If you like to take the road less travelled and have ever wondered about life in Australia’s outback, you need to know about Charters Towers – just a 90-minute drive west of Townsville in north Queensland.
This quintessential Aussie town was once a thriving city during the goldrush – so big it was once called ‘The World’. Today it’s a gateway to the vast wilderness beyond and just 134kms inland from Townsville, it’s also one of the most accessible outback destinations.
Charters Towers is on Gudjal land, where indigenous populations have lived for thousands of years. Gold was first discovered there in 1871 and 20 years later, it grew to a population of 25,000.
Many of the heritage buildings built during the town’s heyday are still standing strong, providing a rich architectural backdrop to the historic tours that attract tourists from all over Australia and beyond.
Visit the Miner’s Cottage in Charters Towers where you can try your hand at panning for gold. The cottage backs on to a fully functioning blacksmith shop, which also offers a window into a bygone world.
The owner of the cottage, Alan Silverwood, is a retired prospector with extensive knowledge on where to find gold. Gold detectors are available for hire with training as part of the hire conditions.
The Charters Towers Ghost Walk is a guided two-hour tour full of stories steeped in history that will make your hairs stand on end. Hear the tale of The Black Shirt of Irish Molly’s and the tragedy on Mosman Street among others (tours run seasonally from May – August).
The Texas Longhorn Tours is a must for anyone who has heard about the magnificence of the famous cattle. The tours feature horse-drawn wagon rides and the original Texas Longhorn Safari. You’ll also see some of the longest horned cattle in the world (tours run seasonally from May – October).
Those looking for a quirky place to stay need look no further than Kernow Charters Towers. It was formally known as Mosman Hall – a large psychiatric hospital built on the outskirts of the town between 1950 and 1952.
It stopped operating in during the 1990s and has since been fully renovated. The accommodation includes hotel-style rooms and self-contained apartments.
If you’re unsure where to start, there’s the one to three day road trip that allows visitors to take in all of Charters Towers. It includes a sunset experience at the Towers Hill lookout and a guided tour of the Venus Gold Battery, a mill that provided gold extraction facilities to miners for over a century.
The Townsville region’s diversity is its distinction. Up for Unexpected – Townsville North Queensland.
