Australia’s most unexpected bakery!

We take a trip down the Stuart Highway to stop at the long abandoned ghost town Farina, and drop in on a famous underground bakehouse that’s still going strong in spite of its unbelievably sparse location. Hear from local volunteers who are putting their efforts into not just keeping the bakery going, but also into restoring the town to its former glory.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
We ossies eat two hundred and seventy million pies every year.
Hard burn anyone, But bakery food is in our blood,
isn't it? Arguing with New Zealand as about who really
invented the Lamington, calling a vanilla slice a snot block
and still wanting to eat one. Even the official Australian
Tourism website has a page dedicated to the best bakeries

(00:22):
in the country. But what if I told you there
was one that stands out from all the rest? And
what if I told you that this bakery is underground.
I'm Amanda Keller and this is brain fuel. Great Ossie
stories from the Road, fueled by Amphole, Australia's own from

(00:46):
the Road. Sorry, can you just turn up? Yeah? Okay?
That yeah, thank you? From the Road. For Rena, aptly
named after the Latin word for flour, doesn't look like much.
The old railway town's been more or less deserted since
the last store closed in the sixties, crumbling into the
red dirt six hundred and fifty kilometers north of Adelaide.

(01:08):
But unlike other outback towns, for Rena is being restored
thanks to a team of volunteers each winter. There's an
amazing sign out here on the Outback Highway, miles from anywhere.
Bakery baking today, back.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
In the day. Our kids one this morning we got
there for picnics and that's so that was the only
thing recognizable really was the old bakery.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
That's Ron Heinrich, one of a select few bakers who
comes to work in Farena each year.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
And basically we cook a whole our of bread and
everything down there. It's a real attraction for people to
have a look at how bread was made. Really.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
Volunteers have spent thirteen years restoring for Rena. As well
as the bakery, they host an annual cricket match, church
service and are restoring nine buildings, including hotels, the post
office and the police station. Techniquely underground you'll find an
old Scotch oven delivering a whole range of treats, pasties, sausage, rolls, danishes, tarts.

(02:12):
As you can imagine, baking underground is a bit different
from doing it on.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
The surface, and you really need someone to really look
after those things. They're like looking after steam train. You
know you're going to pickle them every now and then
and kill them. They're nice and do all sorts of
stuff with them.

Speaker 1 (02:27):
Visitors stop by between May and July on their way
through to the famous Birdsville track and what do they
love eating? Most of all cream buns.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
You know, our product up there is comparable with anything
else to see in Australia and to be able to
do that in a remote location is the power of
the people working working in that environment. Really, that's what
it's about.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
From exploring ghost town bakeries or whatever your journey, ample
is the fuel that gets you there. Make sure you
follow our adventures for free on your favorite podcast app.
I'm Amanda Keller and this is brain fuel.