NORTH’S BEST

2020-02-08 -

Gorge. Thorsborne Trail, Hinchinbrook Island. Any of the Maggie Island bush walks/koala trails.

17. Best distillery: Mt Uncle, Mareeba. Makes fabulous whiskey, rum and gin.

18. Prettiest islands you might never had heard of: Yam, Coconut, Mer and York in the Torres Strait.

Muddiest and most crocodile infested islands you might never have heard of: Boigu and Saibai in the Torres Strait (plenty of mud crabs and barra).

19. Best bush tourist attractions: Undara Experience and Cobbold Gorge in the south-east Gulf Country. Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill Gorge). Winton landscapes. Opalton (hardcore, no frills, bush camping).

20. Best morning walks: Townsville’s Castle Hill goat tracks and The Strand.

21. Best barra lure: HJ Timber Lures, Kirwan. Old Dog Lures (Dave Killalea, Townsville). Headland Lures, Tully. If you can’t catch a barra with any of these master blasters, you need to hang up the rod and take up crochet.

22. Best bush pub grub: Mingela pub’s ‘sangas’ are famous. Albion Hotel, Normanton. Gregory Downs Hotel, Gregory. Goldfield’s Tavern, Forsayth. Mt Coolon pub. Imperial Hotel, Ravenswood. Enterprise Hotel, Charters Towers.

23. Best haunted pub: Imperial, Ravenswood. Room 11 is Spook Central. I dare you to stay there.

24. Most famous ghost: The ghost of Ms Duffy at Carpentaria Downs

Station, Einasleigh. Ms Duffy was a private investigator who went to the station under the guise as a bookkeeper to get evidence on the station manager who was suspected by the owners of stealing their cattle. The manager discovered Ms Duffy’s true identity and murdered her in the homestead. The bloodstains could still be seen on the floorboards in the 1970s. A Chinese cook witnessed the murder and fled into the bush. He was pursued by the manager who killed him at an outstation called Far East. The cook’s grave was marked by a fence post.

25. Best mountain imitation of Mt Everest: Roma Peak near Bowen.

26. Best dinosaur fossils: At Hughenden, Richmon and Winton.

27. Best bush rodeo: Laura, Chillagoe. Kowanyama, Quamby, Forsayth Turn-out.

28. Best croc-free swimming holes: Attie Creek Falls and Spa Pool, Cardwell. Blencoe Creek, Kirrama Range, Rollingstone Creek (upstream from the highway bridge). Wallaman Falls.

29. Most unlikely spot to be eaten by a croc: Pick any freshwater creek/waterhole/lagoon near Ingham. Bowen River (freshwater, Collinsville), Suttor River, freshwater, Burdekin Dam.

Burdekin Dam, freshwater. The rocky gorge immediately below the Burdekin Dam wall, freshwater. Dalbeg freshwater, Burdekin River. Tully River Gorge, freshwater. Carpentaria Downs waterhole, freshwater, Einasleigh River.

Upper Gregory River,

Hang up. Report. freshwater, Gulf Country (station owners see big crocs here). North Johnstone River, freshwater downstream from Crawford’s Lookout. Cardwell beachfront. Garden and Goold islands off Cardwell. Herbert River Gorge, freshwater. Koolatah StationDunbar Station crossing, freshwater, Mitchell River.

30. North Queensland town where the human inhabitants are outnumbered by crocs: Even the mayor has a few ‘pet’ crocs in the creek near his house: Ingham.

31. North Queensland town that is home to the world’s largest living croc: Normanton, Norman River. Sightings of a croc estimated to be 12 metres long in the upper Norman River.

32. North Queensland town that is home to the replica of the world’s largest croc ever shot: Normanton. The croc nicknamed, Krys measured 8.5 metres and was killed by croc shooter Krys Pawlowski in the

1950s. Ms Pawlowski once told me that as soon as she pulled the trigger she realised that she and her husband Ron would never be able to turn the massive animal over to take its belly skin. It was left to rot on the bank of the Norman. The replica is mounted in the town’s main street.

33. Best mangoes: Can’t beat a Bowen Special.

34. Best annual events: Gregory River Canoe Race. Townsville Cup. Julia Creek Dirt and Dust. Forsayth

Turn-out. Boulia Camel Races. 35. Best pizza: Tony’s, North Ward.

36. Best export: North Queensland beef.

37. Most famous export: Coal, 223 million tonnes each year – and growing.

38. Best radio announcer and one who doesn’t take himself too seriously: Pricey

39. Best fishing tipster: Eddie ‘The Riddler’ Riddle.

40. Best barber/hair stylist to the stars/cranial landscaper: Peter Snell, Railway Estate.

41. Best farmer’s markets: Yungaburra, Tolga, Mareeba.

42. Best markets: Townsville, Yungaburra, Port Douglas.

43. Best lake: Lake Eacham.

44. Best pub breakfast: Royal Hotel, Hughenden. Isa Hotel,