go-see-do guide for adventurous travellers
We needed warmth NOW. We’d left the cold south a few weeks ago, but hadn’t yet hit the tropics. You KNOW you’re not warm enough when even the thermal pools feel cold … The solution? Head further north – and QUICKLY! Our map (no, I DON’T mean ‘GPS’) showed a road heading north from Blackall, up through historic Barcaldine to Torrens[…]
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We only made three mistakes when we visited Porcupine Gorge National Park in Northern Queensland’s Outback. The wild, natural beauty of this spectacular gorge is a short drive (by outback standards) north of nearby Hughenden – with various points of interest along the way outlined in a self-drive tour guide available from the ‘Flinders Discovery Centre’. The town of Hughenden[…]
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Well OK, it’s not actually a ‘paddock’ as such. And it’s certainly NOT just a plane! It’s a fully operational Qantas 747 Jumbo Jet (aka 747-200 VH-EBQ for those who care about such things!), the centrepiece of the Qantas Founders Museum – today celebrating 90 years of Qantas. It’s parked on a fenced off section of of the Longreach Airport grounds,[…]
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Medical emergency, but too far from the nearest doctor or hospital? Never fear! Help is at hand from the Blackall Ambulance Train!! Or possibly could have been if your emergency had been a) last century; b) in Queensland’s central west and c) within cooee of the train line to or from the town of Blackall in the Queensland Outback. Sadly,[…]
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While it’s not quite a replica of Captain Cook’s vessel when he explored the north coast and disembarked where Cooktown (geddit?!) now stands, the musical ship is completely landlocked in the linear park along the mouth of the Endeavour river. Perhaps the kindest way to describe the array of noise making apparatus (apparati??) lining the interior would be ‘found percussion instruments’, however the[…]
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The third-hardest part of a Daintree River dawn cruise is selecting one. The second-hardest part is rising well before dawn to get there. But the hardest part of all is getting off the boat when it ends over 2 hours later! Yes, it really is that good! Although now you’re thinking the pictures look a bit dull, right? Well …[…]
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We marked our 2009 return to Cairns after 10 years by finding a patch of ‘absolute virgin territory’ – no mean feat given the many attractions we’d seen on several previous visits. BUT … a tour to the sensational Frankland Islands – arguably the most misspelled place name in these parts – was a superb reminder of why we keep coming back to Far[…]
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The Golden Gumboot, Tully, Queensland Yes, this is the fabulous Golden Gumboot in Tully, Queensland that my blog devotees will recall from previous posts. As it was pouring with rain both times we passed it on our 2010 trip, here’s some photos I prepared earlier! Yes, that is a frog crawling up the side. Sadly, the photo doesn’t show the[…]
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Eulo? Where’s Eulo? Click HERE for the Google map! Only 68 km west of Cunnamulla, we stopped (in true Grey Nomad style) after less than an hour on the road!! We’d seen a locally produced brochure listing Eulo attractions, and thought it deserved a look. Did it ever! How could anyone pass up the opportunity to see the site of the famous lizard[…]
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Spending a fun filled week in Quilpie is easy. In the photo above, this Outback Queensland opal mining town is visible way off in the distance from landmark lookout ‘Baldy Top’ just out of town. But just because it (almost) disappears into the distance from any vantage point doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do there. About 955 km (593[…]
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