An authentic Australian outback retreat in the heart of Northern Queensland

This week we went soaring over stunning Northern Queensland, found an authentic Outback experience in the heart of the country—and met a young boy with a unique business idea that’s sure to catch your attention.

Our guide in the sky was Josh Liddle, who runs Hinchinbrook Adventures, a charter company that operates out of Ingham in Northern Queensland. The company offers tours of Hinchinbrook Island, Hinchinbrook Channel and Girringun National Park—by boat or private heli-tour.

“You get a real sense of why it is called the great dividing range–it is a great divide,” Liddle said. “When you look at it from up here, it is epic.”

Next on our trip was a working cattle station that’s more than twice the size of Bribie Island: 35,000 hectares of prime land on the Gilbert River, with the nearest town about 150 kilometres away. Part of Gilberton is a nature refuge, recognised as an area of high conservation significance, and the retreat prioritises environmental sustainability.

Watch the video above to meet the eighth-generation farmer family who lives here. That includes grandson Robert, who started a business to help the family make some extra cash in the face of a drought: Fair Dinkum Aussie Bullshit.

“It’s just good for decoration,” Robert told us, adding he’s hoping to expand his orders overseas.

The Gilberton Outback Retreat gives an experience of living life on the farm and helping out with daily tasks: mustering and feeding cattle, plus exploring the diverse landscape. You’ll sleep in comfort in a private hut and enjoy views of the Gilbert River. There is a self-contained kitchen with lots of food choices—but no phones, TV or Internet–for a real break from daily life.