Cunnamulla is a good 800 km drive west of Brisbane and could be called the gateway to the real outback with several major highways intersecting the town. Back in 1846 Sir Thomas Mitchell explored the floodplains of the Warrego River, but being so far away from the goldfields and other favourable areas, growth was slow. But by 1860 there was an influx of settlers and graziers a courthouse was built and the Cobb & Co coach came to town. Soon Cunnamulla the was becoming the hub for several intersecting stock routes the population grew and with that the railway came to town, shops opened including a soap maker and a cordial factory, a school was built and new areas were being discovered.
Over time Cunnamulla has seen fortunes in wool and grazing with several large pastoral stations, now it’s a sleepy town but holds some hidden secrets within the area. Cunnamulla has had a chequered past and a daunting reminder still stands today. In 1880 Joseph Wells attempted to rob the local bank, but it all went wrong and he was wounded in a struggle. He fled the bank and hid up a tree where the local dogs soon found him. Wells was eventually found guilty and was sentenced to death. Known as the Robbers tree it now has a heritage listing and is less than 1km from town.
Basing yourself at Cunnamulla there are a few options to explore the town and the outer reaches of the shire. A great source of history and local knowledge can be found right in the heart of town beside Centenary Park at the tourist information centre. Here you can pick up maps and wander the displays that include the Paroo pioneer pathway, the Artesian Time Tunnel and visit the Cunnamulla Fella out front. This double life size statue was commissioned after Slim Dusty released a song by the same name and is the centre piece to the yearly festival.
A history trail has been set up around town where you can spend a few hours driving around town and taking several walkways to points of interest. The heritage trail lets you discover the towns heritage buildings, the river walk has a superb sunset viewing platform above the river, checkout the magnificent old railway covered platform and for the kids don't forget to visit the sand dunes just out of town for a little fun in the sand.
5 km south of town is the Allan Tannock weir, a perfect place to sit by the water and watch the birds come and go on the water or if you bought your tinnie there is a boat ramp. Gas bbqs and picnic tables complete are here for all to use. Further afield take a drive 64km west to Eulo ( pronounced U low ). It’s only a small town but during the month of September believe it or not, they hold Lizard racing on a specially designed Lizard Racing track !!.
Eulo is also known for having an Artesian mud springs, date farms and is home to ‘Kenny'. Discovered in 2011, Kenny is a Diprotodon, which is very similar to our current Wombat. The only difference is that Kenny is some 7 foot high, 15 foot long and weighs around 500kg. Roaming the earth up until 46 000 years ago, Kenny is regarded as one of the best preserved prehistoric skeletons every found. A short drive out of Eulo is the Paroo River. This is a great area for a picnic or camp with plenty of room for even the biggest of trailers. A must do here is the walking trail around the wetland that highlights significant areas on the river bank.
If Opal fossicking is more your thing, just north of Eulo at Yowah there are several Opal fields where you can take a tour and try your luck scratching around and because there is no such thing as town water out here, the locals suck a bore nearly 1km deep to tap into the hot artesian water. One of the quirky highlights out here in this remote community is that you can soak in the water for hours at a time either in the community pool or some bath tubs just near the shop. For those wanting to experience life on a true working outback station there are several in the area where accommodation is available from camping to bunking down in shearers quarters. They also offer bush cooking, sheep shearing and day to day station life. Cunnamulla is a pretty town with majestic streets, historical buildings and proud residents. Stop and spend a little time here- you wont be disappointed.
