It was Friday night, and we had just returned from Japan after three weeks in search of abandoned buildings. The car had broken down just outside the ABC studio right before our pre-arranged interview, so while my wife and daughter waited in the car for our friend to come and help, I spoke to Sarah Mashman of ABC Hobart about Lost Collective and the way the project reconnects the communities it engages.

It was out of regular hours, and when I got to the reception desk, there was confusion about whether I was even supposed to be there. Well, I knew I was supposed to be there but the guard manning the desk didn't.

The interview almost didn't go ahead, the security guard wasn't going to let me in, but luckily, at the last minute we got through the name mix up and onward to the only studio (so it seemed) to still have anyone in it.

So, we got to talking about things and stuff, and it was all recorded with a link to the interview provided at the end of this post if anyone is keen to have a listen.

It's funny to note that the interview was here in Sydney, but Sarah was in Hobart. Can you tell the distance in the conversation?

Anyway, in the end, it was a lovely chat with Sarah and we managed to get the car battery sorted, so the night turned out to be a fun little adventure in itself.

"Have you ever seen an old abandoned building and wanted to get inside and see more?

Lost Collective's Brett Patman explores old abandoned buildings, including the Terminus Hotel in Sydney, he goes in (legally) and takes detailed photos; he also seeks information from the community to find out who worked and lived in the buildings."