Today the Darling Downs are ideal grazing country. Yet a little over half a century ago large sections of this region had become infested with impenetrable prickly pear cactuses. Then someone got wind of how they solved this problem in Mexico. A moth with the apposite name Cactoblastis was introduced, and in no time the cactuses were dying off.

According to a story, the magnified face of this moth provided Steven Spielberg with the inspiration for ET’s endearing but alien features – though we think he looks much more like a shaved prickly pear cactus.

The surrounding region is covered by huge sheep- and cattle-grazing stations, and Charleville is the watering hole for many of the jackaroos who work out in this thirst-inducing terrain. The Corones Hotel has witnessed many prodigious feats of thirst-quenching which have to be seen to be believed.