I’m writing this in the Coolangatta library on a grey and rainy day not sure whether I’m still in Queensland or if I’ve crossed into New South Wales, and therefore unsure of what time it is…it’s either 11.34am if I’m still in Queensland or 12.34pm if I’ve crossed the border. Regardless of this uncertainty I thought it appropriate to reflect on the 10 weeks I’ve spent in “God’s Country”.

I should also declare that as a New South Weshman I have a natural aversion to the colour maroon due to being on the wrong side of too many sporting bets and, other than from Noosa south, the rest of Queensland was unknown to me. As it turned out, these were my favourite parts of the state.

The first thing that needs to be said is Queensland is a “State of Mind” as much as it’s a geographical area. There is an all pervasive relaxed and happy feel to the place, maybe it’s the tropical heat, maybe it’s the bounty of good things, whatever it is I guess you could say it seems to have a sunny disposition.

That’s not to say it’s perfect because it can be pretty rough around the edges and the outback seems to be Australia’s version of the wild west. Travelling through the outback was a revelation for me, vast distances and harsh landscapes that seemed to get more beautiful in their emptiness and good no nonsense people. As I travelled east it seemed more like the Australia I remember as a kid, unpretentious people getting on with life. There still seems to be an overrepresentation of red hair and freckles which the northern parts seems to coexist with a strong indigenous presence. This demographic changes in Brisbane and the south east corner which has become increasingly cosmopolitan with a large expatriate Kiwi population and growing Pacifika presence.

One of my other take aways is how naturally rich the land is, whether it’s digging it up, grazing on it or cropping it this seems to be a land of hard work and rich rewards. Without knowing the numbers it seems to me like Queensland, like Western Australia, is punching above it’s weight in terms of contributing to our national income, and for that the less productive states should be grateful.

I was also fortunate enough to experience the ful range of natural environments Queensland has from the flat and dusty outback to the contradictions of the wet and dry seasons in the gulf country, from the lush tropical rain forests, surprisingly rugged northern great dividing range and rolling green hills of the tablelands to the amazing biodiversity and beauty of the Great Barrier Reef and on to the magnificent long sandy beaches in the south east corner. Indeed in many ways Queensland is beautiful one day and perfect the next as the adman said, but it can also be a hard, uncompromising and violent place as the annual heat bombs, cyclones and wild thunderstorms I encountered over the past week can attest.

Complimenting the landscapes is the abundance of wildlife, surely Queensland has to be one of the most deadly places on earth with the ever present danger of crocs and other reptiles, toxic fish and jellyfish, sharks and even the prehistoric cassowary can all be dangerous. There’s also an incredible range of birds, jabirus, wedge tailed eagles, bright blue kookaburras and black cockatoos and others I’d never seen before. Whether it be on land or in the sea there is no shortage of animals to keep you intrigued or on your toes.

As far as lighthouses are concerned the urgent need to light the shipping routes in and around the Great Barrier Reef saw an accelerated roll out of lighthouses between 1862 and 1895 after Queensland attained self government. The man responsible for this program was the Portmaster General, Commander George Poynter Heath who oversaw the construction of 33 lighthouses and commissioning of six lightships during his 28 year tenure. Due to budgetary constraints and the remote and unstable locations of many of these lighthouses Heath came up with a novel tower design that involved constructing a hardwood frame with corrugated or sheet iron cladding in response to these challenges. Apart from the cost benefits of this design it could be prefabricated and transported to the various sites and was light enough to stand on unstable ground and be installed in relatively inaccessible locations.

In subsequent years these timber and iron lighthouses gained the unflattering description as “the lesser lights” but despite this a number remain in operation today. During the 1970’s the Queensland government undertook a program of automating, upgrading and in many cases replacing these heritage lighthouses with utilitarian concrete light stations however this was vigorously opposed by many local communities who had a strong attachment to the original lighthouses and thankfully a number were saved by resident action groups. In other places local enthusiasts took it upon themselves to relocate the original structures to maritime museums or they have become local landmarks symbolic of the communities. All of which which serves to illustrate the enduring appeal these unique buildings seem to have.

Overall my lasting impressions of the state is that it’s BIG and d-i-v-e-r-s-e, the people are generally direct, hospitable and very happy to be Queenslanders!

I’ve enjoyed my time in Queensland and glad I had a chance to experience a broad cross section of places and people and am sorry to be leaving, but as the other big fella once said “I’ll be back”!