Words for the Year, Wildlife Encounters, Survival, Growth and Momentum

A new season of If These Trees Could Talk begins in the space between presence and momentum.

In this season-opening episode, we share our words for the year, introduce the evolving direction of the podcast, and welcome a new branch of storytelling.

Through Australian wildlife encounters, survival instincts, and the symbolism of the Chinese zodiac, we explore what we’re shedding — and what we’re ready to move toward.

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This episode marks the Season 2 finale of If These Trees Could Talk — a pause at the end of a long, heavy, meaningful year. We’re reflecting on the places we’ve walked, the stories that found us, and the moments that changed how we see the world. Some of this year unfolded quietly, some of it hit hard, and not all of it came with neat answers, but every step left its mark.

This is also our thank you. To everyone who listened, shared, messaged, challenged us, or carried these stories alongside us; this only exists because you show up. This episode isn’t a highlight reel or a goodbye, just a moment to acknowledge the growth, the weight, and the connection that made this year what it was. We’re grateful you walked it with us.

This episode asks a simple question with a definitive answer: What does showing up really look like? From the rolling hills of Deepwater to the everyday Australian homes where people quietly fight their battles, we explore how connection can be a shield, a comfort, and sometimes the difference between holding on and letting go.

We’re joined by Stuart O'Neill — Suicide Prevention Advocate, Public Speaker, the driving force behind Australia’s first mental health pub and author of Just One Reason, a 5 times best selling - raw and powerful account of his own journey through the darkest corners of mental health attached to a simple yet profound toolkit to help others. Stu’s work is a reminder that resilience isn’t something we find alone. It grows when we circle the wagons — when we gather close, create safety, and refuse to let anyone stand on the edge without support.

In this episode we unpack the power of listening, the courage it takes to tell the truth, and the remarkable change that happens when communities decide to show up for each other with compassion instead of judgment.

This is an exploration of the wagons we build — the human ones — and the strength we discover when we stand together.

The horror of John Price’s murder sent shockwaves through Aberdeen and across Australia. In this final episode, we follow the case from Knight’s arrest to her courtroom, exploring the psychological assessments, her personality disorder diagnosis, and the intense public scrutiny that followed.

We also look inside her life in prison; where she’s both feared and respected and consider the wider lessons about mental health, justice, and prevention. From the staggering cost of violent crime to the potential of early intervention, this episode challenges us to hold space for empathy and accountability.

Part two of this shocking story is about the brutal murder of John Price — a killing so gruesome it shocked even the most seasoned investigators. We trace the final, terrifying days leading up to his death, when obsession turned to rage and love curdled into violence. Through police reports, witness accounts, and psychological insights, we reconstruct the night Katherine Knight crossed the final line.

It’s a descent into unimaginable brutality: the culmination of years of volatility, control, and manipulation. As the evidence unfolds, we confront not only the horror of what she did, but the chilling precision with which she carried it out. This episode asks a haunting question — what happens when unchecked rage and deep-seated trauma finally explode?

Before she became Australia’s most infamous female killer, Katherine Knight was a child shaped by chaos, violence, and neglect. Part one of this 3 part series dives deep into her early years — from a brutal and scandalous family history to a childhood marked by trauma and cruelty. We explore the people, places, and patterns that molded her: the violent home she grew up in, her disturbing fascination with death and dominance, and how those early cracks in her psyche began to widen into something far more dangerous. It’s a story that forces us to ask — was Katherine born violent, or did her environment create her? And how do cycles of abuse, secrecy, and shame forge someone capable of such horror?

In this episode, we’re pulling up a seat around the campfire to share some of Australia’s eeriest stretches of asphalt.

From the ghostly lights that chase drivers along Lemon Tree Passage Road, to the whispered tales of the Street with No Name in Glebe, and the long, lonely expanse of the Newell Highway where travellers have reported seeing things that defy explanation, these are the roads where the living and the dead might just cross paths.

In this special Campfire Stories episode, we are joined by Claire, who brings her own spine-tingling story to the fire as well as Tim and Kate, who (for a change) Megan roped into a spooky adventure! Together, we dive into urban legends, tragic crimes, eyewitness accounts, and the strange energy that lingers long after the headlights fade.

So light the fire, turn the volume up, and join us as we explore the haunted roads of Australia — where every bend in the road might hide a story waiting to be told.

High in the Blue Mountains, the road at Mount Victoria Pass twists steep and narrow through rock and mist. By day, it’s breathtaking. But by night, it carries a darker reputation. Travelers whisper of a woman’s ghost drifting through the fog. Her story etched into the stones of the pass nearly two centuries ago.

This is the story of Caroline Collits. A child of the early colony whose short life was marked by hardship, betrayal, and violence. Her murder in 1842 shocked the settlement and left behind more than a legend, it left a haunting reminder of injustice that echoes into the present.

In this episode, we explore the history, the haunting, and the legend of the ghost of Victoria Pass. Was Caroline just a tragic figure of the past, or does she still walk the road today?

High in the Blue Mountains, the road at Mount Victoria Pass twists steep and narrow through rock and mist. By day, it’s breathtaking. But by night, it carries a darker reputation. Travelers whisper of a woman’s ghost drifting through the fog. Her story etched into the stones of the pass nearly two centuries ago.

This is the story of Caroline Collits. A child of the early colony whose short life was marked by hardship, betrayal, and violence. Her murder in 1842 shocked the settlement and left behind more than a legend, it left a haunting reminder of injustice that echoes into the present.

In this episode, we explore the history, the haunting, and the legend of the ghost of Victoria Pass. Was Caroline just a tragic figure of the past, or does she still walk the road today?