Mt Bartle Frere is the highest mountain in Queensland. The Aboriginal name is Chooreechilum. Its massive bulk is covered in thick tropical rain forest full of leeches, snakes and prickly plants. The mountain sits at the headwaters of the Mulgrave River and the steep sides of the valley have been described by one of the early European explorers as 'truly awful country'- a real jungle wilderness. To the North West of the mountain is the rolling farmland of the Atherton Tablelands- green, lush, well-developed, closely settled with farms, roads and towns.

It is the start of the Christmas holidays- December in North Queensland- the 'wet' season in the tropics. Twelve year old Kylie and her friends Margaret and Allison travel with Kylie's mother in her car from Cairns to her grandmother's dairy farm on the Atherton Tablelands. On arrival they are confronted by a situation which immediately requires Kylie to act with determination and courage. She does so and an unexpected adventure begins.

At the heart of the adventure is an old family legend. This will draw them into the rain-soaked, tropical jungle in the rugged country below Mt Bartle Frere. It will also draw in Kylie's older brother Graham and his friends of the 'Hiking Team' : Peter, Stephen and Roger. But nature is not the only enemy. There are rivals- some known, others unsuspected.

The adventure reaches its climax in a desperate life and death struggle against both man and nature which tests Kylie and her friends to their absolute limits of endurance.

Mt Bartle Frere is the highest mountain in Queensland. The Aboriginal name is Chooreechilum. Its massive bulk is covered in thick tropical rain forest full of leeches, snakes and prickly plants. The mountain sits at the headwaters of the Mulgrave River and the steep sides of the valley have been described by one of the early European explorers as 'truly awful country'- a real jungle wilderness. To the North West of the mountain is the rolling farmland of the Atherton Tablelands- green, lush, well-developed, closely settled with farms, roads and towns.

It is the start of the Christmas holidays- December in North Queensland- the 'wet' season in the tropics. Twelve year old Kylie and her friends Margaret and Allison travel with Kylie's mother in her car from Cairns to her grandmother's dairy farm on the Atherton Tablelands. On arrival they are confronted by a situation which immediately requires Kylie to act with determination and courage. She does so and an unexpected adventure begins.

At the heart of the adventure is an old family legend. This will draw them into the rain-soaked, tropical jungle in the rugged country below Mt Bartle Frere. It will also draw in Kylie's older brother Graham and his friends of the 'Hiking Team' : Peter, Stephen and Roger. But nature is not the only enemy. There are rivals- some known, others unsuspected.

The adventure reaches its climax in a desperate life and death struggle against both man and nature which tests Kylie and her friends to their absolute limits of endurance.

Kylie, an 11-year-old girl living in Cairns, North Queensland, has a new puppy called Skip and a best friend named Margaret. Life is good but new neighbours have moved in next door, bringing with them a savage dog named Brute. And when dogs start disappearing from the neighbourhood, Kylie begins to suspect that something sinister is going on.

And there are other pets which provide amusement, pathos and real life experiences. As a friend says: “Pets! The place is over-run with pets.”

While horse riding in the country on weekends Kylie and Margaret end up having to summon all their courage to confront the evil they discover. Join the friends in this life-and-death adventure when they have to be brave as well as resourceful.

Kylie, 13, her brother Graham, her friend Margaret and other, are about to begin a six day trail ride. Up until now Kylie's main interests have been her friends, her pets, dancing and horse riding. But she is now reaching that age where she is developing an interest in boys. She has hopes of romance.

She also has hopes that Margaret's love for Graham will be returned. But there are many obstacles on the path of true love, and also many rivals. As her mother has warned her: 'A girl may have to kiss many toads before she finds a prince!'

But on the very first day, before the horse riding has even begun, it looks as though the pleasure may all be spoiled. While the teenagers are at the Herberton railway station for its ceremonial re-opening a dramatic incident occurs that threatens many people, including Kylie and her friends.
The incident sparks a trail of adventures that is to test Kylie as she has never been tested before. Before she wins through she must use all her courage, cunning and determination. She must push herself to her limits. At the same time she finds herself emotionally torn and her loyalty and honesty questioned. It will be the toughest challenge of her young life.

So join the friends on their horse ride through the rugged ranges west of Herberton as they explore both the fascinating history and scenery of that wild land and their own relationships. Be with Kylie as she struggles to win in a quite unexpected adventure that involves horses, horse racing, the Australian bush, a ghost town and the Kelly Gang.

The Kelly Gang? This story is set in the 21st Century, not the 19th! So read on and solve the mystery.

Note: This is a book for teenagers. It mentions some 'coming-of-age' incidents and has some realistic references to contemporary life in North Queensland.

September in North Queensland. The second week of the school holidays. Four teenage boys: Graham, Peter, Stephen and Roger set off from Cairns on an expedition to explore an old mining area. They are all keen model builders and their current project is to build a model layout based on the old mining railways in the dry hills of the Stannary Hills area.

The four friends, who call themselves 'The Hiking Team', are all experienced bushwalkers. They have been Scouts for years and are also army cadets and have just spent the first week of the holidays on a 9 day cadet camp.
The trip to Herberton is enjoyable and filled with memories of previous expeditions but within minutes of arriving they encounter problems. After lunch they set off by bicycle and quickly discover that the hills are bigger than they thought. As a result they do not reach Stannary Hills that night. They camp at Hales Siding, now deserted bush with the earthworks of the old railway and only a few scattered items to indicate a settlement once existed there.

On the second day they travel to Stannary Hills and explore the area, camping on the second night beside Eureka Creek at the old railway station site. The third morning is spent exploring on foot down the line of the dismantled light railway. During this time they encounter a number of challenges, dangers and minor adventures.

Then, on the afternoon of the third day, the boys find themselves in a situation that places all their lives in peril. Surviving requires all their skills, determination and courage. For 14 year old Roger, the youngest, chubbiest, and least fit, the whole expedition is a real test of his character and courage and he is forced to confront and overcome some of his darkest fears.
Suitable for Primary School children and teenagers.

Declin Riley is 19 and a computer controller at the Caster Sugar Mill in Far North Queensland. But in his first weeks on the job he is witness to the murder of a fellow co-worker.

For reasons unknown, some of the mill workers are desperate to sabotage the crush and cause it to go bankrupt. Threatening him with his life, they force Declin to go along with their devious plans.

To make matters worse, Declin is caught up in a love triangle with the boss’s young daughter, Carol, and CSM Graham Kirk.

Declin and Graham are led into conflict, temptation and extreme danger. Both are severely tested both in body and spirit as evil forces lead them into a desperate crisis.

It is January in tropical Far North Queensland: hot and wet. Kanaka Creek flows down out of the jungle covered mountains to run through areas of rain forest and sugar cane farms. It is a lovely creek in a beautiful valley. Six teenagers are on a day trip in two canoes. In the first canoe are 13 year old Graham, his friend Roger and 11 year old Margaret, Graham's devoted admirer and his sister's best friend. In the second canoe are the other two boys of the 'Hiking Team': Peter and Stephen, plus Graham's little sister Kylie.

So far the holidays have been relatively boring and the friend's time in Innisfail has been uneventful. But just around the next bend is something that will involve them in danger, mystery and adventure.

Family legend says that the Idol is the key to locating a treasure. But is it? And if it is, how does it work? What is the secret? Join the team while they grapple with the puzzle and race to beat the others who are also searching.

This is a canoeing story with teenage romance and a treasure hunt woven in. Set in the South Johnston and Innisfail area, rivers, creeks and jungle. Suitable for Primary school children and teenagers.

Thirteen year old Graham Kirk has a crush on Deslie, a Year 8 girl at the High School both attend in Cairns. But Deslie lives in the picturesque mountain township of Kuranda, 30km away. Driven by his ardent desire Graham sets out to find a way to be with Deslie during the weekend.

The result is a train ride that draws the reader not only through the fifteen tunnels of the famous Kuranda Railway but into a gripping life and death struggle with a naked madman nicknamed 'Tarzan'.

In his quest to win Deslie's love Graham is to find himself torn and tested, emotionally, physically and morally. His courage and sense of right and wrong are tested to the extreme limits. In this he is aided by his school friends, a group who call themselves 'The Hiking Team' because one of their holiday activities is bushwalking.

The friends: Peter, Stephen and Roger, as well as Graham's little sister Kylie and her friend Margaret, all share in the trials and tribulations of Graham's love life.

Suitable for teenagers.