Sunday’s are a little quieter in Outback Queensland in general, especially in Summer, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t plenty to fill in your Sunday in Quilpie.
(Photo: Jenny Beusang)
Start your morning bright and early (around 5am) by heading 5km east of Quilpie to enjoy the sun rising over Lake Houdraman. Watch as the birdlife comes to life in the morning sun and the kangaroos venture out for a morning graze over the open plane.
Head 3km back toward Quilpie and enjoy a stroll along the signed Bulloo River Walk before making your way back to town and stopping at the Old Empire Café for some breaky. Grab one of their famous bacon & egg muffins and a coffee and head across the street to the Bob Young RSL Memorial Park. Here you can enjoy breakfast in the park and also admire the murals and memorials to residents of the Quilpie Shire who have served in the armed forces. For those with kids you could also head to the Bicentennial Park on the western side of town where you will find playground, Skate Park and even tennis and netball courts.
After breaky grab your sunscreen, water bottles and hats and head to the free opal fossicking site just on the edge of town. Scratch around the mullock heaps and discover some opal fragments from the beautiful local Boulder Opal. When the sun starts to get a little too hot, head back in to town and experience the Boulder Opal in all its glory at St. Finbarr’s Church. Here the opal, lectern and font are all adorned with local opal from the area.
Before 11:30 make sure you head to The Friendly Grocers and grab some meat and salad items for your BBQ dinner tonight……we will give you more details soon.
After a busy morning you must be starving, and the Imperial Hotel has got just the thing for you. There’s nothing quite like an Outback Pub and the atmosphere they radiate. Take a seat at the bar and enjoy a counter meal, cold drink and a chat with a local.
Following your lunch head to the airport and take a walk through the mini museum and learn about the old wool scour which once stood on the site and the landing of famous aviatrix Amy Johnson who, to the delight of excited locals, landed in Quilpie in 1930.
From the airport, head back towards Quilpie and stop in at the ‘End of the Line’. The Great Western Railway line to Quilpie was completed in 1917 and with plans to extend the line further west dashed due to material and fund shortages, Quilpie still remains the official end of the Railway line….OR the start, depending how you want to look at things!
Keep cool in the summer afternoon by heading to the local Pool. With a 25m pool, heated leisure pool and toddler splash pool, there is something here to keep the whole family entertained on a summer day. Make sure you try one of their delicious frappes while you are there….can vouch for the coffee….mmmmmm.
Now it’s time to head back to your camp and grab those items you picked up at the shop this morning and prepare for your BBQ dinner at Baldy Top Lookout.
Head 7.4km south west of Quilpie to Baldy Top until you find the shaded BBQ area and set up for dinner. Plan to arrive around 5/5:30pm so you have some time to cook, eat and have a look around the base and surrounding landscape before you head up the lookout to enjoy one of Quilpie Shire’s best assets….the outback sunset!
Now didn’t we tell you there was plenty to do? Quilpie may seem like a sleepy little town on a Sunday but it is so much more!
