Vietnam vets get their spot in the sun

The battle lasted almost a decade but a group of Vietnam war veterans are celebrating after winning their fight to create a remote bush retreat that helps them battle psychological problems.

Les Hiddins, best known as the Bush Tucker Man in the iconic Australian TV series, spearheaded the campaign on behalf of former soldiers who have been squatting at a disused cattle property on the northern tip of Australia.

He has long argued that the pristine environment - which is 200km from the nearest town - provides the perfect escape for Australian veterans battling mental and physical damage sustained in Vietnam more than 30 years ago. But official refusal to sanction their right to be there left the dozens of vets in constant fear of eviction.

That fear has finally been lifted following a landmark agreement between the Queensland state government and the land's traditional owners granted the vets a 15-year licence.

Some veterans say they got their first full night's sleep in years at the retreat they call Pandanus Park. Others find solitude and happiness fishing in nearby rivers and catching up with old mates - feeling far better about themselves than propping up bars in their home towns.

'My psychiatrist does an evaluation on me before I go to Pandanus each year,' veteran Geoff Sanders told ABC radio.