During the five years it has been appearing on our screens, ABC TV’s Back Roads has taken us across Australia, through scorched deserts, along sapphire coasts, up breathtaking mountains and over gentle, rolling plains. It has shown us the rugged landscapes, the resilient communities and the extraordinary individuals who make a life in those areas outside the big cities.

In this book, we capture in vivid colour some of our favourite people and places. Full of glorious photos that show us the spirit, purpose, difficulties and humour of outback life, this book is a tribute to the surprising characters, the rarely told stories and the sometimes beautiful, sometimes strange places that exist along the back roads of our extraordinary country.