From drug smuggling and opium dens to marching in the first-ever Mardi Gras—Kate's coming out

Jan 22, 2026

In this engaging conversation, Kate Rowe, a memoirist and activist, shares her incredible journey from a troubled youth in London to an adventurous life filled with travel, addiction, and recovery. She discusses her daring experiences smuggling cannabis in Southeast Asia and the challenges of overcoming childhood trauma. Kate's story also covers her awakening to her sexuality within the vibrant LGBTQ+ community and her participation in the first Mardi Gras, highlighting themes of resilience, healing, and the pursuit of joy in later life.

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ANECDOTE

Two Worlds: Workdays And Weekend Excess

After migrating to Australia, Kate split life between weekday work and wild weekend drug-and-drinking binges in King's Cross.
She studied during the week and partied hard on weekends, treating two worlds as separate until addiction escalated.

ANECDOTE

Walking Across Timor With Strangers

On a whim, Kate joined men who walked across Timor during political turmoil, relying on locals and Portuguese soldiers' kindness.
She had little sense of danger but survived intense moments like crossing a raging ravine at night.

ANECDOTE

Smuggling Thai ‘Buddha’ Bricks Through Borders

In Southeast Asia Kate escalated from opium to heroin and smuggled bricks of Thai Buddha cannabis, naively carrying them through checkpoints.
She hid cannabis in talcum cans to reach Nepal, only to find it unsellable and nearly jailed for the gambit.

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Kate Rowe's life has been full of wild adventures and hard living. But when she found sobriety, Kate discovered something big about herself. CW: This story contains discussion of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault and some strong language. Please take care when listening.

Ever since she stepped off the boat at Circular Quay as a 20-something 10-pound Pom, Kate has run fearlessly toward outrageous adventure.

As a young woman Kate travelled around Australia picking tobacco, hitchhiking and sometimes spent her weekends running riot in Kings Cross.

Then in 1974, she tagged along with some random guys she’d met who wanted to walk across the island of Timor.

From there, Kate ventured into South-East Asia, where she began smuggling bricks of cannabis from Thailand into Nepal.

But everywhere she went, Kate took herself with her, and so all kinds of baggage from her early life came along for the wild ride.

Eventually a cloud lifted, and when Kate found sobriety she realised something big about herself.

Content Warning: This story contains discussion of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault and some strong language. Please take care when listening.

How the F*ck Would I Know is published by Power Writers Publishing Group.

You can find more information about Kate and her writing at her website.

This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.

It explores trauma, healing, recovery, England, London, disordered eating, eating disorder recovery, substance abuse, addiction, drug trafficking, drug dealing, heroin, opium, alcohol, alcoholism, addiction recovery, therapy, counselling, sexuality, LGBTQI+, queer community, Mardi Gras, 1978, lesbian, women's Lib.

To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.