the all aussie adventures of
SHOVEL & GUMBY
BEECHWORTHThe first and last time bushranger, Ned Kelly wore his infamous suit of armour was during the siege at Glenrowan where he was shot 27 times. An opium fuelled Kelly lasted the night before surrendering the next morning.
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WILSONS PROMONTORYThe Brataualung tribe, part of the Gunai nation referred to the region as Wamoon or Yiruk, evidence of their existence dates back 6,500 years. Unfortunately upon discovery by Bass in 1798 these indigenous warriors did not survive.
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MOUNT BAW BAWVeiled in a soft blanket of pristine white flakes of precious snow, Mount Baw Baw transforms each Winter into a winter sport oasis, providing Melburnians with an option of 25 ski runs, 7 chair lifts and 10kms of x-country tracks.
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GRAMPIANSDeclared a National Park in 1984 and added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2006, these stunning sandstone ranges, called Gariwerd have been home to the Jardwadjali and Djab Wurrung people for over 20,000 years.
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GEELONG GAOLOn the day of 22 April 1856 under the watchful instruction of Medical Officer, Sidney Lynch. James Ross was executed, 'hanged by the neck until his body was dead' in the grounds of the newly built Geelong Gaol.
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PHILLIP ISLANDIt is estimated over 32,000 Little Penguins call Phillip Island home, which is said to be the largest colony in the World. In 2017 the Island declared itself as fox free, the fox was a major predator of the Little Penguin.
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MARDI GRASOn a wintery Saturday night in 1978, the police shouted, "Get back here you poofs or you're dead!" as the first Sydney Mardi Gras proceeded along Oxford Street. 40 years on and Australia has now passed a Marriage Equality Law.
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MOUNT TOMAREEFort Tomaree was constructed in 1942 during WWII to shield Port Stephens from the threat of a possible invasion. The Steelworks at nearby Newcastle had to be protected. The Fort is nestled in amongst a stunning coastline.
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SYDNEYThe Lane Cove National Park is burrowed determinedly, yet rests tranquilly, in juxtaposition to its metropolitan neighbour, Sydney. Despite the proximity to the city, the park is home to many native species.
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DOUBLE ISLAND POINTTo access Double Island Point in the Great Sandy National Park you will need a permit, a 4wd or a boat. The point, which is actually a sandspit rather than two islands was named by James Cook when he sailed past in 1770.
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CARNARVON GORGEForming part of the Central Queensland Sandstone Belt is the Carnarvon Gorge section of the Carnarvon Gorge National Park, showcasing an impressive selection of outback Australian flora and fauna and indigenous history.
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KONDALILLA FALLSImmersed within the volcanic Blackall Ranges is flowing Skene Creek and a spectacular 90 metre vertical water fall. A rainforest walk circuit transports you into a magical world of thick eucalypts with cheeky gonna tour guides.
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McDONALDS TRACK
Forget the Skyrail, forget the Scenic Railway. Avoid the tourists and walk through the stunningly lush mountain rainforest of Cairns climbing 328m above sea level, past Barron Gorge to Kuranda traversing the Douglas Track.
MARY KATHLEENUranium deposits were first discovered around the Mount Isa region in 1954 with the township of Mary Kathleen being settled in the 1960's. Mining uranium in Queensland was banned between 1989 and 2012. The ban was overturned, then reinstated in 2015.
BOODJAMULLA
Aquifers, underground permeable rock water sources within the Georgina Basin have fed the Lawn Hill Gorge lime-rich water springs for 25 million years, creating a diversity in flora and fauna in the arid rust-red outback. The turquoise waters are a source of life.
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DALRYMPLE GAPConstructed in 1864 to service the Bullock Road through the Cardwell Range, this bridge built from imported bricks from Scotland is the oldest surviving example of civil engineering works in North Queensland.
MOUNT ELLIOTT
Copper averaged a thirty year high of £87 a tonne in 1906 and production in the Cloncurry mining fields increased, with the rail line extended west of Richmond, terminating at Mount Elliott smelter. Mount Elliott was shut by Mount Isa Mines in 1953.
CROYDONIn 1885 the Manager of Croydon Down Station, a Mr. W. C. Brown first discovered gold, which subsequently led to the development of the township and in turn the name, Croydon. By 1886 legend has it over 90 hotels had been established.
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DUNK ISLAND
Known as the "Island of Peace and Plenty" or "Coonanglebah" to the local Indigenous. This island paradise off the Mission Beach coast was named after George Montagu-Dunk, by James Cook who sailed past in 1770.
HIGHTVILLE
Now inhabited by a variety of bats, this tunnel was once used by a tram to carry copper ore from the WeeGregor Mine. It is fascinating to note that this abandoned tunnel located in the remote outback is the only one in North West Queensland.
UNDARAMeaning 'long way' in native Indigenous language, the Undara Lava Tubes formed over 190,000 years ago located in the Undara Volcanic National Park are rich in basalt soil and hidden beneath what is now dry rainforest in savannah country.
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