Michael Portillo is on the eastern coast of Australia travelling from the coal mines of Newcastle, New South Wales, to Queensland’s modern state capital, Brisbane. Along the way, he crosses the mighty Hawkesbury River to admire magnificent scenery, tends to an injured koala, gets some tips from an Aussie rugby legend and rides a solar-powered train.

In the world’s largest coal exporting port, Michael marvels at the skill of the loader as he transfers thousands of tonnes of coal from rail to ship. The North Coast Line takes Michael to the koala hospital at Port Macquarie, where he finds populations of these iconic marsupials are in rapid decline.

At Kempsey, Michael discovers a factory where, at the time of his Bradshaw’s, they began to make the quintessential Australian bush hat. Michael learns how the hats are produced and tries some for size.

In Woolgoolga, Michael joins a Sikh community to hear how they have integrated into Australian society. He learns how to meditate on the beach at Byron Bay and tastes traditional lamington cake in Brisbane before tackling training with the Queensland Reds. Show less