Stories
Long-form explorations of Australia's outdoors, built from the same datasets and Insights you can explore yourself.
Story
Eight states and territories. Mountains, beaches, trails, deserts, forests and millions of people getting outside. But what actually makes somewhere "outdoorsy"?
Currently researching
Some questions take a little digging. These are the stories we're currently researching, connecting datasets for and trying to answer.
Research in progress“Is trail running actually booming in Australia? If so, where, when and why?”
Race calendars are getting crowded, brands are releasing more trail shoes and the sport feels bigger than ever. We're digging through events, participation, products, geography and industry data to see whether the numbers tell the same story.
Coming soon
Research in progress“Has technology changed the way Australians explore the outdoors?”
Paper maps became GPS watches, GPX files and trail apps. We're looking at whether the way people move through wild places changed with them — and whether technology concentrated us onto known routes or helped us explore further.
Coming soon
Research in progress“What can reported search and rescue incidents tell us about where, when and how outdoor trips go wrong?”
Behind every rescue is a place, an activity and a chain of circumstances. We're connecting reported incidents with geography, visitation and other outdoor data to understand the patterns — without confusing rescue counts with danger.
Coming soon
Research in progress“What happens to Australia's alpine country when the snow season changes?”
Snow depth is only part of the story. We're exploring the historical snow record — and what changing seasons might mean for the towns, tourism and communities built around Australia's alpine country.
Coming soon
