Zara Margolis

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Maddie Nixon |Zara Margolis

Travelling along a dusty outback road in north-west Queensland, a peculiar sight caught Finn Cain's eye. Not a tumbleweed, but a soft drink can seemingly blowing across the track. The 18-year-old apprentice boilermaker felt something about the scene did not look quite right. He urged his friend Clayton Tait, 19, who was driving, to pull over. "I was like 'Don't run over that can — there's a lizard in it'," Mr Cain said.

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Emily Dobson |Georgia Loney |Zara Margolis

The cost of Queensland’s CopperString transmission line project has blown out to almost $14 billion – four times what the state government will spend on the Olympics and Paralympics. Treasurer and Energy Minister David Janetzki is expected to reveal the massive cost increase in a major speech on Tuesday after a review into the high voltage network project. It is a significant increase from the $1.8 billion slated when the project was first announced in 2020.

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Maddie Nixon |Emily Dobson |Zara Margolis

Catastrophic floods and a late start to the wet season have caused havoc and devastation in the Queensland outback. Regions have been cut off from visitors just as tourist season is set to start. Providers urge tourists to be patient, with "flush of green" to bloom when flooding clears. For most of outback Queensland, April is considered the start of tourist season. The Easter long weekend, school holidays and cooler weather mean rodeos, festivals and camping.

3 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Emily Dobson |Zara Margolis

The future of Cloncurry's only private general practice hangs in the balance. Its general practitioner says he is burnt out and hasn't been able to attract doctors to the clinic. The North West Hospital and Health Service is considering its options to ensure the health of the community. The owner of the only doctor clinic in a rural Queensland town says he is quitting for the sake of his mental health amid Australia's worsening doctor shortage.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Abbey Halter |Zara Margolis

The city can seem a good place for job opportunities, but for two young women pursing their career dreams, moving to the outback was their big break. Emily Dingle and Gracie Rowan have put down roots in the remote red dirt of North West Queensland, where they said their career prospects were better than in the city. The pair trekked to the town of Cloncurry, 700 kilometres west of Townsville, to turn their aspirations to join the veterinary industry into a reality.