Things To Do In Winton, Outback Queensland

4 months ago 54

Ah, Winton Queensland. You definite caught america by surprise! This tiny, distant municipality is not connected each traveler’s radar, and it wasn’t adjacent connected ours until our friends told america astir it.

“It’s lone a one-street town, but we liked it. It was quaint, and it’s truthful bully to beryllium extracurricular astatine the pub connected the country and ticker the Winton satellite spell by.”

Mount Isa to Winton Drive - Outback Queensland

Despite being lone location to astir 856 radical (according to the 2021 census) you’d beryllium amazed by the magnitude of things to bash successful Winton.

It’s surrounded by vast, unfastened godforsaken plains, cutting it disconnected from everyplace and everyone, truthful you tin beryllium definite the locals person created immoderate unsocial attractions to support them occupied!

The municipality of Winton was everything I’d romantically dreamed up astir an Australian Outback town. If you’re readying a sojourn and not definite what to bash there, present are immoderate of the apical things to do!

Table Of Contents

Is Winton Worth Visiting?

Winton QLD is decidedly worthy visiting. It whitethorn beryllium a tiny town, but it has a batch to offer, from its fascinating dinosaur history, to opal mining history, to creation installations, and of people the scenic landscapes of the Australian outback.

It besides happens to beryllium the municipality wherever Waltzing Matilda was written, which famously enactment Winton connected the map.

With its charming, laid-back atmosphere, assortment of attractions and divers history, Winton is undoubtedly a must-visit destination.

Things to Do successful Winton

1. Explore Downtown Winton

tree successful mediate of median portion successful state town

After the archetypal evening, wherever we did so beryllium extracurricular that pub connected the corner, I commented to Craig however I felt similar I was yet experiencing the Outback Queensland town I had imagined.

You could astir representation a Cobb & Co carriage rolling up and down the wide ambling streets and horses tied up extracurricular the pub that sits connected each corner.

Tattersalls Hotel with pond successful front

Town people sitting astir the bar, unfastened to conversations with strangers. Stories shared astir the past and characters that roamed the streets, aged and new, and a assemblage wherever everyone knew your name.

It was each present successful Winton, but for the horses tied up extracurricular the pubs. There’s not a pub connected each corner, but determination are 4 pubs dispersed retired astir the municipality serving its assemblage of lone 2,000.

The Tattersalls Hotel was the pub connected the country wherever we sat with caller friends John and Suzie connected the pavement, nether the stilted veranda supra us.

We arrived early, and the locals did so beryllium astir the barroom unfastened to conversations with us.

gum histrion and writer successful beforehand of Tattersalls Hotel

There was the young antheral from state Victoria, who worked astatine the Dinosaur Museum, softly enjoying a cookware of brew earlier going location to navigator dinner. He shared with america what helium loved astir the municipality and we talked a small astir footie too.

There was different local, the proprietor of the motel down the road, who’s made respective appearances successful galore of the films made successful the region. His connection ran into each different arsenic helium excitedly asked questions and shared his takings connected the municipality and, of course, his emotion for rum.

The barmaid knew everyone’s sanction and bid and was speedy with work and ace friendly. There wasn’t a look that said, “Oh God the tourists person walked in.” Instead, her eyes warmly said “Welcome to our pub and however tin I assistance you bask yourself.”

Ahh. I mightiness conscionable settee successful present astatine this barroom stool for awhile and chat. The useful artifact country retired backmost occupied the kids and allowed Craig and I bash that portion the girls built a farmyard.

The proprietor Paul popped implicit to accidental hullo and shared with america how, aft traveling the country, Winton was his prime of home.

We’d lone been determination an hour, and already we had an inkling this spot was thing special.

Beside america during dinner, sat a movie accumulation crew. Winton is similar the Outback Hollywood of Australia.

2. Have A Drink astatine Walkabout Creek Hotel

porch and introduction to walkabout hotel

On the thrust into Winton from Mount Isa, we stopped successful astatine the Walkabout Creek Hotel for a acold brew – the spot wherever a thirsty Paul Hogan, aka Crocodile Dundee, drank.

woman sitting astatine tube successful pub drinking beer

This accumulation unit was filming a bid astir the Alamo for an American accumulation company.

Mystery Road and The Proposition are a mates of the respective films and documentaries produced here. Each twelvemonth successful July, Winton holds the Outback Film Festival, which I’m ace keen to attend.

With its outback Wild West landscapes of jumps, oregon mesas, and its romanticist past determination are a batch of stories to beryllium told here.

Messa adjacent Winton successful Outback Queensland

3. Visit The Waltzing Matilda Centre

Winton is the spot wherever Banjo Paterson wrote and archetypal performed Australia’s unofficial National Anthem, Waltzing Matilda and to the large enigma was tally retired of municipality 3 weeks later.

Our caller friend, Suzie told america parts of the communicative implicit dinner. Her large Aunt, Sara was engaged to Banjo for 8 years and Suzie is making a documentary connected the communicative herself.

You tin larn each astir the past of the country astatine the Waltzing Matilda Centre – the lone attraction successful the satellite dedicated to a song.

Banjo Patterson statue astatine the Matilda Centre, Winton, Outback Queensland

I volition admit, I got a small teary portion watching the holograph astatine “Billabong Theatrette.” The shade tells his broadside of the communicative of Waltzing Matilda, a opus that lives profoundly successful the bosom of immoderate Australian.

It’s not conscionable a opus astir a sheep stealer that drowns himself to evade spending beingness successful prison.

Death was much preferable to a nonaccomplishment of freedom. On my travels astir the world, Waltzing Matilda was often sung successful pubs and astir campfires wherever groups of Aussies hung out.

You felt a beardown transportation to location and a content that our civilization was peculiar and worthy celebrating and loving.

All of this came rushing backmost arsenic we sat and watched. I tried to explicate to my children what it meant, hoping they’d recognize the value of it being much than a bully poem and a lively tune.

For a wound to devour and your java hole portion there, don’t miss the Coolabah Cafe attached to the centre.

Hands down THE BIGGEST focaccias, we’ve ever eaten (Craig recommends the turkey & bacon). The java was apical notch too. AND there’s escaped wi-fi, that works!

4. Visit North Gregory Hotel

You tin besides sojourn the celebrated North Gregory Hotel, which is the spot Waltzing Matilda was archetypal performed.

cars extracurricular North Gregory Hotel

5. Visit The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum

Apparently determination were besides Dinosaurs successful Winton, who knew? In fact, it’s considered the dinosaur superior of Australia!

Winton has much than conscionable heavy rooted Aussie taste history; there’s besides the past of different benignant – the prehistoric benignant – dinosaurs.

bin with dinosaur ft successful main thoroughfare of winton

Imagine the astonishment a section husbandman got years agone erstwhile helium stumbled upon immoderate rocks that seemed a small dissimilar mean rocks.

This unearthing of dinosaur bones led to excavations and the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum conscionable extracurricular of Winton present houses the world’s largest postulation of Australian dinosaur fossils.

women and children looking astatine dinosaur exhibit

Previous to this discovery, Australia was the lone continent wherever grounds of dinosaurs had not yet been uncovered.

You tin larn each astir the past and much by visiting the postulation room, including touching a existent dinosaur bony astatine the Fossil Preparation Laboratory attached to the depository founded by the precise husbandman who archetypal discovered the bones.

Just the determination of the depository atop a dinosaur canyon, a rugged mesa that stands 75 metres supra the surrounding plains is crushed capable to visit.

You get a look retired onto the level plains present burying the dinosaur bones nether a heavy furniture of achromatic soil.

With a small imagining (well possibly a lot) you tin representation a onshore that was erstwhile tropical and filled with thenar trees and dinosaurs.

I’ve ne'er successful my beingness been that funny successful dinosaurs, but Winton trapped maine into their allure.

But wait, Winton inactive holds much magic and charm.

Check retired this fractional time circuit of Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum.

6. See The Musical Fence

We indispensable speech astir the musical fence. Imagine a modular ligament obstruction with added acoustic resonators that amplify immoderate dependable successful the wires, caused either by striking oregon by upwind action.

It was close beside wherever we were staying and was our archetypal larboard of telephone for our day’s exploring. As soon arsenic we walked successful we each dispersed to the instrumentality that called america most.

Kalyra headed for the drums, Savannah for the hanging chimes, and myself for the philharmonic fence.

woman lasting successful beforehand of a sign

girl sitting connected a stool successful beforehand of a fake drum set

We had a large greeting jamming session. None of america could clasp a enactment excessively well, but who cares, we were having amusive creating our ain benignant of music.

woman lasting successful beforehand of a fence

But wait, determination is thing other peculiar astir this philharmonic fence. Gotye, you cognize of the fame “Somebody that I utilized to know”, the monolithic Grammy award-winning deed from an Australian artist.

Well, helium got a batch of inspiration for that medium from the philharmonic fence!

Before helium was known, helium pulled up successful municipality successful his touring van and visited the obstruction to jam retired and grounds immoderate absorbing tunes, which you present perceive successful his absorbing music!

Yay. Go the philharmonic fence. Go Winton!

You tin really ticker that video here:

7. Visit the Royal Open Air Theatre

If you’re looking for things to bash aft sunset, past a nighttime astatine the Royal Open Air Theatre should beryllium precocious connected your list.

Catch a precocious nighttime movie nether the stars oregon instrumentality portion successful nostalgia nights, wherever you tin get tickets for classical movies.

The unfastened aerial cinema operates from April until precocious September/October, truthful beryllium definite to cheque retired the what’s connected calendar to spot what’s happening erstwhile you visit.

8. Go On The Opal Walk Tour

One of the astir fashionable things to bash successful Winton is larn astir its erstwhile opal mining history.

The Opal Walk circuit successful Winton takes you connected a travel to observe the region’s precious gemstone.

This abbreviated and informative locomotion introduces you to the satellite of opal mining and tells of the beingness of opal miners, arsenic good arsenic teaches you the past of the the Royal Open Air Theatre Museum.

There is simply a nominal interest for the walk, and you tin find retired accusation astir times and tickets from the Gift and Gem Shop.

9. Check Out Bladensburg National Park

woman and children looking astatine presumption of Bladensburg National Park, Winton, Outback Queensland

Just a 20 minutes’ thrust from Winton main thoroughfare is Bladensburg National Park.

This expansive parkland features flat-topped plateaus, sandstone ranges, grassland plains, and stream flats, and is made up of respective scenic driving tracks, campy sites and walking tracks.

If you privation to acquisition the serene surroundings of the Queensland Outback, this is the spot to be.

Check retired this fractional time circuit of Bladensburg National Park here.

10. Visit Diamantina Heritage Truck & Machinery Museum

Another fascinating depository successful Winton is the Diamantina Heritage Truck & Machinery Museum which transports you backmost to the aureate epoch of trucking and machinery.

It was established successful July 2004 by a radical of passionate trucking enthusiasts and assemblage members, and showcases a singular postulation of historical trucks, vehicles, machinery, and transport memorabilia.

11. See Dinosaur Footprints successful Lark Quarry Conservation Park

For those who privation to spot the remains of dinosaur footprints, caput to Lark Quarry Conservation Park.

This unsocial parkland is location to the world’s lone known dinosaur stampede site, wherever implicit 3,000 dinosaur footprints tin inactive beryllium seen today.

This area, known arsenic the dinosaur stampede nationalist monument, travels crossed past mesas and gullies, surrounded by awe-inspiring landscapes beyond the fascinating trackways near down by these prehistoric creatures.

This is decidedly a tract not to beryllium skipped.

12. Hike the Spinifex Circuit

If you bask hiking, past see walking the Spinifex Circuit successful Winton. This 2-mile looped way takes you done the breathtaking jump-up state and reddish world scenery of Lark Quarry Conservation Park.

As you traverse the trail, you’ll beryllium immersed successful the stunning scenery, surrounded by spinifex writer and unsocial stone formations.

The medium-grade way provides an accidental to acquisition the rugged quality of the Outback portion enjoying panoramic views from the lookout point.

13. See Arno’s Wall

clay partition filled with motorbike parts

Arno’s Wall is an creation installation that’s made retired of factual and stone from Arno’s opal excavation successful the adjacent municipality of Opalton.

What makes this partition unsocial is that it’s made up of each household point you tin deliberation of, specified arsenic typewriters, motorbikes, vessel propellers, room sink, you sanction it.

It was the brainchild of German migrant Arno Grotjahan, who archetypal recovered the opal successful the country successful the 1960s, and resided successful Winton.

He spent his full beingness creating this wall, which runs astatine 2 meters precocious and 70 meters successful length.

Final Thoughts

Stunning presumption from the Australian Age of Dinosaurs successful Winton, Outback Queensland

Winton is besides 1 of the friendliest places successful Australia. They were affable capable for america to remark endlessly connected however affable the radical were.

I got a existent consciousness of assemblage successful Winton, again different crushed wherefore it lived up to my romanticist ideals of an Outback town.

I deliberation it’s the lone Outback municipality I could unrecorded successful for a wee while.

And if your coming to Winton via Mount Isa the scenery on the thrust is conscionable gorgeous.

We visited Winton successful concern with Tourism Queensland arsenic portion of our Outback Queensland drive, though each thoughts, ideas and opinions successful this usher are our own.