Amongst the dry shrubs of Far North Queensland's savannah, about 350 kilometres' drive inland from Cairns, Jimmy Richards hits the ground with his stick and tells me, "We're dusty people". In comparison to the Indigenous countries in the coastal rainforest, sure, the Ewamian people have more dust around them out here, but at Talaroo, where I'm meeting Jimmy, it's the water that's getting all the attention.
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From an elevated wooden boardwalk, I look down to see bubbles popping on the top of a small natural pool, steam rising into the air. It's here that water is arriving at the surface with a temperature of 62 degrees after a slow journey through the depths of the Earth that's taken at least 20,000 years since it first fell as rain kilometres away. And it's this water that is feeding the Talaroo Hot Springs, a new tourism venture being run by Ewamian Traditional Owners.
The hot springs at Talaroo have been used for their healing properties for millennia, and now the Ewamian are using the interest from tourists to help heal the land, which was damaged while it was a cattle station for decades. With new infrastructure around the natural travertines, Jimmy leads tours where he explains the geological, the cultural, and the spiritual.
"I always say the earth is our mother, the rivers are our blood, one must look after our heartbeat - and that's looking after country," he tells me.
While the steam, bubbles, and striking rock formations around them can only be seen from the safety of the boardwalks, every tour ends with an opportunity to swim in a new pool that some of the mineral water has been diverted to. There are also four small pools that can be booked for a private soak during your stay. Most people take advantage of this opportunity because it does make sense for road-trippers to stay overnight at Talaroo, which offers powered and unpowered sites for campervans or camping, plus two glamping tents (with more on the way).
About 100 kilometres closer to Cairns is another chapter in the geological story of the region - the Undara Lava Tubes. It was here that a volcanic eruption 190,000 years ago was so massive that lava flowed across the landscape for up to 160 kilometres and, as it cooled, formed the longest tubes of its type in the world. Weaker sections of the tubes' roofs have collapsed over time, leaving about 70 caves that were formed from the original lava flow. You can spot them from a distance because lush rainforest grows on the ground above, in contrast to the dry savannah woodland elsewhere.
Standing at the entrance to one of these sections, I'm shocked at just how large it is - almost 14 metres high, 20 metres wide, and seemingly endless in the dark depths of the tunnel. As guide Sonya Fardell leads us down into it, she gushes over the formation. "I love this cave," she says. "It's so colourful, there are lots of formations, and you can get really close to the walls."
Roots poke through the ceiling amongst the shapes formed when the lava cooled in place. On the walls are natural shadings that look like animals - perhaps a lion or a horse. And above them are actual animals - microbats that will fly out at night to feast on the insects. As well as a couple of day tours that you can take to see the caves, there's a sunset option that finishes at a cave just as the bats fly out around you, their sonar senses keeping them just out of reach.
Talaroo and Undara are some of the first stops along the Savannah Way, the 3700-kilometre epic road trip that links Cairns with Broome in Western Australia. But you don't need to do the entire drive to see some of the highlights here in Outback Queensland. A good option is to add on Cobbold Gorge for some dramatic vistas and then head back east to Townsville, continuing up the coast via Hinchinbrook Island and Mission Beach for a total drive of 1300 kilometres.
In most cases it makes sense to start your trip in Cairns, on a journey measured not in kilometres, but in millennia. Because just as the Indigenous heritage of Talaroo is being brought to life with new experiences, so is the culture of the local Aboriginal countries around Cairns. On the Great Barrier Reef, for example, tour operators Reef Magic and Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel both run trips with Indigenous sea rangers who are able to talk about their relationship with the reef - how it provided the resources to survive and how it is a place to "heal spiritually", as one of the rangers puts it.
On land, there's a new opportunity to see the coastal country with Mandingalbay Ancient Indigenous Tours, offering experiences that take you by boat from Cairns marina across the inlet to mangroves and wetlands. Here, Mandingalbay guides will lead you through the ways the environment has been used by its residents for thousands of years, including bush foods, medicines, and tools. With green parrots squawking in the trees above, it's a fascinating and authentic look at the Indigenous culture of the region.
The Mandingalbay guides and the Indigenous sea rangers would not describe themselves as "dusty people", as Jimmy Richards at Talaroo likes to call himself. But they do all share the same passion for telling their stories, and these new additions to the tourism industry in Far North Queensland give visitors a much more enriching experience.
Michael Turtle was supported by Tourism and Events Queensland. You can see more details about visiting the Undara Lava Tubes on his Travel Australia Today website.
Michael Turtle
Michael Turtle is an Australian journalist who left his job in television to travel the world forever. He'll show you how to find the lesser-known places, get involved in the culture, learn the history, and meet locals along the way.
Michael Turtle is an Australian journalist who left his job in television to travel the world forever. He'll show you how to find the lesser-known places, get involved in the culture, learn the history, and meet locals along the way.
