Best Surfers Ear Podcast Podcasts (2024)

1
BONUS | Behind the scenes on Mr Big 21:00

1M ago21:00

21:00

Go behind the scenes of the podcast with reporter Alicia Bridges, who answers questions about how she investigated Mr Big. Asking the hard questions is Rachael Brown, the host of the ABC's first true crime podcast, Trace. They discuss some of the challenges and dilemmas around reporting on the story, how Alicia came across the case, and some of the…

1
07 Mr Big | Through the looking glass 44:30

2M ago44:30

44:30

As Alicia Bridges investigates the beginnings of an epic deception, she finds it spans across continents. At the heart of the deception is an upside-down world of gang crime, and a series of dilemmas. What secrets should stay secret? How far would you go to catch a killer? One man is in jail, convicted for murder. But are there other people behind …

1
06 Mr Big | The knife 32:00

2M ago32:00

32:00

A knife is found near a drain, but is it the one police looking for? A man is put on trial, and the court hears the evidence against him. But as each side mounts their case, which piece of evidence will really matter when the time comes for the jury to decide?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
05 Mr Big | A story about murder 40:00

2M ago40:00

40:00

A life filled with diamond deals, drug money, bribes and corruption is strange enough. But the truth is even stranger. Deeper forces are at work, with a bigger purpose. Mr Big's web of secrets is revealed. As Alicia digs further into what happened in this case, the ingenious techniques of the gang are laid bare, and a series of strange scenarios be…

1
04 Mr Big | You're it 25:00

2M ago25:00

25:00

Mr Big, the mysterious head of a criminal gang, calls a meeting at Crown Towers Casino and demands to know everything about the murder of Mary Cook. For hours, two men talk. Lies are told, and a confession emerges. But how do you tell the truth from the lies? And who is Mr Big?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
03 Mr Big | A bee in the ear 31:30

2M ago31:30

31:30

If you're under investigation, the last thing you should do is commit more crimes. But this suspect is on a slippery slope. Small jobs become bigger jobs. Fake diamonds, huge sums of cash, and guns pass hands. A network of corrupt cops, government and court officials and shady underworld figures seem to form a gang with far-reaching tentacles.…

1
02 Mr Big | Two suspects, one killer 41:00

2M ago41:00

41:00

Everyone says one man in the neighbourhood, Terry Britton, is dangerous. But could there be someone else who wished Mary harm? Terry has a temper and a history of violence. He threatened Mary Cook and her kids. Then Mary was murdered, and her house was set alight. But police are also looking into someone else: a much quieter man with no serious cri…

1
01 Mr Big | The secret recording 26:00

2M ago26:00

26:00

A killer is caught on tape talking about a murder with a mysterious crime boss. Earlier, on a summer's night in suburban Melbourne, a mother of three is stabbed, and her house is set on fire. Firefighters race to the house, but the blaze is too intense. Police begin their investigation close to the home of the victim, Mary Cook. Journalist Alicia B…

1
INTRODUCING — Mr Big, a new true crime series from Unravel 3:30

2M ago3:30

3:30

On a secretly recorded tape, a confident-sounding man boasts of his influence with corrupt police. He sounds like a crime boss, or some kind of underworld Mr Big. He says he can help make problems with the law go away. But first, he wants the truth about a murder. But who is Mr Big? Alicia Bridges investigates. Mr Big is the latest season of Unrave…

1
Firebomb BONUS | Behind the scenes 31:30

1y ago31:30

31:30

Go behind the scenes of the podcast with co-reporters Crispian and Alex as they describe how they made this season of Unravel True Crime. More Information Host and co-reporter: Crispian Chan Co-reporter: Alex Mann Producer and researcher: Dunja Karagic Research and fact checking: Johnny Lieu Rollout producer: Amelia Mertha Theme and music compositi…

1
Firebomb 07 | Close to Home 48:00

1y ago48:00

48:00

Crispian and Alex find troubling signs among current-day extremist groups. Meanwhile, in this episode of Unravel True Crime the restaurant kids discuss how they processed what happened to their families.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Firebomb 06 | Track Jack 49:00

1y ago49:00

49:00

Crispian and Alex hit the road to track down the gang's leader, Jack Van Tongeren. It turns out that Jack's past contains some big surprises. Meanwhile, in this episode of Unravel True Crime a former member of the gang reveals its secrets.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Firebomb 05 | The Gang Rises

1y ago

—

A decade later, the gang reemerges. In this episode of Unravel True Crime, Crispian and Alex come face to face with a former follower of the gang at a men's health and yoga retreat, sparking a bizarre and emotional reckoning. More Information Host and co-reporter: Crispian Chan Co-reporter: Alex Mann Producer and researcher: Dunja Karagic Research …

1
Firebomb 04 | Operation Jackhammer 44:30

1y ago44:30

44:30

A risky undercover operation strikes at the heart of the firebombing gang. But in this episode of Unravel True Crime, hatred reverberates around the city, and lives are lost. (Audio of Russell Willey courtesy of Anthony Buckley AM, from the film ‘Nazi Supergrass’)By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Firebomb 03 | Punks and Ninjas 41:12

1+ y ago41:12

41:12

As police struggle to keep up with a wave of terrorism, unlikely defenders emerge to confront the city's gangs. In this episode of Unravel True Crime, activists are badly beaten, and the neo-Nazi gang is starting to push its luck, but the police still can't nail anyone over the restaurant firebombings.…

1
Firebomb 02 | The Posters 37:06

1+ y ago37:06

37:06

The city has been blanketed in threatening posters. The list of suspects narrows as the fire bombers' potential motivations become clearer. In this episode of Unravel True Crime, Police become suspicious of a hardened and fanatical group of neo-Nazi activists, who are thumbing their nose at law enforcement and threatening Asian communities in Perth…

1
Firebomb 01 | The Man Lin 25:30

1+ y ago25:30

25:30

Chinese restaurants are being firebombed in the dead of night. As the attacks spread, police scramble to work out what is happening in the city. In this episode of Firebomb, host Crispian Chan sets out to investigate the events surrounding the fire that destroyed his family's restaurant.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
INTRODUCING — Firebomb 3:40

1+ y ago3:40

3:40

Chinese restaurants are being firebombed in the dead of night. The police arson squad is racing against the clock to stop the next attack. Along the way, there are buried weapons, secret informers, punks, ninjas, and political manoeuvres. As the rest of Australia celebrates the nation's bicentenary, a campaign of terror is getting underway in Perth…

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Snowball 07 | The Morning After 23:35

5y ago23:35

23:35

After the confrontation in the supermarket carpark, Ollie is left feeling confused — has he been charmed just like everyone else in this story? Will Lezlie fail to keep her promises to Ollie or leave him and his family hanging?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Snowball 06 | Stakeout 41:48

5y ago41:48

41:48

Ollie and Simon have criss-crossed California to find themselves parked in a supermarket car park staking out where Lezlie supposedly works. They may only have one shot to talk to her and finally get some answers. It doesn't go the way Ollie imagined.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Snowball 05 | Black Widow 44:29

5y ago44:29

44:29

Ollie and his brother Simon follow the trail of broken dreams and failed restaurants to Paso Robles, California. It's apparent Lezlie's exploits didn't stop when she left New Zealand. Ollie discovers his former sister-in-law had manufactured an image of a successful restaurateur in Hawaii, Lake Tahoe and New Zealand. Her exotic CV and exciting stor…

1
Snowball 04 | Charmed 40:54

5y ago40:54

40:54

Following the trail to Lezlie Manukian, Ollie and his other brother Simon end up in California. With a muscle car and loud Hawaiian shirts, the brothers look every bit like '80s TV detectives as they head off on their very first stakeout. But, when the trail runs cold, they decide to chase down a lead at Lezlie's first restaurant in the resort town…

1
Snowball 03 | The Coconut Wireless 41:22

5y ago41:22

41:22

Lezlie Manukian's stories about her time in Hawaii usually ended with murderous local mobsters running her off the island. So, to track down his brother Greg's ex-wife, Ollie Wards needs to understand her past. What really happened according to "the coconut wireless"?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Snowball 02 | The Great Houdini 43:39

5y ago43:39

43:39

Ollie and Greg's dad, David Wards, picks through the clues left behind by Greg's American wife, Lezlie. He realises that the entire family may have been victims of an elaborate con job. David is obsessed with finding answers, launching his own investigations and even becoming a 60-something computer hacker.…

1
Snowball 01 | The Girl With The Dragonfly Tattoo 48:28

5y ago48:28

48:28

When Ollie Wards' brother Greg marries his American dream girl in New Zealand and they go into business together, it seems like a perfect start to a new life. But only a few months later, Greg is heartbroken, the family home is gone — and so is Lezlie.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
INTRODUCING — Snowball 4:26

5+ y ago4:26

4:26

Ollie Wards' family lost everything after their brush with a charming Californian con woman. As he embarks on a quest to find out how she did it, why she did it, and where she is now, he opens the door on a mystery that spans decades and across continents.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Last Seen Katoomba BONUS | Seeing Is Believing 9:00

5+ y ago9:00

9:00

Host Gina McKeon interviews film-maker Helen Barrow about her coverage of Belinda Peisley’s inquest and the behind-the-scenes moments that we can’t hear in the audio. Helen’s one-hour tv documentary WHO KILLED BELINDA PEISLEY? is available on the streaming platform ABC iView. Download the app or visit the website: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/who-…

1
Last Seen Katoomba 05 | The Visitor 39:11

5+ y ago39:11

39:11

Some of the most explosive moments in Belinda Peisley’s inquest happen between lawyer Phil Strickland and the man we’re calling Luke. Luke admits to using heroin and to staying on Belinda’s floor from time to time, like a lot of their crowd in Katoomba at the time. He’s got a violent past and a long rap sheet, but denies being a standover man or ev…

1
Last Seen Katoomba 04 | The Best Friend's Boyfriend 27:51

6y ago27:51

27:51

Jeremy Ward Douglas was going out with Belinda Peisley’s best friend, Heidi Wailes, at the time Belinda disappeared. The inquest into her death heard Jeremy had a reputation around town as a violent and controlling guy with a short temper who would hang around Belinda’s house, often against her wishes. Heidi says that, after Belinda disappeared, sh…

1
Last Seen Katoomba 03 | The Best Friend 38:50

6y ago38:50

38:50

Heidi Wailes was close to Belinda and says she looked out for Belinda like an older sister would. But a break-in at Belinda’s house just days before she disappeared suggests Heidi might not have always been the friend she claimed to be. Many, including the coroner at Belinda’s inquest, believe Heidi may know more about what happened to Belinda than…

1
Last Seen Katoomba 02 | The Boyfriend 38:26

6y ago38:26

38:26

We go inside the courtroom at Belinda Peisley's inquest to hear firsthand the arguments, phone taps and witness testimony. Jason*, Belinda's boyfriend at the time, says he met up with her on the night she disappeared. They had an argument at her house and he left. It's the last time he ever saw her. Jason is from a footy family in the Mountains and…

1
Last Seen Katoomba 01 | Belinda 31:55

6y ago31:55

31:55

Belinda Peisley's life descended into chaos after her 18th birthday when she received a big inheritance and bought her own place in Katoomba. Her family hoped the house would set her up for life but, instead, her new address became a magnet for a world of drugs and crowd of people who’d turn up at all hours. Six months later, Belinda disappeared. I…

1
INTRODUCING — Last Seen Katoomba 3:00

6y ago3:00

3:00

19-year-old Belinda Peisley vanished after she left a Blue Mountains hospital, west of Sydney, on the night of September 26, 1998. The single mum-of-two disappeared within a year of inheriting a significant sum of money from a distant relative and buying a house in Katoomba, a small town in the Mountains. Six persons of interest were named in Belin…

1
Barrenjoey Road 07 | Christmas Tree Hill 33:25

6y ago33:25

33:25

It’s the lead Ruby and Neil have hoped for — a tip-off from an old law enforcement source about a potential burial site for Trudie Adams. Deep in Kur-ing-gai National Park is a place called Christmas Tree Hill and, rumour has it, a guy nicknamed "Chicken Wire Man" is responsible for disposing of Trudie’s body there. It’s time for one last trip to t…

1
Barrenjoey Road 06 | The Unholy Relationship 38:50

6y ago38:50

38:50

Investigating the link between a career criminal, Trudie ... and a corrupt cop. For decades, Neville Tween evaded scrutiny by law enforcement, despite being a well-known career criminal. But what if he was protected? Not long after Trudie’s inquest, Mark Standen — one of Australia’s most powerful law enforcement officers — went down as a corrupt co…

1
Barrenjoey Road 05 | The Big Bad Wolf 33:50

6y ago33:50

33:50

Neville Tween appeared at the inquest into Trudie’s disappearance in 2011. Unravel has been given access to Tween’s evidence — and for the first time ever, his voice is being aired. This is the man that multiple detectives think is responsible for the assaults on the northern beaches in the '70s, as well as the disappearance of Trudie Adams. As the…

1
Barrenjoey Road 04 | The Green Kombi Van 35:59

6y ago35:59

35:59

Despite the similarities between the disappearance of Trudie Adams and the assaults on fourteen women on Sydney’s northern beaches, the case goes cold for almost two decades. That is until 1992, when fresh eyes re-examine an old lead and police think they might be close to cracking the case. Is it the breakthrough they think it is? Ruby Jones sits …

1
Barrenjoey Road 03 | The Hunting Ground 36:39

6y ago36:39

36:39

A chilling visit to bushland where abducted hitch-hikers are taken. In the days and weeks after Trudie’s disappearance, a series of women come forward to the police telling similar, terrible stories about being targeted by two men on the northern beaches. At least 14 women have been abducted while hitchhiking or walking home. They are taken out to …

1
Barrenjoey Road 02 | Suspicious Minds 31:39

6y ago31:39

31:39

Trudie Adams was last seen hitching a ride home from a dance in Newport on Sydney’s northern beaches. The last known person to see her alive was her boyfriend, Steve Norris. Or more accurately, her soon to be ex-boyfriend. Police label Steve as a person of interest in the days following Trudie’s disappearance. The couple were in the process of brea…

1
Barrenjoey Road 01 | Saturday night on Barrenjoey Road 26:10

6y ago26:10

26:10

A heart breaking search for the hitch-hike girl. For a free-spirited teenager, growing up on Sydney’s northern beaches in the '70s was as good as it gets. Endless perfect surf breaks, days spent lounging on the beach with mates, parties every weekend. 18-year-old Trudie Adams was typical, hanging out with her girlfriends and looking forward to a tr…

1
INTRODUCING — Barrenjoey Road 3:50

6y ago3:50

3:50

The story of Barrenjoey Road explores the disappearance of Trudie Adams in 1978 from Sydney’s northern beaches in 1978 leaving a family and community devastated. When 18-year-old Trudie Adams goes missing hitchhiking home on Sydney’s northern beaches in 1978, a family and community are devastated. The case exposes the dark underbelly of the “insula…

1
Blood On The Tracks 07 | Face To Face 30:29

6+ y ago30:29

30:29

Years of investigation have led to this moment ... a major breakthrough in the case, a potential answer to thirty years of mystery and pain for the Haines family. An alleged confession has revealed who might have placed Mark’s body on the train tracks on that summer night in 1988. Now it’s time to put the question to him — did he have anything to d…

1
Blood On The Tracks 06 | Revelation 22:16

6+ y ago22:16

22:16

Allan and the team shift their focus to Tamworth and the truth starts to emerge from a fog of rumours. As Allan builds on the case, he discovers the police aren’t far behind. An eyewitness comes forward. Key witnesses are confronted for the first time. An alleged confession emerges which takes the investigation in a completely new direction. If it …

1
Blood On The Tracks 05 | The Driver 31:00

6+ y ago31:00

31:00

More than two decades have passed since the coronial inquest into Mark Haines’ death. The family have been forgotten about — until news reporter Allan Clarke arrives in Tamworth on a routine story and becomes convinced this is a major injustice. Allan’s reporting unearths fresh information. A mother comes forward with a story about her son’s involv…

1
Blood On The Tracks 04 | Whitewash 29:39

6+ y ago29:39

29:39

The family's hopes for an answer at the inquest fade fast. Nine months after Mark’s death, an inquest is held. The family are hopeful it will give them answers, but the police won’t budge from their theory that he put himself on the tracks. As the hearing unfolds, the family find out just how mediocre the initial investigation was. Lost evidence, a…

1
Blood On The Tracks 03 | The Boxer 28:16

6+ y ago28:16

28:16

Violence erupts as Uncle Duck and the family confront their number one suspect. On the surface, Tamworth in 1988 is a typical Aussie town with rodeos, farmers and an active Country Women’s Association. But beneath the friendly veneer, there’s a thriving criminal underbelly. Large marijuana crops grow on the outskirts of town and there are reports o…

1
Blood On The Tracks 02 | Foul Play 28:16

6+ y ago28:16

28:16

Mark Haines' family challenge the police investigation. When Mark Haines dies, news of the teenager's death spreads quickly through Tamworth and beyond. His family are on summer holidays in different parts of the state and rush home to be together in grief. While the family mourns and Mark’s body is in the morgue, their town is in full party mode. …

1
Blood On The Tracks 01 | Blood On The Tracks 27:39

6+ y ago27:39

27:39

Thirty years of mystery surrounds the death of 17-year-old Mark Haines. It’s the summer of 1988. A train hits a person early in the morning on its way out of Tamworth. Straight away, something doesn’t add up about the scene where the body is found. A rail worker notices strange inconsistencies at the scene. If this was suicide, why is there so litt…

1
INTRODUCING — Blood On The Tracks 3:13

6+ y ago3:13

3:13

Blood On The Tracks investigates the suspicious death of 17-year-old Mark Haines, whose body was found on the railway line outside Tamworth in January 1988.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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