Categories
Queensland

Betoota

Except for surrounding cattle stations, Betoota stands alone on a vast gibber plain. The town is located 170 kilometres east of Birdsville and 227 kilometres west of Windorah. Betoota started as a Cobb and Co changing station and border town with its main income being derived from tolls and taxes. This source of revenue dried up on the establishment of the Federation. Twice a year this ghost town comes alive with activity as locals and visitors alike arrive by plane, coach and motor vehicle to enjoy local events. On the first weekend after Easter it’s a fun-packed weekend at the Gymkhana. On the third Saturday in September horse racing at the Betoota Track is the go. This is where you’ll meet ‘down to earth’ Australians with a wry sense of humour! Brown’s Creek is a popular local camping area near the now deserted Betoota Hotel. Be sure to visit Deon’s Lookout – a memorial to one of this country’s sons with peaceful views of the land he loved.

Categories
New South Wales

Nymboida

Nymboida is a small village situated about 40 km south west from Grafton, along the road to Armidale. It enjoys stunning mountain bush, magnificent waterways and an abundance of wildlife, including many endangered species. The village is sited near the Nymboida River and Goolang Creek and has a charming heritage style hotel/motel, canoe centre & camp grounds, outdoor activity centre, school, community hall, church, police station, and sports ground, all surrounded by a small amount of local houses and a large amount of beautiful country side. The Nymboida area was opened up by the charting of craigs line as an access link between armidale and the clarence district. The link was described as one of the worst pieces of country that man had negotiated with bullock drawn vehicles.This spectacular terrain is far more comfortable for today’s motorist. At Nymboida, a hydro-electricpower station pumps water from the nymboida river and then releases into goolang creek, creating one of Australia’s most exciting white-water canoe courses. Spectators can sit just inches from the action and enjoy the thrills and spills of state, national and world title contests. Visitors may camp in the ground adjacent to goolang creek. The Nymboida coaching station was built on the armidale mail run one hundred years ago. it overlooks the Nymboida river and is now the jump-off point for many rafting tours. Just south of the Nymboida area around Billy’s Creek and Hernani are located two farmstays for those wanting to retreat to the picture-perfect and peaceful rural surrounds

Categories
Queensland

Corfield

A tiny town it may be, but Corfield has a big heart. Stay a while. Enjoy the hospitable welcome at The Corfield Pub, play a game of tennis, or get a cricket match going on the local cricket pitch. There’s plenty of room for camping! Once a year a Race Meeting is held which attracts people from far and wide. The prize money totals AUD50,000! A former Cobb and Co Coach staging point, the town is a social centre for local graziers and their families. Located 83 kilometres north west of Winton, on Winton-Hughenden Road.

Categories
South Australia

Greenock

The heart of western Barossa, Greenock is a peaceful village sometimes referred to as a “little Scotland in the Barossa”. The town’s oval, with its magnificent restored grandstand, hosts some of the region’s most competitive cricket and soccer matches and the shady recreation park is a popular spot for picnics and gatherings. Its origins were in copper mining, however the fertile land surrounding it soon saw Greenock develop as a service centre for the grain trade and the local farming community. Most commerce was based around the Greenock Arms Hotel, a relay station for district mail coaches and teamsters hauling primary produce from the Barossa and copper from the Kapunda Mines. The silo, mill and wheat store are still there, and Greenock still has a comfortable village feel. The local Tavern remains the hub of the town, a meeting place for locals and the new contemporary Murray Street Vineyards cellar door encourages visitors to linger longer.

Categories
Queensland

Mungallala

Mungallala, said to mean ‘food and water’ is the site of a cypress sawmill, located about half way between Mitchell and Morven where the Warrego Highway crosses the Mungallala Creek. Mungallala originated as a railway town and is a wonderful place to stop for lunch and experience the workings of an outback town. One of the interesting natural features of the area is a stand of Ooline trees. On the road between Mitchell and Mungallala, the Warrego Highway crosses hills which are wooded by a specimen of a rare tree commonly known as Ooline (Cadelia Pentastylis). It is said to be a remnant of rainforests of a previous age. For the self-sufficient traveller there is a rest area provided on the western side of town. This is the approximate site where the Cobb and Co. coach horses were changed on the journey to and from Charleville before the coming of the railway in 1885.

Categories
South Australia

Saddleworth

Stop in at Saddleworth to experience a traditional country town atmosphere and to wander through the local stores. The old Catholic Church cemetery atop the hill has interesting epitaphs as well as a nice view over the town. A heritage walk brochure is available from the Saddleworth Institute. Settlement of the Saddleworth area came in 1844. It was named by the early pastoralist John Masters after his hometown in Yorkshire, England. Saddleworth is still very much a pastoralist area, acting as a service town for the local rural community with the main activities being wheat, barley, sheep and cattle farming. West towards Auburn, wine is also a very important product of the area. Nearby Waterloo, Marrabel and Manoora reflect the still ever present historical tales of early pioneers. Indeed Waterloo was once a staging point between Burra and Adelaide for the horse drawn Cobb and Co Coaches.

Categories
Queensland

Yarraman

Yarraman is a Hoop Pine timber town surrounded by rolling hills, rich farmlands and forests. Close to the Bunya Mountains and Palms National Park, Yarraman offers a quiet, leisurely country town atmosphere, with good facilities and easy access to the rest of the South Burnett After morning tea at the café, why not get into the history of the area with a visit to the heritage centre. With displays relating to forestry, education, art, agriculture, technology, war history and rail there is something here to interest everyone! This Heritage Centre is continually adding to its modern facilities and historical attractions for the visitor. As a base to explore the southern parts of the South Burnett, or for an overnight stay, the caravan park, cabins and other accommodation are available. Yarraman offers the visitor the opportunity get out and about and close to nature. With ‘mud maps’ available at outlets throughout the town, take some time to try out some of the walks. If Four Wheel Driving, trail bike riding or horse riding is more your style, then there are a number of suitable roads and tracks around the area. The Old Coach Road, which is a section of the National Trail and the Seven Mile Gold Diggings area are quite popular for these pursuits. Bird Watching is also a popular activity here with bird watchers from all over Australia congregating, hopeful of catching a glimpse of a rare Black-breasted Button Quail that is known to frequent only a small section of forest country between Yarraman and the Tarong Community Park. Plenty of other wildlife makes its home in Yarraman district. If you look carefully you may come across a Brush Turkey, Goanna, Wallaby, Bilby or even a shy Platypus.

Categories
South Australia

Tarpeena

Tarpeena means Redgum Trees, from the Aboriginal words Tart Pena, and the original part of the town was established in the mid 1860s. In the early years the township played an important role in that it was a change station for the coaches and mail. It is now mainly a timber milling town with one of the largest softwood milling operations in Australia based there. Radiata pines surround the township and other land is used for dairy cattle, beef cattle and sheep.

Categories
Queensland

Yuleba

Yuleba was involved in the last Cobb and Co coach run on the 16th of August 1924, when the coach ran from Surat to Yuleba. You can retrace the route, but check at the Shire office in Yuleba first as it is a dry weather road only. Just five kilometres south-east of Yuleba is scenic Judd’s Lagoon which features some magnificent flora and fauna. The locals also know it as a good fishing spot. Yuleba is situated four and a half hours travel from Brisbane and has a population of approximately 280 residents. Yuleba’s main industries are Beef, Cropping and in recent years also mining, since the opening of a Silicon Mine. Yuleba contains the Council Chambers for the Bendemere Shire which also encompasses Jackson and Wallumbilla.

Categories
Western Australia

Dunsborough

Dunsborough, half an hour’s drive down the coast from Busselton, overlooks the waters of Geographe Bay. It is an ideal family retreat with quiet coves, sandy beaches, national parks, nature reserves and numerous scenic walk trails. Dunsborough was judged Western Australia’s Top Tourism Town in 1999. It is home to the largest accessible dive wreck in the Southern hemisphere. The former HMAS Swan, a 120 metre long decommissioned naval destroyer, was scuttled in December 1997. Diving tours, for novice to experienced divers, are available most months of the year, subject to weather conditions. There are twelve moorings available for divers, however private boats need a dive permit which can be obtained from the Busselton or Dunsborough Tourist Bureaus. Whether you are interested in nature based activities, photography, wineries, canoeing, caves, camel rides or adrenalin pumping adventure activities, there is a tour to suit your needs. Meelup, Eagle Bay and Bunker Bay offer great beaches for fishing, swimming, snorkelling and picnics. Dunsborough is an ideal base for exploring the many wineries of the Margaret River Wine Region which are situated only a few minutes’ drive from the town centre. View the Cape with one of the many half or full day tours available by classic car, four wheel drive or coach. The town is perfectly located for the annual whale watching season, between September and December, when southern right, humpback and pygmy blue whales move along the coast from Cape to Cape. Seeing them basking or at play in Geographe Bay is an unforgettable experience when viewed either from coastal vantage points, such as the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, or from tour boats (be sure to observe stand off regulations if approaching in private vessels). You can purchase land-based Whale Watching Kits for the Cape to Cape Region from the Busselton and Dunsborough Tourist Bureaus. Other activities and attractions include swimming, snorkelling, art and craft galleries, wining and dining, striking coastal scenery, wildflower walk trails, and tours of the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park. Dunsborough is a busy, seaside town which provides an array of entertainment options, particularly in the summer months. Live music, art and craft galleries, extensive wining and dining options plus regular market days are some of the pleasures on offer. A wide variety of dining experiences wait to tempt your tastebuds, from beachside cafes, fine dining restaurants to gourmet vineyard delights. The Margaret River Wine Region is responsible for only one percent of Australia’s wine production, but supplies no less than 10 percent of the premium market. Visitors will find vineyards dotting the picture book hillsides throughout the Capes. Each has its own style and ambience with many offering lunch and dinner. In all there are over 50 vineyards and 30 wineries, a remarkable number considering that wine was first produced in the region just 30 years ago. Character and quality can be found in fruit intense chardonnays, rich semillons, robust cabernets, soft merlots and other varietal wines and blends. Highly skilled chefs have, like the winemakers, been attracted to the region by the promise of working with high quality produce. Invariably they are stimulated to produce dishes with flair and imagination. Many wineries offer meals with spectacular views over vineyards and tranquil rural settings. You can also find several boutique breweries set amongst the vineyards, where you can partake of some unusual and exotic amber brews. An excellent selection of resorts, hotels and motels, bed and breakfasts, guest houses, selfcontained and caravan parks are available. Free information and booking services are available through Dunsborough and Busselton Tourist Bureaus.