WHEN YOU THINK OF THE WORLD’S GREAT COFFEE REGIONS, YOUR MIND LIKELY WANDERS TO THE MISTY MOUNTAINS OF COLOMBIA, THE VOLCANIC SLOPES OF ETHIOPIA, OR THE VAST PLATEAUS OF BRAZIL. BUT THERE IS A RISING REGION IN THE SPECIALTY WORLD THAT DEFIES THE TRADITIONAL MAP: AUSTRALIA. SPECIFICALLY, FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND (FNQ).
NESTLED BETWEEN ANCIENT RAINFORESTS AND THE GREAT BARRIER REEF, THIS REGION HAS BECOME THE EPICENTER OF AUSTRALIAN GROWN COFFEE. IT IS AN UNEXPECTED FRONTIER WHERE THE RUGGED AUSTRALIAN LANDSCAPE MEETS THE SOPHISTICATION OF SPECIALTY AGRICULTURE. WHAT MAKES FNQ DISTINCT IS NOT JUST THAT COFFEE GROWS HERE, BUT HOW IT GROWS. THROUGH A COMBINATION OF UNIQUE CLIMATE, MINERAL-RICH VOLCANIC SOIL, AND A GROWING COMMITMENT TO QUALITY, AUSTRALIAN COFFEE GROWERS ARE PRODUCING A PROFILE THAT IS QUIETLY CHALLENGING GLOBAL PERCEPTIONS. FNQ IS STILL EARLY IN ITS JOURNEY, BUT IT OFFERS A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF HOW TERROIR AND DISCIPLINED PRACTICE CAN SHAPE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
GEOGRAPHICALLY, FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND OCCUPIES THE NORTHEASTERN TIP OF THE CONTINENT, CHARACTERIZED BY A DRAMATIC INTERPLAY BETWEEN COASTAL TROPICS AND COOLER HIGHLAND PLATEAUS. THE HEART OF THE COFFEE INDUSTRY LIES WITHIN MAREEBA AND ITS SURROUNDING GROWING REGIONS, A FERTILE HIGHLAND ZONE THAT RISES SHARPLY FROM THE HUMID COASTAL PLAINS.
THE ELEVATION HERE TYPICALLY RANGES FROM 500 TO 800 METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL. WHILE THIS MAY SEEM LOWER THAN THE EXTREME ALTITUDES OF THE ANDES, AUSTRALIA’S HIGHER LATITUDE COMPENSATES FOR LOWER ELEVATION, CREATING THE NECESSARY COOL TEMPERATURES FOR SLOW CHERRY MATURATION. THE PROXIMITY TO THE GREAT BARRIER REEF AND WORLD HERITAGE-LISTED RAINFOREST ECOSYSTEMS MEANS THE AIR IS CLEAN AND THE BIODIVERSITY IS UNPARALLELED. THIS IS AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE AGRICULTURE DOES NOT JUST EXIST; IT SITS ALONGSIDE SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST PROTECTED NATURAL SYSTEMS.
COFFEE IS A FINICKY CROP. IT REQUIRES A BALANCE OF HEAT TO GROW AND COLD TO DEVELOP FLAVOR. FNQ PROVIDES THIS THROUGH A UNIQUE TROPICAL-HIGHLAND MICROCLIMATE. THE REGION EXPERIENCES WARM, SUNNY DAYS FOLLOWED BY SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER HIGHLAND NIGHTS.
OPTIMAL SOLAR RADIATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS, DRIVING THE DEVELOPMENT OF BOTH VIGOROUS PLANT ARCHITECTURE AND HIGH-QUALITY COFFEE CHERRIES.
RELIABLE RAINFALL PATTERNS SUPPORT THE TREES THROUGH KEY GROWTH AND FLOWERING STAGES. IN PRACTICE, MANY FARMS ALSO RELY ON IRRIGATION SYSTEMS—COMMONLY DRIP LINES—TO PROVIDE CONSISTENT WATER DELIVERY AND GREATER CONTROL OVER PLANT HEALTH. THIS LAYER OF MANAGEMENT SITS ALONGSIDE SEASONAL RAINFALL, ENSURING STABILITY ACROSS VARYING CONDITIONS.
THE DEFINED DRY SEASON PROVIDES THE PERFECT WINDOW FOR HARVESTING. UNLIKE MANY GLOBAL COFFEE REGIONS THAT FACE INCREASING THREATS FROM EXTREME FROST OR PROLONGED DROUGHT, MAREEBA AND ITS SURROUNDING REGIONS OFFER A RELATIVELY STABLE, LONG GROWING SEASON. THIS STABILITY ALLOWS THE COFFEE CHERRIES TO RIPEN SLOWLY, CONCENTRATING THE SUGARS AND NUTRIENTS WITHIN THE BEAN, WHICH ULTIMATELY LEADS TO THE CLEANER, MORE REFINED SWEETNESS CHARACTERISTIC OF AUSTRALIAN GROWN COFFEE.
THE FOUNDATION OF ANY GREAT COFFEE IS THE DIRT IT GROWS IN. MAREEBA AND ITS SURROUNDING REGIONS ARE BUILT UPON AN ANCIENT HISTORY OF VOLCANIC ACTIVITY. OVER MILLENNIA, BASALTIC LAVA FLOWS HAVE WEATHERED INTO DEEP, RED, MINERAL RICH SOILS KNOWN AS ANDISOLS.
THIS VOLCANIC SOIL IS PACKED WITH ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS—POTASSIUM, MAGNESIUM, AND PHOSPHORUS—THAT ARE VITAL FOR PLANT HEALTH AND FRUIT DEVELOPMENT. BEYOND NUTRITION, THE POROUS NATURE OF THIS SOIL ENSURES EXCELLENT DRAINAGE, PREVENTING THE "WET FEET" (ROOT ROT) THAT CAN PLAGUE LESSER FARMS. WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER VOLCANIC REGIONS GLOBALLY, FNQ SOIL TENDS TO PRODUCE BEANS WITH A HIGHER DENSITY AND A MORE PRONOUNCED MINERAL CLARITY, GIVING THE FINAL CUP STRUCTURE AND DEPTH.
COFFEE FARMING IN AUSTRALIA DOES NOT FOLLOW A SINGLE MODEL. WHILE FAMILY-OPERATED FARMS REMAIN COMMON, MANY PRODUCERS ALSO OPERATE AT A MORE COMMERCIAL SCALE—PARTICULARLY IN FNQ—WHERE MECHANISATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE PLAY A KEY ROLE.
THIS SCALE DOES NOT NECESSARILY COME AT THE EXPENSE OF QUALITY. IN MANY CASES, IT ALLOWS FOR GREATER CONSISTENCY, BETTER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, AND INVESTMENT IN PROCESSING AND AGRONOMY. THAT SAID, QUALITY IS NOT UNIVERSAL ACROSS ALL AUSTRALIAN COFFEE, AND THE GAP BETWEEN COMMODITY AND SPECIALTY STILL EXISTS.
WHAT IS EMERGING, HOWEVER, IS A COHORT OF PRODUCERS WHO ARE DELIBERATELY MOVING TOWARD SPECIALTY STANDARDS—FOCUSING ON PICKING PRECISION, PROCESSING CONTROL, AND CUP QUALITY—WHILE WORKING WITHIN A SCALED FARMING ENVIRONMENT. IT IS THIS BALANCE BETWEEN SCALE AND INTENT THAT IS BEGINNING TO DEFINE THE REGION.
AUSTRALIAN FARMERS ARE SOME OF THE MOST REGULATED AND ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS IN THE WORLD. IN FNQ, SUSTAINABILITY IS NOT A BUZZWORD; IT IS A PRACTICAL PART OF OPERATING.
MANY FARMS GENERATE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THEIR ENERGY THROUGH SOLAR, REDUCING RELIANCE ON EXTERNAL POWER SOURCES. COFFEE PROCESSING IS ALSO DESIGNED TO MINIMISE WASTE—ALL CHERRY IS UTILISED, WITH PULP COMMONLY REUSED AS FERTILISER OR MULCH, RETURNING NUTRIENTS BACK INTO THE SOIL.
LABOUR PRACTICES AND COMPLIANCE STANDARDS ALSO FORM A KEY PART OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE AUSTRALIAN CONTEXT. WHILE DIFFERENT FROM SHADE-GROWN MODELS SEEN OVERSEAS, THESE SYSTEMS REFLECT A LOCAL APPROACH—ONE THAT PRIORITISES EFFICIENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND LONG-TERM LAND MANAGEMENT.
TERROIR IS THE "TASTE OF PLACE," AND FNQ HAS A SIGNATURE UNLIKE ANY OTHER. WHILE AFRICAN BEANS MIGHT BE FLORAL AND SOUTH AMERICAN BEANS NUTTY, AUSTRALIAN COFFEE TENDS TO OCCUPY A BALANCED MIDDLE GROUND.
COMMON TASTING NOTES INCLUDE A SMOOTH, MEDIUM BODY WITH A NATURALLY LOW BITTERNESS. YOU WILL OFTEN FIND RICH BASE NOTES OF MILK CHOCOLATE, ROASTED HAZELNUT, AND CARAMEL, LIFTED BY SUBTLE HINTS OF STONE FRUIT OR DRIED BERRIES. THE ACIDITY IS GENERALLY BALANCED AND MALIC—AN ATTRIBUTION LESS COMMON IN COFFEE—MORE AKIN TO THE SOFT, ROUND SWEETNESS OF A RIPE ORANGE RATHER THAN SHARP OR CITRUS-LED. THIS MAKES IT HIGHLY APPROACHABLE AND VERSATILE, PERFORMING WELL IN BOTH BLACK BREWS AND MILK BASED DRINKS.
OPERATING A COFFEE FARM IN AUSTRALIA IS NOT WITHOUT ITS DIFFICULTIES. GROWERS FACE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES, INCLUDING HIGHER LABOR COSTS COMPARED TO DEVELOPING NATIONS AND THE UNPREDICTABLE THREAT OF CYCLONES OR HEAVY TROPICAL RAINS.
HOWEVER, THESE CHALLENGES HAVE PUSHED MANY PRODUCERS TO OPERATE WITH GREATER PRECISION. WITH LIMITED ABILITY TO COMPETE ON VOLUME OR PRICE, THERE IS A CLEAR INCENTIVE TO IMPROVE AGRONOMY, INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE, AND FOCUS ON QUALITY WHERE POSSIBLE. EVERY DECISION—FROM FARM MANAGEMENT TO PROCESSING—CARRIES WEIGHT.
THE SECRET IS BEGINNING TO SPREAD. WHAT WAS ONCE CONSIDERED A NOVELTY IS NOW FINDING A PLACE WITHIN THE AUSTRALIAN SPECIALTY CAFÉ SCENE. FNQ BEANS ARE INCREASINGLY APPEARING ACROSS CAPITAL CITIES.
THIS RISING INTEREST IS ALSO LINKED TO A BROADER SHIFT TOWARD PROVENANCE. CONSUMERS ARE BECOMING MORE INTERESTED IN WHERE THEIR COFFEE COMES FROM AND HOW IT IS PRODUCED. AUSTRALIAN GROWN COFFEE OFFERS A LEVEL OF FRESHNESS THAT IMPORTED BEANS CANNOT ALWAYS MATCH, WITH SHORTER DISTANCES FROM HARVEST TO ROAST TO CUP.
FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND IS A DISTINCT COFFEE REGION—NOT BECAUSE IT IMITATES OTHERS, BUT BECAUSE IT IS DEVELOPING ITS OWN APPROACH. THROUGH ITS VOLCANIC SOILS, TROPICAL HIGHLAND CLIMATE, AND A GROWING FOCUS ON QUALITY, IT IS BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR LONG-TERM RELEVANCE IN SPECIALTY COFFEE.
IT REMAINS A REGION IN PROGRESS, BUT ONE WITH CLEAR POTENTIAL—SHAPED BY PRACTICAL FARMING, MEASURED IMPROVEMENT, AND A STRONG CONNECTION TO PLACE.
AS MORE PEOPLE DISCOVER THE QUALITY COMING OUT OF FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND, VOICES LIKE JACK MURAT CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND REPRESENT THE REGION’S DEVELOPMENT IN THE SPECIALTY COFFEE WORLD. BY CONNECTING FARM, ROAST, AND CAFÉ, THE MURAT FAMILY PLAYS A ROLE IN BRINGING GREATER VISIBILITY TO AUSTRALIAN COFFEE—WITH A FOCUS ON DOING THE WORK PROPERLY, YEAR BY YEAR.
CAN COFFEE REALLY GROW IN AUSTRALIA?
YES. WHILE AUSTRALIA IS NOT A TRADITIONAL COFFEE PRODUCING COUNTRY, REGIONS LIKE FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND PROVIDE THE RIGHT CONDITIONS—TROPICAL CLIMATE, ELEVATION, AND VOLCANIC SOIL—FOR ARABICA COFFEE TO GROW SUCCESSFULLY.
WHERE IS MOST AUSTRALIAN COFFEE GROWN?
THE MAJORITY IS PRODUCED IN FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND, PARTICULARLY AROUND MAREEBA AND ITS SURROUNDING REGIONS. SMALLER POCKETS EXIST IN NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES AND WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
WHAT MAKES FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND DIFFERENT FROM OTHER COFFEE REGIONS?
FNQ COMBINES TROPICAL CONDITIONS WITH COOLER HIGHLAND TEMPERATURES, VOLCANIC SOIL, AND A MIX OF SCALED AND FAMILY-OPERATED FARMS. THIS RESULTS IN COFFEES THAT TEND TO BE BALANCED, CLEAN, AND STRUCTURED.
WHAT DOES FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND COFFEE TASTE LIKE?
MOST FNQ COFFEES ARE KNOWN FOR:
THEY ARE GENERALLY CLEAN AND APPROACHABLE, SUITED TO BOTH BLACK AND MILK-BASED PREPARATIONS.
IS AUSTRALIAN-GROWN COFFEE CONSIDERED SPECIALTY COFFEE?
MUCH OF IT IS POSITIONED THAT WAY, BUT NOT ALL PRODUCTION MEETS SPECIALTY STANDARDS. THERE IS A RANGE—FROM COMMODITY THROUGH TO HIGH-END MICRO LOTS—WITH A GROWING FOCUS ON QUALITY AMONG CERTAIN PRODUCERS.
WHY ISN’T AUSTRALIAN COFFEE MORE WIDELY AVAILABLE INTERNATIONALLY?
PRODUCTION VOLUMES ARE RELATIVELY SMALL, AND COSTS OF PRODUCTION ARE HIGH. AS A RESULT, MUCH OF THE COFFEE IS CONSUMED DOMESTICALLY RATHER THAN EXPORTED AT SCALE.
ARE FNQ COFFEE FARMS SUSTAINABLE?
MANY OPERATE WITH PRACTICAL SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES—INCLUDING SOLAR ENERGY USE, FULL UTILISATION OF COFFEE CHERRY (WITH PULP RETURNED TO THE SOIL), AND STRICT LABOUR AND COMPLIANCE STANDARDS. APPROACHES DIFFER FROM OTHER ORIGINS BUT ARE LOCALLY RELEVANT.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT COFFEE FARMS IN FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND?
HARVEST SEASON (GENERALLY LATE AUTUMN THROUGH WINTER) PROVIDES THE MOST ACTIVITY, INCLUDING PICKING AND PROCESSING. HOWEVER, MANY FARMS ARE ACCESSIBLE YEAR-ROUND.
IS LOCALLY GROWN AUSTRALIAN COFFEE FRESHER THAN IMPORTED COFFEE?
IT CAN BE. SHORTER SUPPLY CHAINS MEAN LESS TIME BETWEEN HARVEST, ROAST, AND CONSUMPTION, WHICH CAN RESULT IN GREATER FRESHNESS.
WHO IS HELPING PROMOTE FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND COFFEE?
A MIX OF GROWERS, ROASTERS, AND PRODUCER-LED BUSINESSES—INCLUDING JACK MURAT—ARE WORKING TO BUILD AWARENESS OF AUSTRALIAN COFFEE THROUGH BOTH PRODUCT AND DIRECT ENGAGEMENT WITH CONSUMERS.
WALK INTO ANY SUPERMARKET OR BOUTIQUE CAFÉ IN AUSTRALIA TODAY, AND YOU ARE CONFRONTED BY A DIZZYING ARRAY OF CHOICE. DOZENS OF AUSTRALIAN COFFEE BRANDS LINE THE SHELVES, EACH ADORNED...
JOIN THE JACK MURAT COFFEE FARM TOUR IN MAREEBA, QUEENSLAND, AND SEE A WORKING AUSTRALIAN COFFEE FARM IN ACTION. WALK THE FIELDS, DISCOVER HOW COFFEE IS GROWN AND PROCESSED,...
BREWING AUSTRALIAN GROWN COFFEE IS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING FUNDAMENTALS, NOT RIGID RECIPES. LEARN HOW TO GET THE BEST FROM JACK MURAT COFFEE WITH PRACTICAL GUIDANCE ON GRIND SIZE, ROAST STYLE,...
