Sarah Abbott
Launceston, TAS
Sarah is a features reporter with the ABC Northern Tasmania team. She has a science communication background, and worked in science television and documentary production before joining the ABC. She makes video and radio stories, and writes articles – all about northern Tassie's most interesting characters.
Latest by Sarah Abbott
When you go bushwalking what should you do with your poo? Hint: It's not dig a hole
Wilderness rangers encourage bushwalkers to use poo pots after noticing an "unprecedented" amount of human faeces in remote places.
New Tasmanian spins a way around post-traumatic stress disorder through mobile yarn business
Jaymi Milic moved to Tasmania and started a horse float-based yarn store in a bid to reduce her post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, and it is working.
Watercolour artist now makes a living painting the same streets he used to sleep on
Tasmanian Rod Gardner has worked hard to transition from street sleeper to award-winning streetscape artist.
The couple who bought half a Tasmanian village sight unseen have renovating its many houses on their long list of tasks
As the new owners of an old hydro-electric village, the Ottos wondered what they had done. But after two years and a lot of hard work, they're delighted to be bringing "a sense of community into a place that hasn't had it for a long time".
Commercial dive training isn't 'swimming around looking at fish.' There are power tools and work to be done
Underwater chainsawing, welding and oxy-arc cutting are not skills on many people's radars. But they can be a gateway to a new career, a commercial diving instructor says.
Rock climbers and peregrine falcons are attracted to the same cliffs. Here's how they co-exist
Breeding peregrine falcons can suffer when rock climbers climb the cliffs they nest upon because it results in unattended chicks, but specialist Adam Hardy praises those people who do the right thing by avoiding certain cliffs for periods of the year.
Greg's pedal-powered plan to get tourism back on track in Tasmania's north-east
The railway group volunteer has built a set of rail bugs from scratch, hoping they provide a lifeline for his railway group.
War veterans' 'best mates' are helping them deal with PTSD
War veterans battling post-traumatic stress disorder are training their own assistance dogs, and it's making a big difference to their lives.
Modern take on old tradition brings Indian Tasmanians flavours from home
Jay and Dhruti Ahir say their new start-up is based on the original tiffin service of Mumbai — a home-cooked food delivery system that's more than 130 years old.
'We get a lot of Picnic at Hanging Rock references': The Tasmanian bushwalkers who dress like it's the early 1900s
Modern-day adventurers step back in time to recreate the hiking experiences of a pair of Tasmanian pioneering conservationists who campaigned for the protection of Cradle Mountain.
Have you heard of 'wallatarians'? The only red meat they eat is wallaby
For decades, John and Katrina Kelly have been selling wallaby meat in Tasmania. Over that time, they say the public perception of the meat has changed dramatically.
Rabbit dumpling soup and hearty venison stroganoff: Hunters cook creatively with invasive species
Hobbyist hunter Shauna Pickin loves using her culinary skills to prepare meat from invasive species for her family.
Anita's hand-carved granite sculpture will last 'as long as the planet does'
When Anita saw a "Goldilocks" granite block standing upright for the first time, she knew carving all 7 tonnes of the stone was a big commitment. But she says her piece will "outlast all of us".
Spearfishing attracts a new wave of 'hippy' enthusiasts keen to source food sustainably
Spearfishing has traditionally been dominated by "blokey blokes" but a new wave of "spearos" — including many more women — is building, a Tasmanian instructor says.
Gilbert the therapy dog takes his turn as a patient
Gilbert has been helping the sick at Launceston General Hospital for years, but now he is recovering from his own surgery.
Seventeen years of helping African people has given Diana a template for sustainable development
Launceston nurse and charity founder Diana Butler is busy taking the model for sustainable development she helped create in Tanzania to the world.
Beer, bratwursts and basket-weaving motivating volunteer hop-pickers at annual harvest
This Tasmanian craft brewery knows what it takes to keep its volunteer hop-pickers happy, allowing them a chance to be part of the beer brewing process while also ensuring they have plenty to sample along the way.
RSPCA Tasmania tasked with finding forever homes for nine blind greyhound pups
A whole litter of visually impaired greyhound pups is looking for love in northern Tasmania.
The non-boat-builders making timber kayaks for adventuring in famed Tasmanian landscape
Meet the tour operators who are hand-building kayaks from a rare Tasmanian timber for paddling on Dove Lake.
Tasmanian beekeepers hone craft in raising queens, as import ban continues
Tasmania's expanding hobbyist beekeeper network is busy breeding queen bees as the ban on interstate imports due to concerns over varroa mite continues.
Painting finishes long journey from Launceston to the Pentagon
Leoni Duff says there were times when she felt "it probably won't happen" prior to the opening of an exhibition in the Pentagon that features her work.
Piotr Babis plans to run seven Tasmanian multi-day trails in a week. Will he conquer mission 'Impossible 7'?
The week-long running "project" will see him cover almost two-and-a-half times the height of Mt Everest in elevation, and 380 kilometres in distance, on "muddy and very technical" trails.
Portrait of a 500yo forest giant, 'the world's biggest blue gum'
This 80-metre-tall Tasmanian blue gum was discovered by giant-tree hunters in an area of forest slated for logging. So what is the future of the forest giant?
How Dakota Wolf left a nine-to-five job and found his happiness riding horses across Tasmania's countryside
After experiencing mental health issues at work, this man quit his job to pursue a "simple life" on the trail.
Explorer of abandoned mines admits he has 'stupidest hobby in the world'
A Tasmanian enthusiast of abandoned mine exploration says going underground is worth taking "a big risk".