A great 4wd camping trip for those into a bit of history, gold prospecting and the majesty of the Australian outback.
The region of Kingsborough and Thornborough are located just 2 hours west from Cairns and for this reason they make a great day trip by 4WD camper.If you have the time then do try to make this an overnight trip at least just for the fantastic starlit night under a swag.
A new article on Gold, prospecting, 4wd Camping and adventure travel in Australia focusing on the Thornborough and Kingsborough region of north Queensland.

4WD and Camping Rental image

Leaving Cairns in your 4wd Camper rental vehicle and heading north its a simple matter of turning west onto the Kennedy Highway at Smithfield and then heading up the hill, passed Kuranda and onward to the town of Mareeba. At Mareeba there are good shopping facilities so a good place to stock up on provisions. Heading north out of Mareeba take the turning to Dimbulah and Chillagoe.

Upon arriving at Dimbulah, its an easy turn right which takes you onto the roads to the Thornborough and Kingsborough goldfields. Thornborough is a 22 kilometres drive and most of this is on good roads but unsealed. From now on you will be travelling totally on unsealed roads.

Well worth a visit at Thornborough is the cemetery which is well signed. Stroll through the grounds and read the headstones...there are some sad epitaphs. Turn off at Thornborough and after a few hundred metres you will see an old weatherbeaten timber building; this is the original Canton Hotel when Thornborough was in its heyday with over 1500 residents. Keep driving and you will come across the Tyrconnel mine - an original working mine site. At the time of our visit it was unfortunately closed for maintenance. A further kilometre down the road is Kingsborough and this town was a prosperous gold area in it's heyday back in the 1870's and 80's.

Kingsborough gold country

Upon entering Kingsborough look for a driveway through a brick white entry and you'll drive into Ike "the Swede's" fabulous camping area. Cost is $5.00 per person a night (

at time of writing)and the camp grounds are nestled along a dammed section of Caledonia Creek, a tributary of the Hodgkinson River. There are ablution facilities and fireplaces. There are fish (Yes! Fish in the creek and turtles - though the turtles don't mind having a wee nibble on your toes).
Ike's place is a great camping place to make a good stop at and ask Ike and he'll advise you on some great walks and things to see and do. Of course one great hobby and thrill is gold prospecting. Basic equipment can be purchased in Cairns from http://www.nqminersden.com and George Meyer has a wealth of local knowledge. Gold panning is a must as there are numerous creeks and a few waterfalls. For the real total Gold Prospecting experience see Palmer Gold
Be warned though: during the wet season (Nov - Mar) this area can be become very hazardous due to heavy rains and flash flooding and for this reason roads in the area are often closed - due to being washed away.
Once you have spent enough time at Ike's place then head back down the road to Thornborough and then turn north on the main track and head up to Mount Mulligan - site of the worst mining disaster in Queensland history back in September 1921. You can walk over the old mine site and although the town itself has long since gone, there are plaques on the roads indicating what buildings used to occupy which lots. It is very interesting to note at Mount Mulligan that the streets of former township have brick gutters, built way back in the 1870's. Maytone in the Palmer River Goldfields had kerbs and gutters made from slate and they are still there to see.
Although Mount Mulligan was a coal mine it still makes fascinating walking. Also be aware that Mount Mulligan is privately leased cattle station (a Large farm - for our european visitors). 
A round trip to this region by one of our 4WD rental vehicles is a real must on any itinerary so do give this trip some thought. The round trip is about 400 kilometres in total (Cairns to Cairns) and it offers a great insight into the interior and what life used to be like.
If you have an interest in 4WD camping or gold prospecting then view our articles on Gold and Palmer Gold  or if you just like a 4WD adventure then read 4wd camping rentals or Cape York 4wd Hire.
Information on our 4wd rental fleet can be found here 4WD Enquiries.