go-see-do guide for adventurous travellers
‘Now you’ve ‘done’ Australia, are you going overseas?’ If Pilchard and I had a dollar for every time we’ve been asked that question, it’d pay for a round-the-world ticket! BUT … the answer would still be the same … Don’t get me wrong. I’ve got nothing against the concept of ‘overseas’ – after all, I was born, and have[…]
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‘What goes up must come down,’ she twanged, immediately identifying a) her astonishing originality and b) her country of origin. Suitably dressed for a dusty, rocky climb through clinging vines, a charred mountainside and tropical humidity in a white ‘resort’ dress and gold sandals, this gem fell from her pinkly glossed lips and dropped like pearls of wisdom before swine.[…]
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Gorging yourself silly in OZ doesn’t mean what you’re probably thinking it means. For a start, I’m not even talking about food – although you haven’t lived until you’ve eaten at a fine OZ bakery – but I digress! No, I’m talking about gorges. OZ is riddled with them. And in some parts, you can’t swing a long-tailed[…]
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The benign, blue sky stretches away to infinity around western Queensland’s Boulia, mostly unrelieved by clouds, birds or planes. Unremarkable – at least by Outback standards – Boulia’s boundless blue backdrop is the ultimate Big Sky luring travellers to the Outback. But it’s not the splendidly panoramic sky of daylight hours that attracts visitors to this remote capital of the[…]
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The ancient landscape of OZ, eroded by time, long disappeared sea beds and a harsh climate has given rise to weirdly unique and bizarre creatures. Well … their remains, anyway! I knew this. But I DIDN’T know the present day Outback fossil fields near northwest Queensland’s Richmond, would engender a creature more fantastic than any of them. And I was[…]
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With an official population of two, tiny Toompine is barely a blip on the radar! And yet, all roads seem to lead there in the western Queensland Outback. A simple distance measurement between the outback towns of Eulo, Thargomindah and Quilpie yields Toompine’s coordinates almost exactly. Is that enough reason to visit? Of course not! But finding out why the[…]
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When the 200-year-old Tree of Knowledge was poisoned shortly after being included on the National Heritage List on Australia Day 2006, I was appalled. Yet another historic Aussie landmark fallen victim to the disregard sometimes shown for our heritage. But although the tree’s demise was disappointing, I was also resigned to its fate. Because when a tree dies, it’s gone for[…]
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Possibly the sign of a misspent youth, my ability to guess ‘whodunit’ has been well-honed over the years by detective and courtroom drama novels, TV shows and films. But this sign, languishing with other unlabelled exhibits in a shed at Boulia’s Stone House Museum, gave my amateur sleuthing skills the chance for a REAL workout! Who made it? Where was[…]
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From the Highway, Homestead, Queensland Homestead doesn’t generally make the Top 10 list of Queensland tourist drawcards. Not to MY knowledge*, anyway. This small, ex-Gold mining town is more likely described as a blip on the radar almost exactly half-way between Balfe’s Creek and Pentland, themselves blips on Queensland’s Overlander’s Way between Charters Towers and Hughenden! In fact, while we’ve[…]
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Those nostalgic for the ‘good old days’ would do well to consider the enduring legacy of Townsville’s ‘The Saint’, a 1962 student prank that continues to generate controversy. A tragic reminder (!) of the lawlessness and anarchy characterising 1960’s society degeneration (!) from the wholesome family values of the 1950’s, the James Cook University students responsible have left North Queensland’s[…]
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