Sit Down With Sam

Hi readers,

You might have noticed our North Queensland Summer Holiday Series in the last few editions of Burdekin Life.

These have been a pleasure to research and write as I’m still relatively new to North Queensland and am always looking for new adventures and new places to explore.

A large motivation behind my decision to move from Brisbane to Mackay almost two years ago was to explore a part of the country I’d seldom had the opportunity to explore before.

Places like Cape Hillsborough, Eungella, Finch Hatton and the innumerable “secret” swimming and camping spots littered throughout the region opened my eyes to the beauty of North Queensland and are places I largely wouldn’t have considered visiting had I not lived nearby.

The same can be said for living in the Burdekin, giving me access to places like Alva and Wunjunga beaches, Groper Creek, Magnetic Island and Alligator Creek – again, places not necessarily on the top of my list two years ago.

I look forward to capitalising further on the unique location of the Burdekin by heading further north to discover Paluma Range National Park, the Atherton Tablelands and the countless gorges and waterfalls that I’ve heard so many good things about.

I’m also eager to follow the river inland to see what Ravenswood and Charters Towers has to offer.

So, while I’ve built a pretty decent list of locations from researching these stories, please let me know if you have any other recommendations for places I should visit or experiences I should experience in North Queensland.

If you’re looking for somewhere new to explore this weekend, flick to page 14 to discover our North Queensland Summer Holiday Series for this edition; beautiful Magnetic Island.