Margolis Zara
After spending her formative years growing up on the breezy shores of Bribie Island Zara was excited to learn her innate ability to talk under water was, in fact, a profession. Zara joined the ABC in 2014 as an intern while completely a Bachelor of Journalism at the University of Queensland. She later worked as a rural reporter and news journalist at ABC Capricornia before relocating to ABC North West QLD in Mount Isa where she now works as a bi-media reporter. Zara tweets from @zaramargolis.
Latest by Margolis Zara
'Nervous' outback towns brace for flash floods from ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily
Residents in outback Queensland are preparing for further heavy rain, flash flooding, and dangerous winds as ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily intensifies in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Outback Queensland cut off by intense floods from ex-cyclone with conditions to worsen
More rain has fallen in 24 hours than in a year at some locations as ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily hovers over Queensland's north-west.
Exodus of GPs leaves city of 20,000 facing healthcare crisis
A veteran GP says he is scrambling to keep his outback Queensland clinic working, as calls grow for an urgent fix to staff shortages.
Mount Isa Mines celebrates 100 trailblazing years, but end of copper era looms
The outback company helped with the war effort in the 1940s, established a vital railway and fostered a rural multicultural melting pot while transforming the industry with constant innovation.
'Absolutely disgraceful': Sudden Bonza flight cancellations leave outback residents stranded for Christmas
Outback Queensland residents are in uproar as another round of flight cancellations means families will be separated for Christmas, or forced to pay thousands of dollars for last-minute flights.
Iconic Sweers Island resort sells with new owners 'excited' to carry on legacy
After nearly 40 years, the founders of one of Australia's most remote island resorts have handed over the keys with the new owners eager to keep alive a "very special place".
Shirley Smith intended to travel the world. Fifty years later she's being celebrated as an outback trucking pioneer
Working as a barmaid in the Queensland bush to save for a trip around the world, Shirley's plans were thrown out the window when a strapping young bloke ordered a beer.
Parents forced out of work as major childcare centre announces closure in outback mining city
Parents say the childcare crisis has reached boiling point in a rural Queensland community, forcing some parents to scale back their working hours while long waitlists at other centres will extend.
'Get f****d, f**k off!': Mystery uncovered behind Aussie chant as The Angels return to town where it all began
In 1983, an outback town told The Angels "No way, get f****d, f**k off". Forty years on, the band returns to where it all began.
Text alerts warn drivers of stolen car rampages in outback hub of Mount Isa
Police will send warnings about unfolding, high-risk situations to mobile phones to help keep residents safe and aware and avoid the spread of misinformation.
Calls for non-Indigenous Australians to research the Voice to avoid turning 'apathy into a vote'
Voter disinterest and confusion are threatening to create an uninformed outcome on the Voice referendum, researchers warn.
Targeted by scammers who knew about her children's health issues, Fiona opted for a safer way to do business
Older Australians like Fiona Muller are turning to the safety of local markets to avoid huge financial losses to online scammers and help ease cost of living pressures.
Global South African miner buys outback Queensland mine
Sibayne Stillwater sets up shop in Australia citing a "robust and high-quality mining industry" and strong opportunities as it shifts to green energy.
Curry croc burger, croc pies — even croc soap. Buyers snapping up crocodile products like never before
More people are sinking their teeth into crocodile meat than ever before and the popularity of croc oils and leather is rising domestically. So what is driving the demand?
Outback town dealt a blow as 140-year-old race club closes
Jockeys and travellers from across the outback will no longer converge on the remote town of Camooweal for its iconic race events as new track standards force the historic club to close.
Mates on road trip rebuild 160-year-old pub in outback ghost town
A group of friends from the Gold Coast have restored a historic venue in outback Queensland with a little help from a community thrilled to have its watering hole back.
Will survived 120 hospital visits and multiple surgeries, but now 'life is good' and he wants to become a doctor
Will Carland was the only child to ever live through a type of operation that saved his life. Now, the 18-year-old is walking in the footsteps of those who saved him.
Gulf residents 'broken, worn out' after devastating flooding as truckloads of donations arrive
Much-needed supplies have arrived in flood-hit towns thanks to the work of two men and a handful of businesses, who say the government and media must do more to help.
Prolonged flooding 'hard on everyone' but prediction of 'amazing fishing season' ahead
Residents cut off by major floods in parts of the Gulf of Carpentaria are facing another month without work while businesses grapple with mass cancellations for the tourist season.
Dead animals and debris litter the land as Gulf graziers return to flood-ravaged homes
A farmer in Queensland's Gulf of Carpentaria region says the station he spent his life building up is now a scene of "complete devastation" after floods swept through the area.
Scores evacuated as record floods put entire towns at risk in Queensland
Emergency services have ramped up evacuation efforts in the Gulf of Carpentaria as "unprecedented" floods threaten to submerge towns.
500mm deluge triggers emergency evacuations, unprecedented floods in outback Qld
Emergency situations are unfolding as never-before-seen floods inundate north-west Queensland and rivers rise to record levels.
Gulf of Carpentaria communities battling biggest floods in decade brace for further heavy rain
With fuel supplies dwindling and phone lines down in some communities, emergency services are bracing for even more rainfall expected later this week.
Outback Queenslanders ready for it to 'stop raining' as residents enter third month of isolation
There are concerns the land will begin to "cook" as more rain hits the region over the coming week.
Tourists unearth 100 million-year-old marine predator in western Queensland
Tourists discover one of the most complete fish fossils in Australia. Here's what was found in its belly.