Injune to Belyando Crossing via Springsure, Emerald, Capella and Clermont

PICTURESQUE COUNTRY.

Great Inland Way / total distance 601km

This itinerary is a tour of some of Central Queensland’s most picturesque country towns, sewn together with a living history of iconic conquests and some of the lowest lows.

WHO WILL LOVE IT?

History buffs

Nature lovers

INJUNE

We begin this itinerary in a town that could pass as a masterpiece of a legendary landscape artist such as Arthur Streeton.

Set at the foothills of the dramatic Carnarvon Ranges and on the western spur of the Great Dividing Range, Injune is a six and a half hour’s drive from Brisbane.

This vibrant community was born later than most in the region. In 1920 men were sent to build a camp to support the development of soldier housing following the end of the Great War. It wasn’t gazetted until 1922.

Start your journey back in time under the broad-leafed bottle tree just off the southern approach to town where you’ll find a small historical cemetery that dates from 1930 to 1976.

Introduce yourself to some of the town’s unforgettable personalities by taking the Characters of Injune walk.

You’ll see people immortalised in statues and be able to read their story as you stroll down the main street.

You’ll pass Injune Creek Gallery in the centre of town. It’s well worth a stroll through the local and visiting exhibitions.

Just a stone’s throw from the caravan park, the lagoon offers a picturesque walk brought to life by a veritable aviary of bird species including lorikeets, kookaburras, pigeons, galahs, cockatoos, magpies and more. See how many you can spot in the majestic old gum trees that date back from before the town existed.

Injune offers real Australian bush tranquillity and unforgettable characters, both past and present.

Top 4 National Park Road Trips from Injune

CARNARVON NATIONAL PARK 1 hour and 49 minutes

LAKE NUGA NUGA NATIONAL PARK 1 hour and 36 minutes

EXPEDITION NATIONAL PARK 40 minutes

MOUNT MOFFATT 2 hours

SPRINGSURE

Springsure is the next town on this itinerary, however there is one stop on this 2 hour and 25 minute drive north of Injune that cannot be missed – Carnarvon National Park. Its great white peaks alone are worth the journey.

Once you arrive in Springsure get into the outlaw spirit of Central Queensland’s early days and pay homage to some of the country’s darkest history. Find out more on page 27.

EMERALD

Our next port of call is another town of historic train stations, butterfly-filled gardens and art galleries manifested by passionate local curators. Emerald is only 45 minutes’ drive north of Springsure. Find out more about its charms on page 22.

CAPELLA

Pull out the camera once again for the 30 minute drive north to Capella. The Central Queensland Highlands town is set against a backdrop of the Peak Ranges, ancient volcanic godly figures that seem to stare down on the community and the sapphire fields beyond.

For the best view in town head to Peak Range Lookout, which is 1km south of Capella itself.

Hit Peak Downs Street for a stroll through town where you’ll find the Australian Light Horse Monument and pass 30 wall and light pole murals commemorating interesting parts of the community’s history. Did you know that according to local lore, the first time Australian troopers wore the now famous emu feathers in their slouch hats was at Peak Downs station during the Great Shearers’ Strike of 1891. The locally constructed Australian Light

Horse Monument in the Capella Parklands is a striking dedication to the area’s contribution to the history and tradition of Australian armed forces.

Cool off at the Capella Aquatic Centre’s wading pool, plunge pool and shallow pool. It’s also a great place to have lunch on the free electric barbeques or in the café.

Take the time to explore history before you leave.

The Capella Pioneer Village is at the north end of the main street and includes more than 5,000 items from the town’s settler, wool, railway and wartime history.

The star of the village is the Peak Downs homestead, Australia’s largest restored shingle roofed station. Local spotted gum trees were pit sawn to create the homestead back in 1869. It remains a tribute to 19th century carpentry.

CLERMONT

Get ready for drama (and a little bit of tragedy). When you are in one of the most historic towns in Northern Australia there is bound to be a story around every corner.

Clermont is just 40 minutes’ drive north west of Capella. The first inland settlement in the tropics, this is a frontier town to its very core.

Our story begins with a group of shepherds who were sent to the area to set up an outpost camp. While they were building huts, they found gold.

This prompted the town to be gazetted as Clermont in 1864. The days following were laced with gold rushes, copper mines, timber industry, shearers, stockmen and squatters.

In a town of this historic pedigree, the Clermont Historical Centre simply cannot be missed. There are more than 8,000 artefacts reflecting the dramatic history on display.

Outside the Centre’s walls history is painted across the town in a series of impressive murals depicting railway carriages, the cattle industry and a lone shearer wandering the dry plains of Central Queensland. See if you can spot the hidden green frog in every mural.

Walk around the Hood Lagoon and imagine the terror residents felt as it broke its banks in the great flood of 1916, killing 65 local residents. The high waters even carried a piano into a gumtree, which you can still see today.

Take a short trip 50 kilometres east of town to the Peak Range National Park where climactic volcanic plugs stand like sentinels rising from the plains. Hike to the top of the 411m tall Mt Pollux, one of the Gemini Mountains, to watch wedgetail eagles glide across the horizon and around Wolfang Peak in the distance. This climb is a mixture of walking and a little bit of scrambling, with views that are well worth the effort.

BELYANDO CROSSING

The final stop on this history and nature lovers’ itinerary is a river crossing stop that’s worth bringing the camera along for. Belyando Crossing is 1 hour and 50 minutes’ drive from Clermont.

Stopover in the shady picnic area or even camp here overnight and set some nets to catch a feed of red claw crayfish in the local creeks.

For the 4WD enthusiasts there is a large, shallow salt lake named Lake Buchanan. The drive takes you through some incredibly picturesque landscapes. The vastness of the lake itself has a surreal quality.

The tiny Belyando Crossing Pioneer Cemetery is a small but meaningful nod to the local history of the community. You’ll find it on Gregory Development Road.

The iconic Belyando Crossing roadhouse has been here since before the gravel and bull dust was replaced by bitumen. While the owners may have changed overtime, the country hospitality hasn’t.

It’s the perfect place to look back through all the photos you’ve taken on the journey and think about what the historians will say about our time here in the years to come.

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