91Èȱ¬

Michael Portillo continues his rail exploration of Queensland, Australia, from the tropical rainforest to the Great Barrier Reef.

In the wonderfully preserved Art Deco town of Innisfail, Michael learns how resilient Queenslanders withstand the tropical storms which strike the region.

At Mungalla Cattle Station, Michael joins the indigenous owner for a feast cooked underground. He hears how aboriginal people faced brutality at the hands of 19th century settlers and how today at Mungalla they are taking their destiny into their own hands.

After a singalong at the Billabong, Michael makes tracks for Townsville and the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Pioneering photographs taken at the time of his Bradshaw’s brought the corals to the world’s attention, and now two million people visit the reef annually. Michael discovers a citizens’ army is deploying robots to protect the world heritage site from a hungry predator.