Olivia Evans and Bruce Mayne are a remarkable double act. The father-and-daughter duo welcomes guests to their central Queensland cattle station with a mug of billy tea, Anzac biscuits and damper, followed by wine, beer and nibbles. With smiles as big as their back paddock, Olivia and Bruce greet every guest by name and have the knack of making total strangers feel instantly like old friends. Their hospitality is a charismatic combination of a genuine warmth coupled with a curiosity about each new arrival that would be impossible to fake. But for all their charm, the hosts at Bandana station are but a warm up to the main act, which is the spectacle of sunset on the escarpment that runs through their property. It’s a one-off performance, each evening slightly different from the next, and with the crisp air of the cooler months intensifying the colours and clouds and occasional rainbows putting in guest appearances, you could visit every night for a week and be guaranteed a new
