A New Voice, New Places and the Real Australia as Brooke Blurton joins Ernie Dingo, Mark Coles Smith and Rae Johnston on Going Places for 2026

A New Voice, New Places and the Real Australia as Brooke Blurton joins Ernie Dingo, Mark Coles Smith and Rae Johnston on Going Places for 2026

22 January, 2026

Media releases

Premieres on SBS and SBS On Demand on Friday February 20 at 7:30pm and on NITV on Thursday February 26 at 7:30pm.

Going Places with Ernie Dingo is back in 2026, inviting Australians to unwind and see the country through local eyes. Proud Yamatji man Ernie Dingo returns for Season 7 alongside Nyikina man Mark Coles Smith and Wiradjuri woman Rae Johnston, with Noongar Yamatji woman Brooke Blurton joining the journey as a new host.

Premiering on SBS and SBS On Demand on Friday 20 February at 7.30pm, and on NITV on Thursday 26 February at 7.30pm, the new season travels across Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory, uncovering the stories, people and cultures that shape the real Australia.

The Real Australia, Up Close

Filmed on Country and guided by the people who call these places home, each episode offers a deeper exploration of one regional location. From ancient coastlines to remote inland communities, Going Places with Ernie Dingo centres Indigenous knowledge, local voices and lived experience, revealing why place, culture and community are inseparable.

This season opens in lutruwita Tasmania, where Ernie and Mark explore Freycinet National Park, learning from palawa man Mick Quillium and taking to the water with local guides. Their journey continues along the dramatic cliffs of the Tasman Peninsula before crossing to South Australia's Limestone Coast.

In Western Australia, Ernie and Brooke travel from Karijini National Park to Karratha, learning traditional shield carving and exploring the gorges and clear waters of the Dampier Archipelago. The series also heads east to the Atherton Tablelands, exploring the reef and rainforest of Far North Queensland, and into the Red Centre of the Northern Territory.

Ernie and Rae venture into the Victorian Alps, meeting working huskies, a master hatter and a biathlon athlete chasing Olympic dreams, before travelling through Northern New South Wales, from the Byron and Coffs Coast to the New England Highlands and along the Clarence River.

A New Format for 2026

Season 7 introduces a refreshed format, with each of the twelve episodes dedicated to one location. The approach allows more time with local people, deeper cultural context and a richer understanding of the places Australians know and love, and those still waiting to be discovered.

Australia's Most Trusted Travel Companion

With decades of travel behind him and upwards of 800,000km in his trusted 100 Series Land Cruiser traversing the length and breadth of Australia, Ernie Dingo remains one of Australia's most respected guides. His lifelong connection to Country and communities continues to shape the series, offering insight into whose land we are on and why those stories matter.

Host, Ernie Dingo, said: Travel, for me, is about being on Country and taking the time to listen. It's a privilege to come back for another season and to be welcomed into places like Karijini and Freycinet National Parks and the Clarence River, where stories have been held and shared for generations. This series gives us the chance to go beyond the usual stops, to learn from the people who belong to these places. There are so many beautiful people with amazing yarns to tell that's the beauty of being able to take audiences to places they may never get to .

NITV Head of Indigenous Commissioning and Production, Dena Curtis said: For decades, Ernie Dingo hasn't just taken viewers to new places, he's shown them whose land they're on and why the story of a place matters as much as the scenery. This season, with Brooke Blurton joining Ernie, Mark and Rae, Going Places encourages viewers to unwind, meet locals, explore history, and honour the deeper stories of Country inviting SBS/NITV audiences to connect more deeply with the people, cultures and landscapes that shape Australia. It's not just about destinations it's about connection, culture, and understanding.

Watch It First on SBS

Going Places with Ernie Dingo will premiere SBS and SBS On Demand on Friday, February 20 at 7:30pm, and on Thursday, February 26 at 7:30pm on National Indigenous Television (NITV). All episodes will be available to stream on SBS On Demand, with subtitles in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese. All episodes will also be available on SBS On Demand with audio description.

For a pdf of this media release, click here.

LINK:	https://www.sbs.com.au/aboutus/2026/01/22/a-new-voice-new-places-and-t...
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