Erin Parke is a national regional affairs reporter based in Broome in Western Australia. Originally from Perth, she did stints in newsrooms in New Zealand before settling in the remote Kimberley region. She dabbles in documentary making and has won awards for her reporting with programs 7.30 and Background Briefing.
Garrison St Clair was touted as an all-American rescuer sent to the Australian desert to find a missing adventurer. But soon after he entered the spotlight, his grand backstory began to unravel.
From the iconic tale of Christopher McCandless, to an Alaskan's death-defying dance in the Australian desert, to extreme reality TV shows, we're obsessed with survival. So what is it about these stories that we find so fascinating?
Fascination in outback survival is widespread, but most of us consuming the content will rarely, if ever, undertake challenging adventures in the wilderness.
The American at the centre of one of the most remarkable survival feats recorded in Australia says he feels he's come full circle after returning to the Great Sandy Desert to meet the Aboriginal trackers who searched for him.
The discovery of a German backpacker alive after eleven days alone in the bush in remote Western Australia was met with joy across the country.
The miraculous survival of German backpacker Carolina Wilga in the West Australian outback was met with joy and relief across the country. But for families of missing Aboriginal men who are still searching for answers, it's prompted uncomfortable questions.
In 1999 a young American dumped his bicycle and walked out into the Great Sandy Desert. Why was he willing to risk his life, and why do some people need to get lost in order to feel found?
Up to eight people, believed to be from China, have been detained by border protection authorities after reaching a remote part of the Northern Territory coast by boat earlier this week.
Every week, Andrew Shandley drives a 2,000km bus route to deliver one of the longest, bumpiest public transport routes in Australia.
There's growing angst about what Federal authorities are describing as an 'unprecedented surge' in foreign fishing boats along Australia's north coast in recent months.
Officials are investigating whether organised crime is behind a wave of illegal foreign fishing boats in Australian waters, which locals say are more sophisticated than ever before.
While many Australians await the arrival of Santa Claus, kids in outback Australia are celebrating with their own unique Christmas icon.
It can be one of those bugbears of the interconnected world – face-to-face services getting replaced with phone apps and online portals requiring do-it-yourself management of essential tasks.
These days, just about everything is being done online. But new research highlights how hard that's making life for thousands of Australians still living without phone and internet.
How do millions of dollars worth of diamonds go missing on a beach? Most Australians have never heard of the Dakota diamonds mystery, but the drama is still unfolding on the remote north-west coast.
Australia's major Supermarkets have been in the firing line over allegations of misleading advertising.
There is currently no law requiring grocery stores to display visible pricing on their shelves, creating a legal loophole that leaves some shoppers "flying blind" when it comes to the weekly shop.
A surge in drug-related violence in northern Western Australia is being blamed for the mysterious disappearances of five young Aboriginal men.
Community leaders are going public with suspicions missing men may have been murdered after falling foul of the drug trade in outback Australia.
A new study reveals the scale of Australia wildlife being smuggled overseas, with dozens of species recorded for the first time. But government authorities insist its crackdown is working.
Australian authorities have responded after local tour guides and traditional owners spotted four boats moored at Kuri Bay in far northern WA.
Tensions are building in remote northern Australia after a string of mysterious disappearances. It comes as an increasing number of Australians are reported missing.
Investigators believe genetic genealogy may be able to crack a decades old international murder mystery that has connections to Australia. Today marks thirty years since the body of a tall, well-dressed man was found floating in the waters off Germany.
Today marks 30 years since the body of a tall, well-dressed man was pulled from the waters off Germany. Investigators hope tip-offs from Australia and genetic mapping may help crack the case.
The cost of living has increased more sharply in regional areas than in the cities, with some outback residents paying double for essential goods like food and fuel. Now the federal government is coming up with a plan to try to level the playing field, but will it work?