Episode 3

Rick Stein heads to the Central Coast on Sydney’s northern fringes for a taste of Australia's outdoor lifestyle. Nearly nine out of ten Australians live on the coast. Rick journeys to the small town of Woy Woy, just an hour’s train ride north of Sydney. He’s learned that Spike Milligan, co-creator of The Goon Show and one of his family’s favourite comedians, spent a lot of time here, and Rick is intrigued to know why. Embracing a national pastime, Rick joins a group of ocean swimmers at nearby Umina Beach for their daily morning plunge into the surf, braving the sharks for a leisurely kilometre-long swim.

Heading into the hinterland, Rick meets first-generation young farmers Tim and Hannah, who are committed to raising meat in an emotionally connected way and who are making a name for themselves for their 'flatulent-free' farming and their 'good vibrations' chickens – served to King Charles and Queen Camilla on their tour of Australia. He then heads north to Lake Macquarie to meet Australian Vietnamese forager Balong Nguyen. Balong introduces Rick to his 'playground' – Australia’s largest coastal salt-water lake, which is twice the size of Sydney Harbour. Boating out to Elizabeth island, they forage for cockles, which Balong serves up after roasting them on a grill with a beer.