NATURAL PLAYGROUND

MONTO TO ROCKHAMPTON VIA BILOELA AND MOUNT MORGAN

This drive itinerary feels purpose-made for nature lovers, history buffs, beef connoisseurs and those who like to get active.

WHO WILL LOVE IT?

Nature lovers 4WD enthusiasts Those with gold fever History buffs Beef connoisseurs Admirers of art

MONTO

Monto is an easy starting point, located 200km west of Bundaberg and an easy day’s drive from Brisbane. The town itself is a warm hub of historic, cultural and artistic flare. The Lister Street Parkland is the perfect place for a picnic breakfast under the trees. Work off your meal by strolling through the metal and sandstone sculptures of local and visiting artists that dot the grounds.

A walk through the Three Moon Historical and Cultural Complex is a journey through a history of pioneering settlers, epic world wars and the tools of a fortune built from gold. Discover Monto’s painted water tanks, silo towers and street murals, a series of large murals depicting 1920’s settlement life, including the Three Moons story of the Gooreng Gooreng people. With two of Mother Nature’s finest national parks within 90km of each other and a stunning diversity of landscapes, this itinerary is like driving through an art gallery of living, breathing masterpieces.

Begin with Cania Gorge National Park, just 30 minutes’ drive from Monto. Watch Mulgildie Plateau’s rich red soil transform into the towering hardwoods of Coominglah Forest. These rich palettes break open into a picturesque lake, extending into the horizon outside your window.

There are more than 10 walking trails in Cania Gorge National Park, that lead past giant sandstone cliffs, caves, stunning lookouts and winding natural creeks.

Just south of Thangool, Mount Scoria is an obvious and impressive landmark, although not large compared with most mountains. It rises 150m above a flat, lightly vegetated plain and has a base less than 2km in circumference. Mount Scoria was the site of an active volcano about 20 to 26 million years ago.

The mountain features unusual and impressive basalt columns. As the volcano’s lava cooled, it formed distinct columns or pillars with five to eight sides, called columnar basalt. The number of sides indicates the speed and evenness of cooling.

The six-sided columns formed from a slow and regular cooling process while the five, seven and eight-sided columns were formed by irregular shrinkage caused from a quick and uneven cooling process. The columns are best viewed from the walking track. Please do not strike them as this can cause significant damage.

From one of Mother Nature’s finest creations to the next, Kroombit Tops National Park is just 55km north of Cania Gorge National Park. There are a number of access roads to the park, please note most are 4WD access only.

Born from volcanoes, the park offers a cool retreat in a mosaic of woodlands, rainforests, scrublands and a hidden secret more than half a century old.

For 50 years the park hid the wreck of World War II plane, Liberator, which crash landed in 1945 after flying through a heavy storm. Named Beautiful Betsy, the plane is now on show for walkers who can explore the wreckage laying exactly where it crash landed.

Step out of the pages of history and towards the next stop on this nature lover’s itinerary, Biloela.

TOP 5 WAYS TO GET ACTIVE IN NATURE

1. Walk to Kroombit Tops Lookout and take in the whole Boyne Valley2

2. Reel in a mighty barramundi on Lake Callide3

3. Teach the kids how to canoe through the sunken forests of the Callide Dam4

4. Sail across Big Dam at Mount Morgan5

5. Spot glossy black cockatoos while you cycle through Mt Archer National Park

BILOELA

It’s the kind of town where everyone says ‘G’day’, and making friends is easy.

There is a natural warmth to this place that is built from a pioneering past, when people learned to rely on each other.

The chapters of Biloela’s past are alive throughout the town.

Visit Kilburnie, the 1883 home of the local Campbell Family, now an operational cattle station and tourist attraction. Imagine local artist Ruby Campbell boiling tea on the wooden stove top as you walk through the kitchen, or her father laying the round logs of the Blacksmith’s shed that still stands today.

Or walk the wide verandahs of Greycliffe Homestead, home to the Nott Family for 100 years. Imagine it full of the sounds of seven children growing up. Along with Queensland Heritage Park and Spirit of the Land Mural, these stunning pioneering homesteads pay homage to the men, women and machinery that over generations created a legacy of prosperity.

Step back into the present and try your hand at painting with art workshops offered by Banana Shire Regional Art Gallery.

Don’t leave Biloela without dropping a line.

It’s home to the expansive Callide Dam, generously stocked with hard hitting barramundi. Pull up alongside a sunken forest of dead trees and get ready to start fighting as soon as your lure hits the water.

The Dam has a shaded barbeque and picnic area with a playground for the kids. It’s a great space to end your time in Biloela before the 1 hour and 18 minute drive north to Mount Morgan.

MOUNT MORGAN

Imagine risking everything for the chance to strike it rich on the gold fields. For some, lady luck struck indeed. Mount Morgan is home to what was one of the world’s most productive gold mines.

So productive in fact that in the past it paid Australia’s national debt and contributed to the cost of Australia’s World War I campaign.

Step back in time and visit the Mount Morgan Historical Museum, diving into a unique collection of early mining equipment, household objects, photographs, cultural and educational aspects of the past.

In 1898, Mount Morgan Railway Station was built to serve the booming gold mine. Today it’s part of the Mount Morgan Railway Museum and Accredited Visitor Information

Centre which is definitely worth a visit whether you’re a railway buff or just looking for something different to pass an afternoon.

It’s easy to soak up a whole day at No 7 Dam. Known by the locals as ‘Big Dam’ due to its expansive size, it’s a haven for water sports and fishing fans. It has a large playground and extensive shaded barbeque and picnic area, home to a family of kookaburras.

ROCKHAMPTON

Just 40 minutes’ drive north of Mount Morgan, you’ll find yourself in one of the largest regional cities in Queensland and the undeniable beef and barramundi capital of Australia.

SHORT DRIVES FROM ROCKHAMPTON

CAPRICORN CAVES 35 minutes north of Rockhampton

Suit up for a tour through candle lit stone pathways, culminating in the Cathedral Cave. The naturally domed space is perfectly designed for church-like acoustics. Its beauty and wonder making it a popular venue for weddings.

KOORANA CROCODILE FARM 31 minutes east of Rockhampton

Run by John and Lillian Lever who originally provided a service to remove crocodiles from public recreation areas. They removed more than 100 crocodiles and started the first commercial crocodile farm in Queensland. Gates open at 10am each day. Tours include checking out the crocodiles, the chance to hold a juvenile croc and if you’re lucky, watch a baby croc hatch.

YEPPOON 40 minutes east of Rockhampton

Beaches, Great Keppel Island and the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

MT HAY GEMSTONE TOURIST PARK 33 minutes south west of Rockhampton

Get your hands dirty learning how to distinguish thundereggs from regular stones. When the fossicking is complete crack open your find to discover a galaxy of coloured crystals inside.

A walk through town is like turning pages in a book, with Australia’s longest National Trust heritage-listed street lined with buildings like Customs House and the Criterion Hotel.

If you time your visit right you find yourself at one of Australia’s major beef selling centres, the Central Queensland Livestock Exchange, getting caught up in the thrill of a live auction.

You can’t visit the beef capital without indulging in a mouthwatering eye fillet or iconic pub steak. Check out Explore Rockhampton’s Tastes of Rockhampton for a full list of steakhouses around town.

Don’t forget the Rockhampton Zoo. You can explore more than 60 native and exotic animals including their resident chimp family and mischievous mob of meerkats. Go at your own pace or join feeding experiences and keeper talks. With free entry, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon.

If the kids still have plenty of energy head to Kershaw Gardens and sit back and relax as they run wild amongst an all ages playground precinct and climb the five storey Wyatts Wonder Web. Once the kids have had some fun, cool off in the water play area and take a leisurely walk to the waterfall and throughout the parklands.

If beer and great food is more your scene, head to Headricks Lane micro-brewery and treat your taste buds to some of the hottest brewers from around Queensland and Australia.

Step back in time at the Archer Park Railway Museum. Sit on the platform of the heritage-listed former railway station and imagine how many people have bid their farewells or kissed loved ones returning home. Don’t miss the rare French Purrey steam tram that once operated back in 1909.

Rockhampton offers a selection of boutique and contemporary hotels, budget style and self-contained apartments, many located on the southern side of the Fitzroy River surrounded by awardwinning restaurants and bars.

One of the most surprising aspects of Rockhampton is its stunning natural attractions. Discover Nurim Circuit, Mount Archer’s 500m elevated treetop boardwalk and explore the Rockhampton Riverside Precent. Or pick up a picnic hamper from the Gardens Tearooms and find a shady spot in the 130 year-old heritage listed oasis that is Rockhampton Botanic Gardens.

For more detailed itineraries visit www.queenslanddrives.com.au