It’s rare for us to wander this far inland — properly inland — but here we are, deep in Djungan Country. Remote bush, Far North Queensland style, where the days hit 38°, the dirt glows red, XXXX replaces Peroni, and everyone’s keen for a yarn under an Akubra, decked out in R.M. Williams.
We’ve landed at Mount Mulligan: a colossal rocky mountain system 168 clicks west of Cairns, sitting on a luxurious 70,000-acre property belonging to Mount Mulligan Lodge. Think El Questro of the east — but with more wallabies than humans.
It’s the polar opposite of Bondi. Out here, it’s just us, the birds, the snakes… and silence. Most guests chopper in (helicopters are basically the Ubers of the outback), because the place is that vast.
A prospector slapped the English name “Mount Mulligan” on it — allegedly after bribing an official in Cooktown — but the Djungan People knew this ancient monolith long before as Ngarrabullgan. A deeply sacred Dreaming site, it’s strictly forbidden to climb; doing so is said to bring seriously bad luck. And yes, it’s enormous — you can fit ten Ulurus inside it. Wrap your head around that.
Back in the mining boom of 1921, around 300 hardy souls lived up here and built a small town on this very property. It’s also the site of Australia’s deadliest mining disaster, where 75 miners were killed in a single underground gas explosion. Locals still say spirits linger around the old town… and standing out there, you believe it.
Enjoy your Friday, folks — sounds like it’s raining back home!
Gallery’s open, so swing by for a gift card, a book, or something from our gift page if you’re chasing a Chrissy pressie.
Cheers,
uge
P.S. Here I am, if you need a break.
Pleasure to meet you guys at Mount Mulligan. We hope the return to Bondi hasn’t proved too traumatic and that things can get back to some sort of normal.
Thank you so much — it was a real pleasure meeting you too. The contrast between Mount Mulligan and Bondi has been huge, but we’re taking things day by day. The community support has been incredibly grounding, and that’s helping us find our feet again. Hope our paths cross again soon.