COVID-19 restrictions are slowly easing which means that all those travel plans we’ve been making and dreaming of to the Quilpie Shire for the last few months may be a reality soon enough (fingers crossed)! With this in mind we think you should add Eromanga to your list of ‘must visit’ towns for your post COVID-19 Outback trip, and here’s why you need to spend a Saturday (or any day) in Eromanga.
Kick start your morning in Eromanga with a delicious breakfast at the Eromanga Café. Not only can you get a hearty bacon and egg breakfast but manager’s Paul and Tracey are incredible bakers so be sure to grab some cakes and muffins for the road (we can vouch for the caramel slice and the coffee and walnut muffins!)
After breakfast it’s time to work it off with a walk along the Eromanga historical town walk. But before you leave the Café make sure you get a coffee for the walk (and those cakes we mentioned earlier…..you’ll need them later).
Signs are dotted throughout the town and will point you in the direction of each stop. You’ll learn about some of the historical buildings of the town and where they stood.
After you’re leisurely yet informative walk, grab your car and head south of Eromanga and you will find some rather strange figures on the side of the road just on the outskirts of town.
Make a stop here….they won’t bite. This mother Sauropod and her babies or Knot-a-saurus’, were actually statues commissioned for the 2014 Brisbane G20 Summit to showcase Queensland’s rich Fossil heritage. They were then donated to the Outback Gondwana Foundation who operate the Eromanga Natural History Museum and like so many others they are now spending their retirement in Outback Queensland! Lucky ducks….i mean Knot-a-saurus’. (P.S. Those muffins we suggested you buy earlier….this is a great spot to enjoy them).
Now you are on a time limit here, we have to be at the Eromanga Natural History Museum before 11am for your Australian Dinosaur Giants Tour. So after you’ve had your pic with the knot-o-saurus family and scoffed your cake, keep heading south for approx. 3km until you find the Museum.
During your 1hr guided tour you will learn about ‘Cooper’, who is in fact Australia’s largest dinosaur and even get to stand next to 3D replicas of some of his incredibly large bones.
You will also learn about the impressive Eulo Mega Fauna, the Diprotodon’s as well as hear names such as ‘Monty’, ‘Zac’ and ‘Sid’. If you are visiting after March 2021 you will even get to experience the new stage of the Museum which is currently under construction and features a café and theatre among other things (we don’t want to spoil it for you).
You’ve probably worked up quite an appetite by now and we’ve got a great idea for lunch.
Head back in to town and grab some snags and bread from your supplies and head to ‘Opalopolis Park’ for a BBQ lunch. Coin operated BBQ’s are available to use and there is a great grassed area for picnics or tables and chairs. Kids will love the playground area and facilities are open to use at the hall.
After lunch, walk about 100m up to the Royal Hotel and ask Scott or Rita for the keys to the Living History Centre. Head back down to the park and grab the rest of the family and take a stroll through the Living History Centre museum next door to the park. The Centre houses history and artefacts relevant to Eromanga and the area and incorporates a theatre with a film of local residents telling you the history of the area.
Pile back in the car because you are headed for a quick drive out to the Kyabra Waterhole, well it’s about a 40km drive but that’s quick for us Aussie’s! Enjoy the tranquil waterhole and the birdlife that call it home. Try your luck catching a yellow belly or some Yabbies for a deliciously fresh feed!
Head back in to town and get all spruced up because you’re heading out tonight. That’s right Saturdays are the nights to be seen at the Royal Hotel for the weekly community BBQ. The BBQ raises money for different local charities and organisations each week and is a great place to meet and chat to some of the locals and hear stories of Eromanga from those who know her best!
I tell ya what, I am exhausted from my days exploring in Eromanga and I’ve only wrote about it! You know what, to be safe you better spend 2 days or more here because there is just so much to do!
