The humble hamburger has been lifted to gourmet status at the Mt Molloy Cafe. Proprietors Rudy and Angela, a native of Mexico, have created their own little piece of global fame - makers of the World's Best Hamburger. The Mietta's Australian Restaurant Guide gave the cafe this accolade but many a diner would add their own five-star rating. Vegetarians are not excluded. Angela makes a great vegetarian burger with fried spinach, onion and garlic. Then there's Chilas Rellonos and Steak Mazablan while Mexican favourites such as enchiladas and tortillas are always on the menu.

After you've been fortified, it is time to explore Mt Molloy. An interesting historical character is James Venture Mulligan, an explorer and prospector who is buried here. From an Irish Protestant family, he arrived in Melbourne at 23 and spent 13 years working his way north via Glen Innes, Armidale, the Gympie gold fields, on to Ravenswood and then Georgetown on the Etheridge goldfield.

He left Georgetown in June 1873 and returned three months later with 100 ounces of gold. Nine days later he returned to the Palmer River - with 100 enthusiastic miners. It became the largest and richest gold rush in Queensland history leading to the establishment of port, Cooktown. Mulligan later shared the 1000-pound reward with the discovery of the Hodgkinson goldfield in 1875. He used some of the monies to establish a hotel and store at Thornborough, which failed three years later.