We drove up to Brisbane via the back roads rather than the motorway. A good portion of the road was actually built privately by the local Lion’s Club, and is now maintained at least partially through donations. It was really beautiful countryside, with rain forests and farmland interspersed. The road was almost incidental, and indeed there are no fences keeping the cattle off the road. The sounds were also incredible…we’re not sure what the birds were, but they had such a loud, piercing, mesmerizing call.