It's a crisp February morning in Cooma in the NSW Snowy Mountains where Nick Batson puts on a jumper to settle in for a chat behind an art gallery in his adopted home town.
The 51-year-old UK native takes a deep breath and begins to talk, starting with his move to Australia in 1992.
Before long, he delves into his survival from drug addiction, his experiences with homophobia, and being diagnosed with HIV in 1999.
"I was a needle-using junkie and ice was the bandwagon I jumped upon," he says.
"I did that for 16 years, ended up in hospital a few times, and I've been in palliative care twice, but I never gave up [on myself]."
He ended up returning to England for four years to recover, largely thanks to the help of his mother.
"Any issues my mum and I had had about my sexuality were out the window then," he says.
"She clicked into mother mode, saw her son in that state, and just took me home."
In 2012, Nick moved back to Sydney, and a year later he ended up spontaneously tagging along with a housemate who was moving to Cooma.
The region's mountains, valleys, and wide plains reminded him of his childhood home in Lancashire, giving him an "instant connection" to the area.
'Best gay life' in a small country town
Once in Cooma, Nick found work as a barista — his first job in 25 years.
"I was more settled and wanted to do something with my life for a change, whereas before I wanted to have a good time," he says.
"I was living my best gay life and had a flat above the laundrette."
There was the odd run-in with religious groups to deal with, he says, and the sudden lack of anonymity in the small town.
But it all worked out in time.
Back in the present, the chill of the day really starts to settle in Cooma.
Nick pushes the sleeves of his jumper to cover his knuckles and pushes past the cold, continuing to share the story of his past.
It's been 24 years since his HIV diagnosis, but he has found there's still a way to go in achieving adequate healthcare for the LGBTIQ+ community — especially in regional areas.
He receives general health care in Cooma, but he's still required to undertake a three-hour round trip to Canberra four times a year for his specialised medical needs.
"I do find if I was in the city, the care would be elevated whereas the GPs here are more like, 'You'll be right mate'. And the truth is we might not be right," he says.
'We need each other out here'
Nick eventually found love in Cooma, meeting his future husband, Tim, at the local pub.
Together they joined the Jindabyne-based group "Jindy Pride", which has helped bring isolated members of the LGBTIQIA+ community together since it was founded in 2021.
"In rural towns, I think you'll find that we're a lot more accepting because we need each other out here, whereas in the city we would probably not give each other the time of day," he says.
It was through Jindy Pride that he got to know local queer artist Gillian Jenkins.
Together they opened a "Queer Pets" exhibition in Cooma, which they believe to be the first openly queer exhibition in the Snowy Monaro region.
It's located in the same gallery in which Nick sits behind, looking back on his life.
"I lost so many friends to drugs and to AIDS but the pets were always there with us," he says.
"You hear that gay people make their own family, but the furry part of that family is the constant."
Nick says he has "found a life" in Cooma, and isn't just proud of who he is but also of his community.
"There have obviously been artists in the past who have put work forward who are queer, but we've never been out about that," he says.
"It's another way of opening the door into our world and also letting us into theirs."
