The town of
Chillagoe is located in the western foothills of the Great Dividing
Range towards the base of Cape York Peninsula and approximately 210
kilometres west of Cairns. Most of the road distance (all but a very few
kilometers) is now sealed. The climate is generally quite warm during
the middle of winter, ranging to hot and humid during summer. Summer
also sees the heaviest rain, with most of the annual 800mm occurring
between December and March although long periods of dry weather are
normal.Chillagoe was a centre
for the gold mining industry for many years, and some small mines are
still in operation. Mining began about 1900 producing mainly copper and
lead (small amounts of silver came from Muldiva). In recent times gold
was mined at Red Dome and also some copper ore was sent to Mt Isa. The
last large mine, Red Dome closed several years ago after virtually
exhausting its resources.
Chillagoe is now a major cattle centre,
as well as a tourist destination. Many small marble mines have opened
and then closed in the area, as it has been found that while the local
marble is of a very fine quality, it is not economically feasible to
compete with overseas markets. Unfortunately, this has led to major
scars on the landscape.
Chillagoe has an airport, keeping the town in touch with
the coast through virtually all weather conditions - especially
important when the roads are closed during the Wet Season. There is also
a District Hospital with a resident Matron just up the road from the
airport, which is convenient for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Dances, Rodeos, Race Meetings and
similar activities are held on a regular basis in the town, and it is
worth keeping in touch with the townspeople (via The Hub) to find out
what is going on.
National Parks runs regular guided
tours through certain caves, and they have done an incredible job of
creating a non-intrusive method of lighting the caves they visit. Caves
currently open are Royal Arch, Donna and Trezkinn. Donna and Trezkinn
are lit, while lights (provided) are required to be carried for Royal
Arch. Trips can be booked through local motels and through The Hub.
Donna tends to fill with water during
the Wet, and it has been recorded in recent history that the tour of
Royal Arch has been conducted using only breaststroke! Nevertheless,
there is always something to see at Chillagoe regardless of the weather.
Check out the Gallery page.
The Hub can be contacted on (07) 4094 7111. Their website is located
here.
