Episodes
Back Roads: Marrawah (ABC TV Monday 16 January 2023)
The famed West Coast Classic, three days of enormous swells, blowing gales, and woolen beanies, takes place in Marrawah, in northwest Tasmania, and tonight on Back Roads, chef and farmer Paul West packs his surfboard for a visit there.
Tasmania is home to a location commonly referred to as “the end of the earth.” Nearby is the Northwest Coast village of Marrawah. Paul West, a gourmand and farmer, understands why when he visits.
It’s a harsh, uninhabited spot that is battered by the Roaring Forties and seas that are several stories high. The elements, particularly the wind and the ocean, shape human beings. The crooked trees are a symbol of the hardships we face in life. Formerly dominated by dairy farms, the area is today better known for its high-quality meat and, of course, its outstanding wine.
The renowned waves that pound the coast are a major attraction for some people. Glenn “Salty” Saltmarsh has spent his entire life in Marrawah, where he keeps a shack and surfs. In addition, he is the force behind the annual “all ages” surfing contest held in Marrawah, the West Coast Surfing Classic.
Paul encounters a few farmers who also surf; these men and women are well-versed in the wrath of nature; their fields rise abruptly from the waves below, and their cows, poised precariously on the cliff faces, might as well be floating.
The Heres, a farming family that has been in the area for generations, believe that winter is the worst season and that you must learn to work with nature rather than against it. Generations of people who have fallen under Marrawah’s spell are the glue that Paul finds holding together an entire town.
Airdate: Monday 16 January 2023 at 8.00pm on ABC TV.
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