August 2026

August 2026

5 Microns

with Ash Zadow

Who is Ash Zadow?

Most people know you as “Outback with Ash”, but who is Ash away from the camera? What parts of your personality don’t always make it onto Instagram or YouTube?

Away from the camera, I think I’m pretty down to earth and quite happy to blend into the crowd. I’m naturally curious and love learning, which is probably why I enjoy sharing our life. It feels like I get to learn alongside my audience. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised I’m much more introverted than I used to be, and I really appreciate the simple things: time on the station, being outdoors, and spending time with Sam and our animals.

You didn’t grow up on a remote pastoral station, yet you’ve built a life that feels completely at home there. Looking back, what drew you to this lifestyle, and at what point did you realise this was exactly where you were meant to be?

I grew up on a property in South Australia’s Murray Mallee, so living rurally wasn’t new to me. But after moving to the city at 18, I think I lost my way a little bit chasing a different lifestyle. I always worked in agriculture and always had a passion for it. As soon as I met Sam and started coming up to the station, I felt an incredible sense of peace. I was happy, my dogs were happy, and it just felt like where I was meant to be.

I’ve never been afraid of hard work or change, so embracing this way of life came naturally. I often joke that I didn’t realise it at the time, but my dad was training me for station life from the moment I could walk. He never saw being a girl as a limitation so I was riding motorbikes, changing tyres, helping with mechanics and always had at least one dog by my side. It feels like I’m living my childhood all over again. 

One of the things people love most about your content is that you somehow make everyday station jobs feel cinematic and beautiful. Have you always seen the world this way, or has living in the outback taught you to notice beauty in places most people would overlook? 

For the most part, I think I’ve always been this way. I had a pretty humble upbringing, we always had everything we needed but not much more so from an early age, I was taught to find value in my surroundings, rather than in material things. Like I mentioned earlier I definitely lost my way a bit after moving to city, but moving back the country reminded me what I truely love. 

Your content is helping reshape people’s perceptions of Australian agriculture. What do you hope someone from the city walks away understanding after spending time engaging with your content? 

I don’t expect everyone to understand agriculture, but I hope if you eat meat or wear natural fibres, you’re curious enough to learn about everything our Aussie producers do to bring those products to you. I want people to know how much we care about animal welfare. There’s a huge misconception that producers are disconnected from their livestock, but no one cares for those animals more than the people who raise them.

People often think fashion belongs in cities, yet some of the most timeless style comes from people who genuinely rely on quality clothing every day. Has living remotely changed the way you shop and the way you value well-made pieces?

100%. I always shop for quality over quantity now. We can’t just duck to the shops, so I need to know that whatever I’m spending my money on is going to withstand life out here. Durability and quality are so much more important to me than having lots of clothes.

There’s something beautifully aligned between life on the land and investing in natural fibres that are made to last. What draws you towards wool and other natural fibres, and why do they suit your lifestyle so well? 

Living in the outback, you experience every season in one day. The mornings can be freezing, but by lunch you’re peeling layers off. Wool is one of the few fibres that can keep up with that. It’s breathable, durable and comfortable, which makes it perfect for life on the station.

Your dogs have become stars in their own right. Tell us about your team -  what are their personalities like? and how important are they to life on the station?

I can’t tell you about them all unless we have all day, there is 11 of them! But each of the dogs have such a different personality, and I think that’s why people connect with them so much. Nellie is incredibly driven and lives to work, she is the dog who unlocked my love for Koolies and made me get three more of them. Harriet is happy as long as she spends all day by my side, she comes to work everyday but purely because she is good company. 

Dogs are so much more than pets out here. Not only are they an essential part of the job, but without them it would get incredibly lonely. I couldn’t do this without them. 

Your YouTube videos feel incredibly immersive -they’re almost documentary-style compared to the faster pace of Instagram. What made you want to tell longer stories? and what conversations or moments do you think can only be captured in that format?

I’ve always loved storytelling, and Instagram is great for capturing moments, but YouTube lets me capture the whole journey. I can bring people along for the entire day, explain why we’re doing something, and share the conversations that don’t fit into a short video. It feels much more authentic and much more me because I can show it all - the good, the bad and the ugly.

When you picture “home”, what comes to mind? Is it a place, a person, a landscape, or simply a feeling?

For me, home has always been my dogs. They’ve been my constant through every stage of life, so wherever they are has always felt like home. These days that has grown to include Sam and the station. So I guess it isn’t a place for me, it is a feeling. 

Shop the Looks

  • High Neck Stripe Sweater Knitwear Iris and Wool
    High Neck Stripe Sweater Knitwear Iris and Wool
    High Neck Stripe Sweater Knitwear Iris and Wool
    High Neck Stripe Sweater Knitwear Iris and Wool
    High Neck Stripe Sweater Knitwear Iris and Wool

    High Neck Stripe Sweater

    $471.43
    $471.43
  • Chunky V Neck Sweater Knitwear Iris and Wool
    Chunky V Neck Sweater Knitwear Iris and Wool
    Chunky V Neck Sweater Knitwear Iris and Wool
    Chunky V Neck Sweater Knitwear Iris and Wool
    Chunky V Neck Sweater Knitwear Iris and Wool

    Chunky V Neck Sweater

    $433.10
    $433.10
  • Quirindi Cable Iris and Wool

    Quirindi Cable

    $407.55
    $407.55
Quick Fire Questions

What’s currently on your bedside table? Skincare 

What are you currently bingeing on TV? I wish I had time to binge TV! 

Sunrise or sunset? Sunrise 

Favourite place on the station? By a full dam, watching the dogs swim and play. 

Boots or barefoot? Barefoot 

Your favourite Australian landscape? Anything red dirt 

The best meal after a long day’s work? One that I didn’t have to cook 

Dream holiday? India

One item in your wardrobe you couldn’t live without? My denim jacket 

Favourite Iris & Wool piece from this collection and why? Big cardi cable 

One thing people always assume about station life that’s completely wrong? That it’s a slow paced life 

What’s something you’ve learnt from your dogs? Patience 

Finish this sentence: Luxury is… wide open spaces 

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