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From tropical rainforest to the Great Barrier Reef, Michael Portillo navigates his way by rail through Queensland, Australia, with the aid of his 1913 Bradshaw’s Guide.

Inching his way across the Stony Creek Bridge on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, Michael marvels at the engineering expertise of the 1890s, when the line was built, and the magnificent scenery 300 metres below him.

Following in the footsteps of Edwardian tourists, Michael is introduced to the beautiful flora and fauna of the rainforest – and its deadly inhabitants.

The Spirit of Queensland service carries him south to the Tully sugar plantation, where he learns to harvest sugar cane and seizes the chance to drive the Sugar Cane Express. In the wonderfully preserved art deco town of Innisfail, Michael learns how resilient Queenslanders withstand the tropical storms which strike the region. More challenging wildlife awaits him in the hinterland, where he braves a crocodile safari.

At Mungalla cattle station, Michael joins the indigenous owner for a feast cooked underground. He hears how Indigenous Australians 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 sing-along 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 citizen army is deploying robots to protect the world heritage site from a hungry predator.