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- 2 - HUGHENDEN to CHARTERS TOWERS (243 kms) We leave the vast plains behind as we approach the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, passing through the historic hamlets of Prairie (with its much visited pub), Warreah and Torrens Creek, where you'll find it hard to resist The Big Didge. Get details on the southerly detour via Kooroorinya Falls from either Hughenden or Prairie. It might prove fruitful if you've brought your fishing tackle. White Mountains National Park straddles the highway between Torrens Creek and Pentland and rivals Porcupine Gorge for natural splendour. Its alabaster-like sandstone walls tower well over 100 metres in places.
There's bountiful accommodation for all tastes and budgets, ranging from quaint B&Bs through pubs to the more conventional motels and caravan parks. A staggering wartime photographic display lines the walls of City Hall reminding us of the role played by so many of the northern towns during that desperate time. Rumours of a huge arms stash buried near the town still persist. The weapons, ranging from small arms to whole tanks, were allegedly buried so that a guerrilla campaign could be waged after the inevitable Japanese occupation. CHARTERS TOWERS to TOWNSVILLE (134 kms) When you've finished perusing the multitude of museums, relic shops and bric-a-brac in Charters Towers, prepare yourself for the bustling tropical metropolis of Townville about two hours east. This leg is a pleasant dawdle, making for an easy start or finish to your trek. Most of the little towns along this stretch evolved as railheads, Cobb & Co staging points or gold mines and have now reverted to sleepy little hamlets with little more than a pub, a shop and a few dwellings.
January
Tennant Creek
Both trains easily accommodate a modern 4WD, camper trailer or car and offer a delightful enhancement to any larger trip. The legendary Ghan boasts a range of options that include luxury sleepers and day/night seats, while The Queenslander matches the Ghan in every respect with luxurious dining, gourmet menu and personal service. A great chance to meet fellow travellers, enjoy a drink, dine in style and get a good night's rest whilst staying on the move. Both services even offer a hire car or 4WD add-on at your destination. For further Information:
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Charters Towers is a picture-postcard town in every respect, with its colonial splendour preserved in the many fine buildings, large and small, that make up this town. There's a lot to be said for resisting architectural progress, and Charters Towers is a monument to the tasteful grace or our pioneer nation-builders. Just stroll up and down Milchester and Mosman Streets for a nostalgic glimpse of how life might have been at the turn of last century.
Townsville, in stark contrast to the many ornamental villages already visited, is a vibrant tourist hub with all the attendant trappings. A colourful boardwalk now graces the foreshore, and picturesque old hotels hang disco and backpacker banners from every point. There are shopping malls, theatres, casinos, restaurants, galleries and museums for all possible tastes. Those with a penchant for history and militaria will enjoy the RAAF, Kissing Point and Maritime Museums while others with a more delicate persuasion, can get their fill at attractions like the Billabong Sanctuary (17 kms south), Museum of Tropical Queensland or any of the plethora of reef tours on offer.
May
Cloncurry
Why not break your drive to either Alice Springs or Townsville with a relaxing train journey on either (or both) the Queenslander or The Ghan?