They deal with cyclones, extreme heat, and metres of rain each year — and the workers who make the stomach-dropping trip up Mount Bellenden Ker have a critical job at the top.
It is considered one of the most stomach-dropping cable car rides in the country, but this ride is not for tourists.
Mr Buhagiar's job is to carry out the maintenance on the BAI Communications Australia-owned cableway, the 100-metre tall antennae and transmission line that transmits ABC radio channels, as well as ABC television, SBS, and commercial stations Seven, Nine, and Southern Cross Media, across a 250-metre radius encompassing Cairns.
He said working in the extreme conditions — heat, humidity and rainfall measured in metres — could be challenging, particularly in an area known for cyclones. "They had to chopper the concrete in with buckets and then you had all sorts of problems like bags of cement going hard from the rain."BAI's network planning manager Chris Howe said the challenge of keeping the transmitter operational was immense.