Drones’ sights for soar eyes
HAVE you ever been on a hike in the wilds of tropical North Queensland, or perhaps been kicking back on a Great Barrier Reef cay, and wondered what the view would look like from sky high?
Love them or loathe them, drones are becoming increasingly common for travellers, who are using them to take stunning images and footage of their adventures.
Tropical Tourism North Queensland this week shared incredible footage taken by Lewis Wycherley of Mt Mulligan, northwest of Mareeba, showing off the spectacular tabletop mountain and its jawdropping cliffs.
Tom Watson, the operator of Cairns-based aerial photography business Droner, said drone footage was becoming the latest way for tourists to brag about the great places where they have been.
“A lot of stuff I see, people are finding waterfalls and stuff like that,” he said.
“They hike in with smaller drones in their backpack and can get some pretty cool shots of secluded waterfalls.
“Those are definitely some of the more interesting ones that we see.
“Anyone can drive down to Palm Cove and release a drone down there, but those who go to a bit of extra effort can get some great looking photos.”
Lightweight drones, which are capable of taking highquality stills and video, and can be carried in small backpacks, retail from about $850.
For those who don’t want to trek into the wilderness on the off-chance of capturing a remote waterfall, Mr Watson said areas such as Palm Cove and Ellis Beach were perfect places for flying drones.
“Palm Cove is quite nice, if you can find an area of the beach away from people, obviously, and you can get some nice shots of Double Island,” he said.
“It’s also great around Buchan Point.
“Port Douglas has a lot of options and the lakes up on the Tablelands are also fantastic places.”
He warned drone pilots to be wary of local rules and regulations regarding flying and to be alert to any aircraft operating in the area.