Tuesday, January 26, 2010

A Queensland Holiday Is Filled With History and Fun

By Jerry Duncan

Northern Queensland was first visited by Europeans when Captain Cook was forced to berth his damaged ship, the Endeavor, on the coast. The area remained a mystery for almost another 100 years, however until other intrepid Europeans ventured north. These expeditions were perilous and explorers were faced with harsh conditions and hostile Aboriginal tribes. In 1844 Ludwig Leichardt and his group set out from Brisbane to Port Essington but most of the men were killed or wounded by Aborigines. In 1848, Edmund Kennedy led an expedition from Cairns to the top of Cape York. All but two of this party perished including Kennedy who was speared by Aborigines.

Northern Queensland found wealth from the 19th to 20th century due to gold mines in the region. What was once a thriving city was now a one road town. Today most of their wealth comes from tourism. People travel here to stay at a hotel on the coastline or to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Barrier Reef.

The Tree of Knowledge at Barcaldine, in Queensland's Outback region, is the first meeting place of the Australian Labor Party in 1891. In 1895, in the town of Winston, Banjo Paterson wrote Australia's national song Waltzing Matilda". Today the majority of the Outback is known for its agriculture as well as gold, silver and iron mining.

The area north of Cairns is Australians sugar producing country, the cane fields backed by the Great Dividing Range. Northern Queensland is sparsely populated. Cairns are the only city while Port Douglas and Mossman are small towns. The only other villages of note in the region are Daintree and Cooktown. Cape York Peninsula is one of the last untouched wildernesses in the world covering 200,000 sq kms (about the same size of Great Britain) The landscape varies according to the time of year: The wet season November to March makes the landscapes green and the rivers swollen; and during the dry winter the rivers are dry and the countryside is bare and arid.

North of Port Douglas and the outback region require a car, to travel, unless you take part in an organized tour. Cairns, however, offers numerous forms of public with regular air, train and coach connections. They also have an international airport.

About the Author:

No comments: