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Overlanders Way
For over 100 years our pioneers have been discovering the Overlander's Way. Today, travellers can follow in their footsteps on a 1,550 kilometre driving adventure across the breadth of Queensland and into the Northern Territory linking the wonders of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef to the rugged Aussie Outback.
Beginning at the tropical city of Townsville or Tennant Creek in the heart of the Northern Territory, the Overlander's Way offers sealed roads all the way for modern adventurers to travel with ease.
The Overlander's Way follows the paths of our droving heroes who brought vast herds of live cattle from the east Kimberleys to the coast. The route, which later served as an important supply line during World War Two, takes in the Outback towns of Charters Towers, Hughenden, Richmond, Cloncurry, Julia Creek, Mount Isa and Camooweal on the Queensland-Northern Territory border and Tennant Creek.
From the vast rugged cattle plains to dramatic basalt landscapes, spectacular gorges and prolific wildlife, the Overlander's Way promises a journey rich with discovery, unspoilt natural beauty and friendly local characters.
Get your FREE Overlander's Way map and brochure here.
Townsville - Life in the Tropics
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Before starting off on the Overlander's Way, spend a few days in Townsville enjoying the coastal pleasures of Australia's largest tropical city. |
Charters Towers - Ghosts of Gold
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Heading inland 134 kilometres, you'll reach Charters Towers, the site of a massive gold rush in the late 19th century. Leaving the Great Dividing Range, the Overlander's Way enters the massive cattle and sheep grazing plains of western Queensland. |
Hughenden - Dinosaur and Gorge Country
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Hughenden has many attractions to offer with four National Parks, Gemfields, mountainous volcanic basalt country, sweeping black soil plains and rich fossil and dinosaur areas. Known as Australia's Little Grand Canyon, Porcupine Gorge will delight you with the sheer magnitude of the cliff faces as well as the colourful sandstone rock formations lining the base.
The Flinders Discovery Centre is home to 'Hughie', the skeleton of a Muttaburrasaurus dinosaur, surrounded by an excellent fossil display, interactive displays on local bioregions, as well as Porcupine Gorge. This is a must for all visitors.
Gem quality peridot and other semi precious stones are found at Chudleigh Park Gemfields, north of Hughenden. Enjoy the scenic drives of the Basalt Byways and the Eromanga Byway plotted through some amazing countryside.
Call in at Prairie and Torrens Creek along the highway and experience genuine outback hospitality. Both towns have their own unique pubs, which are certainly worth a visit. South of Prairie is Kooroorinya Nature Reserve, for those wishing to relax and enjoy a natural billabong setting! Another small community is Stamford on the road to Winton, once a busy railhead for the district. |
Richmond- On Australia's Dinosaur Trail
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Richmond, halfway between Townsville and Mount Isa, is an ideal town to enjoy a night in the excellent quality accommodation, caravan park, motels, backpacker units and outback pub stay. Enjoy a refreshing swim in the new recreational lake situated within walking distance to all accommodation. Take a night walk around the paved walking track at the Lake and enjoy the kaleidoscope of stars in the brilliant Outback sky. Relax at the Lake and take the opportunity to wet a line with the chance of catching a fish or redclaw or two. The all year round water sports is another feature of the town Lake.
Richmond is renowned for its colourful Bougainvillea lined streets and parks and is home to the world famous Queensland Heritage Trails Network's Kronosaurus Korner. Inside the air conditioned Centre you will find the only museum in Australia primarily dedicated to displaying marine reptiles as well as a very special Dinosaur named 'Minmi'. Minmi takes pride of place alongside the Richmond Pliosaur — Australia's best vertebrate fossil and one of the world's best Pliosaur skeletons. Self-guided hand-held Audio-Guides are available. Don't miss the themed theatrette which provides the visitor with a unique introduction to life during the Cretaceous Period and watch the resident Curator at work, buy a souvenir at the Information Centre, ask for information on the region or just enjoy refreshments at the air conditioned Bakery Café. Call at Kronosaurus Korner for a map of designated Fossicking Sites, the resident curator will assist with identification of fossil finds. |
Eventful Julia Creek
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Next is Julia Creek, home of the Dirt and Dust Triathlon and Festival, and a lively calendar of sporting and social events that are a major feature of the town's lifestyle. The Dunnart Bush Festival and Talent Quest will be held in August and festivities will include live entertainment, bush markets, a poetry competition and bush dance. The Ford F-series Bull Ride and Kynuna Surf Carnival are events not to be missed.
Other things to do in the area include fossicking for gems and fossils, excellent birdwatching and visit the Walkabout Creek Hotel at nearby McKinlay, featured in the 'Crocodile Dundee' movies. A new nature trail has been placed along Julia Creek near the town where you can see wildlife close up or have a rest from your travels. You may also like to briefly divert to Kynuna and visit Combo Waterhole, the place where Waltzing Matilda really happened. |
Cloncurry - Home of the Royal Flying Doctor Service
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Cloncurry is best known as the destination of the first regular Qantas flight and birthplace of the famous Royal Flying Doctor Service. Well presented local museums, including John Flynn Place, pay tribute to the town's fascinating legends and copper mining heritage. The Art Deco-style Cloncurry Shire Hall and Library Complex in Scarr Street is the social heart of town and part of the Queensland Heritage Trails Network. The hall's special architectural qualities have been restored and include a community meeting room.
An annex of the library houses 'Portrait of Cloncurry', a visitor orientation exhibition with a video, maps and guide brochures that present an overview of the history, heritage and local characters of this town that prides itself as the 'Friendly Heart of the Great North West'. Other features of Cloncurry include its historic streetscape, the cemeteries with Chinese and Afghan graves and a memorial park about the former uranium mine, Mary Kathleen. |
Mount Isa - Underground Mines and Aboriginal Heritage
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From Cloncurry, the Overlander's Way winds its way through the spectacular Selwyn Ranges where rugged red hills contrast with huge white gum trees to Mount Isa, one of the world's great mining cities. While the once popular underground mine tours at Mount Isa Mines no longer operate, visitors are now able to visit the new and awe-inspiring Hard Times Mine as one of the many activities at the fantastic new Queensland Heritage Trails Network attraction at Outback at Isa.
Outback at Isa is a $12 million tourism complex which provides a range of exciting and diverse activities such as:- the underground tour at Hard Times Mines with knowledgeable and entertaining Mine Guides taking you through 1.2 km of tunnels; the fascinating exhibits and Laboratory Tours at Riversleigh Fossil Centre; the inspiring gallery exhibits and Mount Isa Mines Theatrette films at the Sir James Foots Building; and, finally, the creatively landscaped Outback Park.
At the Kalkadoon Tribal Centre, discover the rich culture of Mount Isa's earliest inhabitants, the Kalkadoon tribe — proud warriors and primitive miners. Other must see attractions include the Royal Flying Doctor Service Base, the School of the Air, Underground Hospital, the National Trust Tent House and Lake Moondarra. Located 250km north west of Mount Isa are the World Heritage listed Riversleigh Fossil Fields, described by Sir David Attenborough as one of the three most significant fossil deposits in the world. Access is recommended by 4WD or with a local tour operator. Don't miss the stunning Lawn Hill Gorge, a spectacular rainforest area fed by permanent spring waters which is an ideal spot to break your journey. |
Gateway to the Territory
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From the "Isa", it's 188 kilometres again through the Selwyn Ranges to the border town of Camooweal. Once a droving camp, the town is now a gateway to the Northern Territory.
The Overlander's Way meets the Explorer Highway at Three Ways. To the north is Katherine and Darwin and to the south is Tennant Creek and Alice Springs where more adventures lie along one of the great drives of Australia. |
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