John O'Malley joined ABC Far North to explain how local Indigenous Australians are racking up massive personal debts. 

Authorities have punished a Cairns businessman for activities that have left many Indigenous Australians with debts totaling tens of thousands of dollars. 

The Federal Court has found that a Cairns business that targeted Indigenous Australians with deals on used cars that breached consumer credit protection laws.

Super Cheap Car Sales sold vehicles often valued between five-hundred to one thousand dollars predominantly to people living in the remote Aboriginal community of Yarrabah. 

The car dealership's owner - Colin William Hulbert - would also provide loans with big interest rates and significant brokerage fees through separate companies he already owned.  

John O'Malley is the operations manager for Indigenous Consumers Assistance Network.

Questionable business practices send Indigenous Australians broke

Meet the stingray so rare, any aquarium in the world would give their left tentacle to have him.

In a swimming pool sized fish tank in Cairns lives an Ornate eagle ray, scientifically known as Aetomylaeus vespertilio. 

Ornate eagle rays live in the waters of the Indo-West Pacific, but are very rarely seen by humans. 

Collectors for aquarium supplier Cairns Marine managed to find one recently, as the company's Laura Simmons is explaining to Adam Stephen.

The rarest of rays destined for world first showing

Older tourists snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef will be hooked up to heart monitors as part of new research to prevent further deaths.

A 63-year-old man this week became the fifth person aged over 60 to die on the reef since November.

He had a heart attack while snorkeling at Moore Reef off Cairns on Wednesday. 
       
The Chairman of the Australasian Divers Alert Network, John Lipman is finalising a proposal to attach hundreds of older volunteer snorkelers to waterproof E-C-G machines.

Study to measure heart-rate of older snorkelers at GBR

If you missed out on pre-sale ticket for Elton John, and thousands did, never fear.

Thousands more tickets for his Cairns concert go on sale on March 14.

In the meantime, promoter Michael Chugg warns against buying tickets from reseller websites like Viagogo.

Elton John promoter warns of scalping following pre-sale sellout

Have you ever heard of Queensland's legendary 'Moonlight Tiger'?

Scientists are certain there were no thylacines on the Australian mainland by the time Captain Cook arrived. 

But as far back as the 1870s, people have reported seeing the carnivorous marsupials on Cape York. 

Every now and then, another sighting story emerges.  

Ravenshoe resident Brian Hobbs has been sitting on one such story for over 33 years that is he finally willing to share.

Tasmanian Tigers on Cape York?

Dr Sandra Abell and Professor Bill Laurance from James Cook University explain to Adam Stephen why they will place 50 camera-traps around Cape York looking for living thylacines.

Scientists on their upcoming search for thylacines on Cape York

Adam's Grandstand Gaff

Music reviewer Tony Hillier says Paul Simon's Graceland is one of his favourite albums of the 20th century. 

He joined ABC North Qld Drive host Adam Stephen to reflect on the legacy of this classic.

Tony Hillier reviews Paul Simon's Graceland on ABC Far North

The book and film "Eat, Pray, Love" popularised the concept of the solo-female traveller. 

A woman in her middle age who leaves home behind to find herself on the open road. 

U.S Gulf War veteran Christine Burns is undertaking such a journey. 

The retired 48 year old mother of two from West Virginia is travelling around Australia with her cattle dog "Callie". 

Adam Stephen caught up with her in Cooktown

Freak heart attack takes solo female traveller to Cooktown

A far north Queensland mayoral candidate has urged the Electoral Commission of Queensland to speed up its bungled vote count amid the COVID-19 crisis. 

A technical error stalled counts across the 77 Queensland councils last Saturday night with still too few votes counted to declare a winner.

Cassowary Coast candidate, Mark Nolan, who holds a narrow lead in his mayoral race, said communities urgently need elected officials to assume their roles.

But the ECQ says results most likely won't be known for several weeks.

Adam Jeronimo Stephen

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