I find that remote western QLD is like the wild west, it’s ruggered, harsh, you certainly don’t know what you’ll find and of course its remote. But its these places where you’ll often find unbelievably little towns with great people with plenty of history to boot. Just recently I was exploring the Longreach area when a so called short cut led me to a very unique place called Yaraka and is located smack bang in the middle of Queensland about 3 hours south of Longreach.
This little town with a population of just 20 people was once a thriving area. Take a step back in time when explorer Ed Kennedy passed through the area seeking new pastoral land around 1850 and in just 10 years farmers moved in creating huge sheep and cattle stations. Just after the turn of the century the government decided to build a rail line out into central Queensland to support the industry, however due to political and war unrest at the time the line stopped at Yaraka, and this town was then known as the ‘town at the end of the line’. Funnily enough the QLD rail department named the town with respect to the local Aboriginal people which means “ white spear grass which grows in the district “.
The end of the line didn’t deter people from Yaraka as the town boomed for the next 50 years as a train came once a week to deliver goods and passengers but more importantly take livestock back to Brisbane for export. The locals used the rail shed for dances and parties after the freight was moved to one side, this building still stands - although the floor boards are a bit iffy. Reports say that in 1953 over 5400 cattle were moved away which was a huge feat back in the day, unfortunately the line was eventually closed in 2005.
Today the town is alive and well where its open to travellers and the few remaining residents embrace the constant flow of visitors. The roads surrounding Yaraka are the typical outback ones that travel the flat sparse landscape where occasionally the elevation will rise giving stunning views across the Mitchell Grass plains and towards Grey Range. Silver leaf Acacia and dense hardened Mulga Trees give a false sense that this area is thick with scrub but in fact its not. While the Mulga is a hardy native tree the roots tap deep into the ground searching for water while the Acacia takes away the surface water not allowing the native grasses to grow.
Approaching Yaraka from any direction, Mount Slocombe is the towns iconic landmark and at over 200 metres high its very visible. This massive sandstone flat top Messa has been wearing away over millions of years from when the inland sea once covered central Australia. A trip to the top of the mountain is a must and although bitumen all the way, its not recommend to tow a trailer to the top due to the narrow and winding road. Once at the top the views are stunning in every direction and with free gas BBQ’s and new toilets its a nice spot to spend a few hours. The town itself is a short 10 minutes away where you can camp behind the pub for a few dollars.
The main street has stunning Bougainvillaea’s cascading over fences giving stunning colours to the otherwise harsh landscape. Along the street there are relics like old mine gear, railway memorabilia, transport gear and you can walk the old rail track to the end of the line and check out the fully restored train station that’s packed full to the brim with Yaraka’s history. Its free to enter too. A funny little thing here in town is that there are three ‘wildish’ Emu’s. I say wildish because they are wild but most days they wander around camp looking for snacks and will even oblige a pat or two and often are seen inside the pub if the back gate isn’t shut.
Back at the pub with its bloody cheap as chips camping fees, a good way to support the little community is to eat or have a beer in house and I can tell you that the meals are large and well worth it plus the pub has sitting room where you can read local books and admire the towns history up on the walls plus meet other travellers and locals. Speaking of locals we were approached by a local named Chris who is the unofficial mayor of the town who out of his own pocket bought a mini bus and takes tourist to the top of Mount Slocombe most nights for a free sunset tour. Chris grew up in the area and is a walking, talking encyclopaedia of knowledge and as the sun goes down he will chat away giving you an insight to the area, the people and delve in a little history too. Oh, and because he is the driver he encourages you to bring a beverage along to really top the evening off.
Spending a few days here you can get permission to head out to the local Opal fields around the Macedon Range, explore a couple of remote National Parks or head bush and explore the ruins of the old pub and random graves. Yaraka is close to the Barcoo River that has a maze of run offs like a spider web where for most parts of the year you can fish for YellowBelly and Cod.. Behind the pub you can play golf, use the tennis court or cool off in the pool during the hot days. It’s a harsh place yet the locals bend over backwards to make you feel welcome
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