Tackling a 1,000-kilometre outback road trip with a bloke you've never met wouldn't be for everyone, writes Heather Ewart on Back Roads.
But the reputation of travelling singer-songwriter Josh Arnold had preceded him on some of our earlier Back Roads journeys, and I was more than happy to seize the chance to join forces for 10 days.
You see Josh is considered a bit of a hero in small towns throughout his home state of Queensland, where for the past 10 years he's been visiting schools, writing, performing, and filming songs with the kids and local communities about where they live and what they love about it.
The resulting music video clips have proved to be a huge hit and he's in high demand.
What's more, his town anthems are repeated highlights at local concerts and school events over the years.
We first heard about him while filming a Back Roads episode in remote Thargomindah back in 2018 shortly after they had received a visit from Josh, but we'd never crossed paths.
That was about to change.
Josh and I hit the road together in Mount Isa, heading for our first stop, the famous Birdsville Hotel on the edge of the Simpson Desert.
From there, our trip took us right up to the Northern Territory border.
I'd never been to Birdsville before and was excited at the prospect. The little township did not disappoint, and nor did Josh.
He and I soon worked out we had much in common.
We had both grown up on sheep and wheat farms — me in Victoria and him in south-west Queensland —and both shared the goal of wanting to give country people in far-flung communities a voice.
"Coming from a small town and being very proud of where I'm from, I'm never surprised at people's passion for their community," he told me.
"And that's what drives me and possibly you as well. You knew what it was like to come from a place where, wherever you went, they go, 'Oh, where's that? You must be so bored or that must be a horrible place to live in.'"
For me there's no better way than music to get locals involved and get their story out to the world … and show the great parts of where they live and who they are."
FULL STORY
Golden Guitar award-winning singer Josh Arnold boosts country communities with town anthems (ABC News)
PHOTO
Country Queensland boy and singer-songwriter Josh Arnold. (ABC: Back Roads)
