Gabrielle Chan is the author of Rusted Off: Why Country Australia is Fed Up. Speaking to Sally from her farm in Harden, in the South West Slopes of New South Wales, Gabrielle reflects on regional economies, food production and how Covid-19 has shifted routines, priorities and the atmosphere in her small country town.

Glyn Davis is a Distinguished Professor at the Australian National University's Crawford School of Public Policy, and previously served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne. The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge economic and human toll on Australia’s university sector, with thousands of jobs lost, students forced to study remotely and international students left stranded due to travel restrictions. Glyn Davis reflects on what has been lost, and what can be salvaged.

Earlier this year, Todd Heery was already preparing himself for a year of isolation. Todd is the plumber at Mawson Research Station in Antarctica – the only continent so far untouched by the coronavirus. When he boarded the boat for departure, he never expected that the world he was leaving behind would change the way it has. In this episode, Todd speaks to Sally Warhaft about life in Antarctica, the importance of ritual and surviving isolation. 

Earlier this month, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews appeared for his 100th consecutive press conference. But politicians are not the only ones on this marathon. Rachel Baxendale is the state political reporter for the Australian, and is one of the journalists covering these highly public press conferences. She has also been subjected to online trolling, and has even become a meme – #WhatsTheIssueRachel?

In this episode, she describes what it’s really been like for journalists this year.