Away with Heather Ewart: ‘An outback pub was the last place you’d expect a gourmet meal’
When it comes to travel, Heather Ewart is a pro. In her early career Ewart worked as a foreign correspondent, hopping everywhere from Belgium to the United States. And for the past decade she has hosted Back Roads, the beloved ABC program that ventures to Australia’s small towns to meet the colourful characters who inhabit them.
Along the way, Ewart has eaten unforgettable meals, learned what to pack when you’re roughing it – and witnessed great tragedy. Here, the journalist and TV host tells us about the highs and lows of her time on the road, as well as the tricks she’s learned for making every trip run a little smoother.
What makes an excellent travel companion?
Someone with a good sense of humour and a curiosity about new places and people. They must embrace the unexpected and be willing to stop and explore. In other words, don’t be in a hurry or tied to a rigid schedule. You can miss a lot of good sights and characters that way.
My earliest childhood holiday memory is …
A holiday with my family at the beach at Lorne on Victoria’s spectacular Great Ocean Road. I grew up on a sheep and wheat farm in inland Victoria and we only ever got to see the sea in January once a year, when the harvest was finished. The first time I spotted the sparkling blue ocean at Lorne, it was just magical. It’s also where we learned to swim as kids.
Describe your most memorable travel meal – good, bad or just surprising.
That would be at the William Creek pub on the Oodnadatta track in outback Australia. It’s in a tiny remote township with a population of about 10, and the last place you’d expect a gourmet meal. It was such a lovely surprise to find a tasty homemade terrine on the menu and a delicious Thai chicken curry. Not a chicken parma and chips in sight. The Back Roads crew and I couldn’t believe our good fortune.
What’s the most relaxing place you’ve visited?
Sailing down the Gordon River near Strahan in the stunningly beautiful, pristine wilderness of south-west Tasmania. It was an overnight boat trip with the Back Roads crew, and the morning mist rising from the water as the sun came up is something I’ll never forget.
And the most stressful?
Waco, Texas in the USA when I was a foreign correspondent based in Washington DC for the ABC in the 90s. An American by the name of David Koresh was threatening to blow up the cult headquarters he’d created on the outskirts of town. There were many followers and young children inside and the camera crew and I were in Waco for a month, never sure of what would happen each day as the FBI negotiated. He finally went ahead with the threat. It was horrible.
What is your holiday ritual?
Finding the best place to swim. The first thing I do and the last thing I do is to have a dip. Also finding the best location for an icy cold beer (maybe two) at sunset.
What’s one item you always put in your suitcase?
A travel-sized iron because on Back Roads you just never know if there’s going to be one in your motel room or camping ground cabin and my producers have the cheek to insist on pressed clothes on film shoots. It’s not my favourite chore.
What’s your strategy for surviving long-haul flights?
Try to adjust sleeping patterns to the time zone where I’m heading, and always pack a couple of good books.
Back Roads, hosted by Heather Ewart, returns on 9 January at 8pm on ABC TV and ABC iView.
