Off Track
254 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 41 ratingsOff Track, with Ann Jones, is an Australian radio show and podcast which combines the relaxing sounds of nature with awesome stories of wildlife and environmental science, all recorded in the outdoors.
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Episodes
Are we 'burning in ignorance'?
February 19, 2021 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.6 MBIn South West WA, there are concerns that prescribed burning is negatively impacting an internationally recognised biodiversity hotspot.
It's not a koala bear, it's a koala boom
February 12, 2021 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBWe've all heard the stories of the koala on the brink of extinction, but in parts of Victoria, is the exact opposite – the koalas are booming and it’s all our fault.
Clapping witches hiding in swamps and other weird sounds [Earworms from Planet Earth XVII]
February 05, 2021 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.6 MBAn Italian folk tale comes to life in an Australian swamp and a meditating man fails to control his ferocious whippets. Welcome to the latest episode of audience submitted sounds.
Flower pots for biodiversity [RE-ISSUE]
January 29, 2021 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBA simple flowerpot making a difference to biodiversity in Sydney's harbour.
It was a mulga snake that got him [RE-ISSUE]
January 22, 2021 18:30 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBIf you get bitten by a snake in the middle of the bush don't do what this bloke did
How to be a bat [RE-ISSUE]
January 15, 2021 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.4 MBIs it ok to squabble over watermelon?
The banteng paradox [RE-ISSUE]
January 08, 2021 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.4 MBBanteng are an introduced species in Arnhem Land, but in their home range, they are in danger of complete extinction. So, what to do?
Karajarri calling [RE-ISSUE]
December 25, 2020 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBOver the course of the week, three pairs of shoes bite the dust, soles detached from uppers in the 45 degree heat, one microphone's glue melts and there are about a billion bush flies drinking from sweaty backs. But despite the heat, Karajarri country has a draw towards it stronger than the pull of the sun.
Birds that sound like a haunted house [Earworms from Planet Earth XVI]
December 18, 2020 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBAre you about to get murdered, or is it just a gang gang saying hello?
Frogs with tusks, whistlers in lust [Earworms from Planet Earth XV]
December 11, 2020 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.8 MBWhat sounds like a hiccup, but is actually a lusty mating call for a lothario without a lover?
Bommies and black coral
December 04, 2020 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBAncient creatures hide on Tasmania's secret reefs.
Coral city
November 27, 2020 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBOn a coral reef, everyone works to keep the city from crumbling.
Requiem for Wildlife
November 24, 2020 12:00 - 2 minutes - 3.17 MBTo accompany ABC TV's Wild Australia: After the Fires, here is a minute of nature sound.
We all know frogs go 'bonk'
November 20, 2020 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBBut do they really say 'bonk' or is it 'tonk',’ and does a foreign accent make a frog sexy?
Off Track presents Days Like These
November 20, 2020 10:00 - 26 minutes - 36.4 MBImagine spending your whole life searching for the elusive, perfect fiery opal. And then, one day, you realise you're holding — literally in the palm of your sweaty hand — a glittering prize of a gem that burns with a secret that could unlock the history of the Australian continent. Welcome to the crazy world of opal mining at Lightning Ridge, NSW, where prospector Mike Poben is facing a choice that will change his life forever. ...
Lynne's lungs and other adventures
November 13, 2020 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBLynne Malcolm lost half a lung, and it was *probably* as a result of a radio story about birds.
Banana box frog rescue service [RE-ISSUE]
November 06, 2020 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBUnwittingly shipped almost 3000km across the continent in a hand of bananas, this small frog is going to need help getting home.
Monster in the forest [Earworms from Planet Earth XIV]
October 30, 2020 18:30 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBEver heard a sound echoing through the forest and thought, "well crikey, that's gotta be a dinosaur"?
Were-willy wagtail
October 16, 2020 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBYou find yourself awake in the middle of the night and there is a willy wagtail singing to the moon. Are you loosing your mind, or does this bird occasionally turn into a were-willy?
Always wear the gloves and other lessons [Incident Report 04]
October 09, 2020 18:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBMore quollity drama for your ears.
Who would ride a motorbike on Antarctic sea ice?
October 02, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBHis name is George and he's a bit of a legend.
Balancing Nature: New Zealand [RE-ISSUE]
September 25, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBA pioneering experiment to rid New Zealand of its pest problem.
Balancing Nature: Philippines [RE-ISSUE]
September 18, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBThe Philippines is a reef fish biodiversity hotspot, but it's a delicate balance between livelihoods and sustainability in some fishing communities.
Balancing Nature: Vietnam [RE-ISSUE]
September 11, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBHow do you protect Vietnam's pristine forests from the fast-expanding road and dam projects?
Balancing Nature: Australia [RE-ISSUE]
September 04, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBTake a look back at some Australian conservation efforts, from tiny reserves to landscape-scale restoration.
Behind the scenes of natural scenes
August 28, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBEver wondered how they get those gorgeous shots of nocturnal animals on the TV?
An unscheduled Antarctic adventure
August 21, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 34.6 MBWhen the icebreaker runs aground and leaves you stranded in Antarctica, what's a scientist to do?
Love song for a changing ocean [RE-ISSUE]
August 14, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBAfter years of discussions with scientists, a composer writes a symphony for the sea. He calls it ex Oceano.
Sounds and showers of Macquarie Island [part two]
August 07, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBWhere endangered wildlife watches you showering with a bucket in the Antarctic wind.
Sounds and smells of Macquarie Island [part one]
July 31, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBWhere elephant seals smell like feathers and petrels sound like dragons.
He hitch-hiked with a snake in his hand
July 24, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBKevin Budden was only a young bloke when he left Sydney for North Queensland with one goal in mind: to find a coastal taipan and bring it back alive.
Nipple cripples and other nibbles [Incident Report 03]
July 17, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBJust when you thought it might be safe to get back out into nature, it gets you where you least expect it: your nipples.
Never smile at a crocodile and other fails [Incident Report 02]
July 10, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 22.9 MBJust when you thought it might be safe to get back out into nature, there’s a bite from a huge, unknown carnivore and a leech on your eyeball. This is the second instalment of Incident Reports with communiques back to base about the worst (ie: best) fieldwork fails.
Fieldwork fails and flops [Incident Report 01]
July 03, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBLet’s not get too romantic about nature. There’s plenty of times when you end up covered in mud, at the end of your tether and on the receiving end of a love bite from a vampire bat. Hear scientists report back about their worst (ie: best) fieldwork fails.
Live long, little lizard [UPDATE]
June 26, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBAfter 35 years, some of the same sleepy lizards are still alive, still with the same lizard partner. This episode was first broadcast in 2017, but has been updated with news of the new sleepy lizard scientists.
A squirrel that glides like a magic carpet in the Himalayas [UPDATE]
June 19, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBGliding over a glacier in the Himalayas is a metre long squirrel with a smallish head, silky fur and a fluffy tail - but it's hardly ever been seen alive. Originally aired in 2017, we've got an update on the squirrel story!
All aboard Australia's super science ship [RE-ISSUE]
June 12, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBIt's as if this ship has invisible cat's whiskers extending off her hull - pricked and at the ready, they sense the weather and temperature and map the course ahead.
It was a mulga snake that got him
June 05, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBIf you get bitten by a snake in the middle of the bush don't do what this bloke did
[NATURE TRACK] Water Flow
June 05, 2020 02:35 - 2 hours - 245 MBNo music, no voices, just the sound of a stream and frogs calling on a still, cool night in regional Victoria.
[NATURE TRACK] A message from Ann
June 04, 2020 01:17 - 2 minutes - 2.69 MBWe made a mistake and we need you to refresh your podcast feed.
[NATURE TRACK] Shore Sounds
June 03, 2020 19:30 - 2 hours - 206 MBNo music, no voices, just the sound of the Roebuck Bay mudflats near Broome, WA. Hear breeze across the water, crabs and mudskippers flipping and flopping, and a tide that slowly comes in.
[NATURE TRACK] Forest Songs
June 03, 2020 02:33 - 2 hours - 165 MBNo music, no voices, just the sing of the forest coming to life early one morning near Canberra.
[NATURE TRACK] Mountain Music
June 02, 2020 02:32 - 1 hour - 124 MBNo music, no voices, just the sound of a valley halfway up a Tasmanian Mountain. This soundscape is full of birds and breeze echoing backwards and forwards across a reservoir.
Off Track presents Nature Track
June 01, 2020 02:31 - 1 hour - 85.5 MBRight now, more than ever, it’s important to stay in touch with nature.
Western whips and a ruff duet [Earworms from Planet Earth xiii]
May 22, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBRight now, finding joy in nature is just the ticket.
The perfect little rock
May 15, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBA piece of pumice floats across the ocean like a school bus picking up young organisms – tiny planktonic corals, some barnacles, maybe a crab, an oyster, perhaps a nudibranch.
Barking gecko, boop-ing emu
May 08, 2020 19:30 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBEvery evening at homes in Northern Australia, a tiny yip yip yip can be heard. And, on the other end of the spectrum, a boop boop boop can be heard in more arid zones. This week is a adventure into the big and small sounds of Australia.
RN presents - HOT MESS
May 07, 2020 15:00 - 5 minutes - 7.06 MBIf you are here in the Off Track feed, then, we're thinking you're probably a person who is engaged with the natural world. So, it follows that you might be interested in this series from RN Presenter Richard Aedy called 'Hot Mess.'