Ellie Willcox

Dec 1, 2024 | abc.net.au | Ellie Willcox |Aaron Kelly

Coby Pascoe cruises the Fitzroy River in central Queensland for hours on end hunting trophy barramundi. He keeps a close eye on a small screen, known as a live sounder, broadcasting a motion picture of the riverbed and what's lurking below. Spotting and hooking a monster fish measuring over 130 centimetres is exhilarating and rare. But this year has been the best season on record for anglers catching big barra in this fishing mecca.

Oct 2, 2024 | abc.net.au | Ellie Willcox |Jeremy Jones |Karyn Wilson

Anne Fursman is trying to keep up with the soaring cost of keeping her central Queensland business open after multiple break-ins. Thieves have targeted her Yeppoon sports store six times in 10 months, causing her insurance premium to double. "We had a ram raid, a car came through the big glass sliding doors and it took three weeks to get those fixed and we had another break-in during that period," Ms Fursman said.

Sep 19, 2024 | abc.net.au | Ellie Willcox

Feral deer have been eradicated from a Great Barrier Reef island in an attempt to preserve one of Australia's largest flatback turtle rookeries. Wild Duck Island sits off the central Queensland coast between Rockhampton and Mackay. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) believe the rusa deer species was illegally introduced to the 330-hectare island for hunting in 2005.

Jul 8, 2024 | abc.net.au | Ellie Willcox

Queensland Parks and Wildlife rangers say people are not pooing responsibly in the bush. Human waste can create environmental hazards and end up in waterways. People are being urged to carry a shovel to bury their waste responsibly and use the loo before they set off. Queensland park rangers having to clean up "minefields" from people soiling pristine national parks are urging visitors to pack a shovel and stop leaving human waste in the bush.