so true. Isn’t it? Like so many
situations when I was in the city where people would complain about
it being a rainy day and I would think oh, there’s people out in the
bush that would absolutely love this rain and I think it’s a good
attitude to have that idea of recognizing there’s going to be things
that you don’t understand and actually embracing that learning
opportunity. I’ve got to say my mom is one of those people and I
find this extremely embarrassing who is a bit of a radio. Junkie. So
she’ll call up all the time and offer her opinion on TalkBack and
and really get involved. She’s the recipient of the night life quiz
the winner of the sticker or the magnet which is on the fridge and
apparently one of her greatest achievements in her whole life. She
continues to tell people about that. Have you got any radio groupies
of your own team?
[14:38]
Oh geez, just after talking about being humble I’ve got
[14:42]
Eight pack, of course, I’m waiting outside the door for me waiting
for autographs every single day. But
[14:49]
like you said maybe going down to buy your sausages that you
probably get bailed up sometimes and do do people recognize you in
the community. Do you kind of have to kind of add in extra time when
you do the shopping so that you’re not held up?
[15:04]
Thankfully it’s not a bad stage yet, but it does happen. You do get
people recognizing you and people will say hi Tim and you look at
the missing. I’ve actually never met you in my life. And I mean, of
course there’s a great moment. So I mean we put a lot of work as I
say into trying to serve people and make something interesting for
them. So when you do get that feedback and you know, the mask is
unveiled from this invisible listener, that’s a great feeling and
you get to know them a bit more hear a bit about their story where
they are what matters to them. It’s probably the best way to to find
out what people are actually doing on the end of the line when you
turn that microphone on every day
[15:38]
in such a good candidate for someone in the role.
[15:42]
Because you’ve got such a passion for regional stories in the
diversity of those stories and you you and I have connected around
our passion for more exposure to Regional stories and and
highlighting Regional creatives. Can you tell me what your favorite
story has been that you’ve covered since you moved to Albany
[16:00]
there have been lots of stories I’ve done but I think it’s the ones
where you sit back and you look out and go only in this part of Wa
Would you find this which make you laugh? I did one recently about
roundabouts in Albany. So we have no traffic lights here, which is
fantastic. It’s been that way for a long time people take pride in
it. Will we ever go traffic lights? Probably not how many
roundabouts do we actually have are they safer than light? So it’s a
bit of a story looking at how many we have and why there’s been this
long history of opposition to traffic lights and the region their
realistic Prospect of our server getting one and I think that it’s
something when you when I did sit back and look at it it is so
simple but affects everybody and if so unique to Albany that was
[16:42]
Kind of interesting to cover and and see why people get fired up
about small things in in life. There was one the last week when I
went out to the Wilson Inlet in Denmark and every year when it rains
a lot the inlet fills up with a lot of water it spills out onto the
road. It causes local flooding and so the department send this
excavator in and they’re physically move masses amounts of sand that
separates the inlet and the Southern Ocean and the water flows
between the two and they finally meet and every year there’s got to
be about a hundred just over a hundred people which line the the
shore at Ocean Beach in Denmark and watch this escobed and move a
bit of sand and it’s just hilarious because it’s like well don’t you
people work? Probably not might be retired or Denmark man. You got
heaps of time 11 o’clock in the you know middle mid-morning watching
this escapadia. Just just yeah, maybe a bit of sand and it’s quite
it was just struck me as like a really regional thing people come
out and they like to watch it then do the fishing then do the
surfing and watch nature.
[17:42]
Of which they have such an appreciation for because it’s so rich and
beautiful in the regions that the surrounds you have and to see it
in all its beauty and I guess amplifying the reason why people move
out to these places was really on display and is on display. I think
when just you know an event like that happens, that’s just one
example.
[17:59]
Yeah, I mean, I’m biased like I said at the beginning and disclosed
my Prejudice, but there really is nothing like that beautiful
Outlook of greens pool and
[18:13]
Elephant Rocks and then down to Albany all of the coastline along
there which is just so rugged, you know, quite different to the blue
beautiful water of Denmark. It really just does feel like there’s
quite a magical Vibe Downing in the Great Southern in the areas that
you cover but tell me what are some of the things that I wouldn’t
read about on the tourist pamphlet that you’ve come to discover
since living there
[18:39]
how cold the winter can be and how where it can be but I put down in
the front page of magazines, but I mean, you know, that’s something
that has become a charm I think.
[18:52]
For Albany for locals because you know that you go for the mulled
wine recipes in the fireplace, you know, maybe you won’t read that
we used to have a seal that turned up on I think every afternoon at
emu Point sent me the seal used to know he would get a feed from
locals. They should throw some food out and until he he met a very
unfortunate ending at the hands of someone who killed him. Yeah. He
quite a gruesome violent way. And so now there’s a statue for send
me the seal loved by many betrayed by one I think is the saying on
the monument for sending the seal and he stands tall and proud.
Although not alive at Amy point. So maybe the checkered history. Oh,
how many was the two of Tourism Western Australia has come visit
Albany Russia,
[19:36]
but you’re right. They’re really is a coziness to Albany that I
absolutely love like I love going down there and like you say the
hospitality is so good there have you found that you’ve been able to
replicate sort of your social experience and
[19:52]
The hospitality and things like that, like albany’s got that gender
Distillery and then obviously when he had down to Denmark, you’ve
got so many incredible restaurants and wineries many of which
they’re in Albany too and the Mount Barker plantagenet region. I
mean, I was when I was in Sydney before I moved back, I’d often go
out to some, you know, some of the really lovely restaurants and I
was always so proud to say Franklin River and Mount Barker and
Fantage and always and DeMark and all those areas really well
represented on the wine list. Have you had a great experience of the
hospitality and eating and drinking options in the area that you are
[20:33]
that kind of Rivals what you had in Sydney?
[20:36]
Oh, absolutely. I mean because you’ve got this the kind of land for
it and maybe there’s something to do with the soil profile. I mean,
I’m no wine expert but maybe something about it lending itself to
going grapes and that kind of thing in produce. Obviously Margaret
River is is famous for it. But Albany and the surround the Pronger
UPS Denmark also have a bit of that too. There are a few places. I
know. Yeah ran Denmark which is you know visitors come to town. How
do we impress them? Take them to this Winery in in the in the Great
Southern to enjoy the surrounds with with a nice Sip and some local
produce too. There’s lots of that around here. Yeah for sure.
[21:12]
I sort of always used to say to my husband that nothing beats a
Saturday in the great selling because growing up I just used to love
it was sort of crisp the air was always Christmas and you were close
to Nature and you get up and there was just always so much to do.
What does Tim Saturday look like in the Great Southern?
[21:30]
Well eight o’clock would be park run at Middleton Beach. So I mean
we talk about making friends in the regions and I talked about
Athletics clubs in parkrun has been great. I know they have them all
around the country but a great environment where everyone’s happy
because everyone’s running and they’re exercising and that
particular walk-up Ellen Cove overlooks the ocean you might even see
a while if you’re lucky enough, if you’re running slow enough to see
it. We’d like to do a lot of walks. I mean, there’s so many hiking
trails around this region too. So many great mountains in the
Sterling range in the Pronger up around Albany Denmark too along the
coastline. So maybe a trail there I’ve recently started getting into
bit of fishing as well. There’s so many great spots around here. I
mean, it’s kind of the famous Albany thing to do really because
you’re surrounded by places where you could do that and you meet
some great wonderful people there and then on Saturday as I
mentioned and part of a church community, so that’s on Saturday
afternoon’s also a place with met a lot of great people and that’s
basically my Saturday wrapped. Yes
[22:25]
sake.
[22:26]
And where do you get your source of inspiration from for the stories
that you’ve got to tell the following week when you’re lining up the
show?
[22:35]
Well, I think it’s all around you. Really I think because you live
in the community. I had someone once say to me that interested is
interesting. I think that’s true if you and I think that you you own
that over time, but I think if you see something that you think
others will be thinking about or doing it’s usually something that
might be interesting to talk about on the radio. I had a recent
example where I went with a friend down to a local Beach here and
his Parks and Wildlife National Parks parking pass had been
misplaced it was with another car. So he’s taking it upon himself to
hand write a note saying my past is not here right now. This is not
my car. Please don’t find me. It’s promises only a few days away
stuck on his car didn’t get a fine. So apparently so far at works
and I talked about that the next day on the radio program saying how
have you avoided a parking fine and a whole bunch of people were
saying how they saw the ranger, you know riding out a ticket and
they stop them or they try to raise him with someone all I wrote a
note. So I guess that’s just one small example where
[23:35]
you can see how this other people will be doing something similar
and that is usually a way that tells you that this is something that
your local Regional we want to talk about, you know closed shops
empty shop fronts that kind of thing to things that other people are
seeing is usually a way that I know that something you should be
talked about on the program.
[23:56]
And since you’ve been in Albany, have you felt like your passion for
sharing those Regional stories has grown
[24:04]
Yeah, I think so. I think because you again appreciate that if you
don’t do something or highlight something then it will probably go
unheard I think that because you also get an appreciation for that
Reliance that you talked about on the ABC because sometimes it’s the
only thing you can get so it’s adds to your you know, anyway my
existing passion as we talked about from a young age to actually,
you know meet those people and and tell those stories and have an
appreciation for what it means to people once they actually have
their voice heard or ideally see something change or an outcome
reached because of the highlighting of of a particular issue, you
know, whether it be health or education something like that those
things that you don’t have, you know heaps of in the region
sometimes because of your proximity to the cities, but your job
having some way to try and in create some change that is always
great to see
[24:58]
I mean to that extend additional to the actual entertaining quality
and you know the fun nature of the stories that you tell there is a
real impact piece to TalkBack radio and to radio within the regions
because you are kind of getting anecdotal data around how people
feel about things which is really important for some of the the
areas that you just discussed around culture and and education and
health and things like that. But tell me Tim when you talk to your
family back home in Sydney, what’s their understanding of of your
experience there? Does it translate to them all the different things
that you’re encountering being so far away in Albany?
[25:39]
Well, it’s a good point. I think it’s a real flashback to what city
life versus regional life is like because I’ll spend half an hour
banging on about the weather and how this is random cloud in the sky
and then how it’s been amazing that the sun has shown its face or
that we’re spending 20 minutes talking about what’s great to to
catch in the ocean for fishing this weekend. Whereas we you know,
look at what they’re dealing with and they just couldn’t imagine
hearing anything like that where they are because life is different
life is fast to Pace life is busy. There are different things to be
thinking about and I think that they find it quite funny. I think
you know, when they hear the contrast in the kinds of things that
matter to people and Regional area like this compared to where they
are. It’s a reminder of maybe how big Australia is how different the
city Regional life can be and how people just find such interest and
Obsession in the little things like clouds like the sun like
roundabouts
[26:33]
and I’m gonna say that round about the Bunnings in Albany.
Absolutely.
[26:39]
Terrifies me. So I totally understand the sentiment in that story
Tim let bust a myth. So like you just discussed there is a lot of
you know assumption that’s made about the region. So it’s great that
someone like you can kind of offer a bit of an education to people
back home and hopefully Inspire them as well given that your
experience is so close to Nature and free, you know, there’s a lot
of freedom and and less cars and pick out traffic. Like you said the
myth that we’re gonna bust today is that there are not many
professional jobs on offer talk to me about your experience with
that. We your your life in Albany.
[27:16]
Well, I think every morning when I look outside the window after my
program you see the car park here starting to feel up with
professionals heading off of their days work looking like they’re
going to some kind of office. Anyways, I mean, I definitely don’t
think it’s some kind of desert for professional life and everyone’s
retired and going on the boat for a fish or whatever. It might be
and you know you I’m sitting here overlooking the Main Street. There
are plenty of
[27:39]
Is in shops here. I mean, obviously you’re going to have more of
those service type Industries here because we’re a tourism town
right to a lot of hospitality here for sure. But there are people
who do a lot of remote work, I guess to in the regions. I mean, I
know those jobs aren’t based in the regions, but you are having more
of those professional people like my wife who are moving to places
like this because of employer flexibility and things to covid and
things like that. And so their presence just even visually around
the town you can definitely feel and that opens up opportunities. I
think also being one of the major regional hubs in the region.
You’ve got a lot of government public service jobs here too
government agencies that are stationed and based out of Albany that
provide that’s a big employer as well. So it definitely is something
present. You can feel in the town and probably keeps us as the
bigger, you know Regional Hub servicing those wider smaller towns in
the Great Southern Region.
[28:35]
Trusted
[28:36]
and busted. Absolutely and Tim. Can you share a really special
memory that you’ve created since you’ve moved into the Great
Southern?
[28:49]
Yeah, look it’s a really small one. But I remember a few months ago.
We my team went to darken in the Great Southern which might be three
hours North I think it is really small town. We’re doing a live
program from there and they had recently lost their Pub. They were
really devastated about it. We had been to the pub last time we’re
in town and the schnitty was on point but no longer there and the
community were really trying to find out what to do at lost to try
and keep the doors open again and it will also really aware of the
reputation or damage who wants to go to a town where they can’t get
a feed can’t get a beer. It’s like a dead zone after hours and we
got there and we were wondering what to do for dinner because
they’re Supermarket was closed at that time as well and instead the
locals had managed to organize this cooked meal for us. Like I think
it might have been stake or Pastor on and maybe some wine delivered
on a tray to where we were staying this this new for us and I just
think it was really beautiful because the these smaller towns know
when they’re on show when there’s
[29:48]
Visitors in town when they want to leave a good impression with
people about their Town Spirit about the regional Spirit as well.
And they had even though they had lost one of their greatest assets.
I mean to any town, you know their local Watering Hole their Pub,
they showed what kind of heart they have by caring so deeply for
visitors to town. I think it was just a I really nice thing and who
doesn’t love a bit of food because everyone gets hungry everyone
needs to eat and just a wonderful display of how close-knit that
that town is. So that really stuck with me when we visited the
recently.
[30:19]
That’s lovely and it’s sort of resonates too because it just goes to
show that it’s just the four walls that have gone. You’ve still got
the spirit of the pub which is really about eating together enjoying
a good meal and Company and and camaraderie which they still brought
out despite the the pub not operating like you say, so that’s a
really lovely memory. Thank you for sharing that with us and
[30:44]
Finally Tim. I would love you to pitch to us talk. Great style why
anyone should move to Regional Australia?
[30:51]
Well, I mean, there’s a better lifestyle really. I mean, I think you
get to appreciate life with more. I think you understand just people
I think you understand people at the most simplest level as well.
Everyone has the same kind of needs once the same things kind of
interacts the same when you really think about it, which you get an
appreciation for despite our differences when you come to the
regions because what you have the small number of people around you
is is all you’ve got to kind of to work with so you kind of have no
no option but to move forward and to understand people like their
simplest level and gives you an appreciation that we’re all really
just the same on the same level and not racing around like crazy
headless jokes, but enjoying life come to the regions, you’ll
experience all of that.
[31:33]
Oh,
[31:34]
Fantastic, and it kind of picks up on a thread that we’ve had.
[31:37]
In a couple of the conversations where I guess it’s the opposite of
the scarcity. It’s sort of abundance even when you don’t have a lot
you can still make a lot work because you’ve got that Community
spirit that kind of really keeps everyone connected and and feeling
valued and and making life seem very worthy Tim. Thank you so much
for having a chat with us today. It’s been wonderful to turn flip
the model and be interviewing you as opposed to you interviewing me
in your normal capacity as a radio host. It’s been fantastic to hear
about your experience in the Great Southern and what a huge move to
go from Sydney and end up in this tiny town, but it certainly sounds
like you really enjoying it and you’ve found your fate in a very
cold that cozy part of the world. Thanks so much for your time team.
We appreciate it.
[32:31]
Thanks to help me back. Cheers.