Rural hostel helps outback kids make it through secondary years — with 13 kids in the house

Outback children, many of whom grow up on properties the size of a European country and where their friends are their siblings, usually face a daunting rite of passage when they reach a certain age.

Moving far from home to attend boarding school with thousands of students in the city can often be a big burden on small shoulders.

A rural hostel based in Roma, however, is appealing to outback families to consider it as an alternative to city-based boarding schools.

“We need at least 13 children to break even, which we…