Emerald Travel Guide

  Railway station @ Emerald
by balhannah
  • Railway station @ Emerald
      Railway station @ Emerald
    by balhannah
  • Fairbairn Dam
      Fairbairn Dam
    by balhannah
  • Traction engine (steam)
      Traction engine (steam)
    by balhannah
  • Mine cart for inside
      Mine cart for inside
    by balhannah
  • Emerald historic railway station
      Emerald historic railway station
    by balhannah

Pro

Sweetberry1 profile photo

 Nearby Gemfields.. 


Con

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 Rember this is inland Australia, distances are large 


In a nutshell

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 Well worth seeing 

 

Explore Emerald

Things to Do  

SAPPHIRES!

SAPPHIRES!, Emerald

 balhannah Says:  Close by Emerald are the Sapphire fields. The towns of Rubyvale, Anakie, Tomahawk creek gemfields and Willow gemfields.The Gemfields of Sapphire and Rubyvale are by far the greatest attraction during the Winter, Spring and Autumn months, people flock here by the hundred's in... 

HISTORIC RAILWAY STATION

HISTORIC RAILWAY STATION, Emerald

 balhannah Says:  In 1899 Emerald's first Railway Station was built, but was burnt to the ground.1900, and a new Railway Station was built, and what a beautiful one it is with lovely architecture. Built out of timber, with iron roof and wrought iron trimmings, it has an elaborate entrance,... 

VAN GOGH SUNFLOWER PAINTING

VAN GOGH SUNFLOWER PAINTING, Emerald

 balhannah Says:  The world's biggest Van Gogh sunflower painting is situated in Morton Park, Emerald.Emerald, famous as a major sunflower producer, is home to the world's biggest Van Gogh sunflower painting on an easel. The huge painting is 25 metres high with approximately 13.6 tonnes of... 

FAIRBAIRN DAM & LAKE MARABOON

FAIRBAIRN DAM & LAKE MARABOON, Emerald

 balhannah Says:  Fairbairn Dam and Lake Maraboon ................Fairbairn Dam refers to the spillway and Lake Maraboon, meaning ‘where the black duck fly’, refers to the body of water behind the spillway. This huge expanse of water is three times the size of Sydney Harbour and is home to a... 

WINDMILL & YARN PIT AT THE BOTANIC GARDENS

WINDMILL & YARN PIT AT THE BOTANIC GARDENS, Emerald

 balhannah Says:  Right next to where we parked our car at Rigle Range road at the Emerald Botanic gardens, was a large, Southern Cross Windmill. It lwas built in 1931 and was used for irrigation on "Marathon", one of the early pioneer farms near Emerald. Now, after restoration, it is here in... 

Botanic Gardens @ Emerald

Botanic Gardens @ Emerald, Emerald

 balhannah Says:  The Botanic Gardens are on the edge of the Nogoa River. They have quite a good variety of plants, including a formal terraced rose garden and a Rainforest. There is even a Maze, made out of Melaleuca's, these are in the Celestial Garden.If you are here at the right time,... 

Fossilized Tree

Fossilized Tree, Emerald

 Sweetberry1 Says:  This amazing fossilised tree is 250 million years old, and is located just outside Emerald's Town Hall. The tree was unearthed in 1979 when a new railway bridge was being built across the Mackenzie River for the Gregory Mine. It was presented to the town in its centenary... 

Water Gardens

Water Gardens, Emerald

 Sweetberry1 Says:  The gardens also have some beautiful ponds and water gardens. Most of the garden areas is for pedestrian use only. However bicycles are permitted in some clearly marked areas. 

Flowering Trees

Flowering Trees, Emerald

 Sweetberry1 Says:  Sections of the gardens has been devoted to plants which are indigenous to the Central Highlands. Features include the Federation Pillars, Marbles in the Park, the Water Fall and Bush Chapel.There also many varieties of flowering shrubs and trees 

More on the Gardens

More on the Gardens, Emerald

 Sweetberry1 Says:  There are approximately 6kms of walking tracks throughout the Eastern and Western sides of the Botanical Gardens.Some of the attractions you will find on the Western Side of the gardens include Secure Play equipment and BBQ area, Band Stand, the Rose Garden and Mono Rail. 

Botanical Gardens

Botanical Gardens, Emerald

 Sweetberry1 Says:  The Emerald Botanic Gardens are situated on the banks of the Nogoa River.They are the only Botanic Gardens in the Central Western District of Queensland.The total area of gardens is 42 hectares. 

Main Road through Town

Main Road through Town, Emerald

 Sweetberry1 Says:  Peak hour traffic in Emerald.. ;-) For a town this size, I found it to be way too quiet. The only places that had a lot of activity, were the many pubs and clubs. 

Transportation  

Emerald Airport
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3 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

Sweetberry1 1101 reviews
Airport

Qantas Link provide daily RPT services into Emerald..
Facilities inc..
A modern passenger terminal building
Kiosk (operates during RPT flights)
Public telephone in terminal building
Car rentals
Car parking

Written Oct 3, 2004

Related to:
 Family Travel

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Local Customs  

TOILETS
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balhannah 7685 reviews
Toilet mural

One thing you don't need to worry about in Australia, is finding Toilets. They are everywhere, including the smallest of Towns.
We even have a map with locations of Toilets all around Australia.
What I think is nice, is the way Towns paint their Toilets with Murals, quite often depicting the Town and area.
The ones in my photo, were in Emerald, and from what I can see, they are depicting the Fairbarn dam and the birdlife there.

Written Jun 29, 2010

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Tourist Traps  

Kiely's Farm in Emerald
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cbrandlehner 39 reviews

Kiely's Farm is indeed offering FREE CAMPING for self-contained vans and motorhomes, therefore you may want to stay there for a night.
The trap at Kiely's farm is the little shop selling overpriced cotton-products. They advertise it a products from Australian cotton but if you have a closer look you may find some little tags saying "made in china".

Another trap a the same farm is the animal farm. The entry fee is AUD 8, which is definitely too much for some domesticated animals (pig, goose, duck, horse ...) and some animals from South-America.

See their homepage at: http://www.kielysfarm.com

Unique Suggestions: Just stay on the free camping and enjoy the relaxing bar and the complimentary videos on cotton farming.

Fun Alternatives: If you are traveling across Australia you will pass Sydney. Visit the zoo there - it is definitely worth the price and much more bigger.

Written Sep 14, 2003

Related to:
 Farm Stay

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Off The Beaten Path  

Towns in the Gemfields

Towns in the Gemfields, Emerald

 Sweetberry1 Says:  The 4 small towns of Anakie, Willows, Sapphire and Rubyvale are all situated on the Gemfields. During my visit to the Willows gemfields, I was very fortunate to have found several good quality gems. Some of these were Zircons, Garnets, Blue Sapphires, and Yellow Sapphires...... 

Gemfields Continued..

Gemfields Continued.., Emerald

 Sweetberry1 Says:  Just over 40 km west of the town of Emerald is an area that is a major supplier of sapphires to the world market. These are one of the richest sapphire fields on the planet.Sapphires are second only to diamonds in hardness and are one of the five most prized gems in the... 

The Gemfields

The Gemfields, Emerald

 Sweetberry1 Says:  The Gemfields has traditionally been a mecca for people from throughout Australia and overseas in search of sapphires and alternative lifestyle. The annual Gemfest is a unique festival that should not be missed. In recent years Gemfest has received international recognition... 

Favorites  

The Coal Industry

The Coal Industry, Emerald

 Sweetberry1 Says:  Emerald is indebted to coal rather than gemstones, or green grass for its prosperity.And, despite its proximity to the gemfields of Anakie, Sapphire and Rubyvale, Emerald has much to offer the visitor in its own right.The entrancing Botanical Gardens, a living museum in the... 

No Emeralds in this Town

No Emeralds in this Town, Emerald

 Sweetberry1 Says:  Emerald is central to a whole host of industries, ranging from grazing to the exotic. Among them are sheep and cattle, citrus farms, sapphire mining, coal, cotton industries, and vinyardsTo the west are the gemfields and to the east is the Blackdown Tableland National Park. 

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Map of Emerald