Rockhampton travel guide

Straddling both the Tropic of Capricorn and picturesque Fitzroy River, Rockhampton – or ‘Rocky’ as it is affectionately known – is the dubbed the ‘beef capital’ of Australia. First settled by Scots pioneer Charles Archer in 1855 (yet strangely bestowed the anglicized suffix ‘Hampton’,meaning ‘a place near water’), the city enjoyed a brief gold rush in the late 1850s before the more sustainable bovine alternative finally sealed its economic fate. Although most visitors stay only very briefly, on their way to sample the coastal delights of Yeppoon and Great Keppel Island, Rocky has a truly diverse range of tourist attractions, from the historical and cultural to the ecological and even subterranean. Then, of course, there is the town’s legendary gastronomic delight, in the form of a steak the size of a small European country.

With its mineral and agricultural heritage, there are numerous historical buildings dominating the city centre. These include the 1902 Customs House, which now houses the VIC, the 1895 Post Office, on the corner of East Street and Denham Street, the 1890 Criterion Hotel, on Quay Street, and the 1887 Supreme Court, on East Lane, which has been in continuous use now for over a century. As well as its numerous historical buildings, Rockhampton also boasts six bull statues, in celebration of its status as the beef capital of Australia.

Train enthusiasts will enjoy the Archer Park Steam Tram Museum (Denison St, T4922 2774, http://www.steamtram.rockhampton.qld.gov.au, Sun-Fri 1000-1600, $7.30, children $4.20, tram operates Sun 1000-1300).

The town also has a number of art galleries. Best of the lot is the Rockhampton Art Gallery (62 Victoria Pde, T4927 7129, Tue-Fri 1000-1600, Sat-Sun 1100-1600, free), which displays a long-established collection of mainly 1940-1970s Australian works as well as some more recent contemporary acquisitions.

The small but tidy Rockhampton Zoo (T4922 1654, 0800-1700, free), on Spencer Street, has many natives on hand including koala and tame kangaroos and a charming pair of chimps called Cassie and Ockie (as in Dokie). Almost next door are the spacious Botanical Gardens (0600-1800), first established in 1869. Amongst its leafy avenues of palms and cycads are a fernery, a Japanese garden and the peaceful garden tearooms. Murray Lagoon is also a fine place to stroll around.

Though not quite on a par with the Tjapukai Aboriginal park near Cairns, the Dreamtime Centre (6 km north of the Rockhampton city along the Bruce Highway, T4936 1655, http://www.dreamtimecentre.com.au, Mon-Fri 1000-1530, $13.50, children $6.50, guided tours start daily at 1030), is an entertaining introduction to Aboriginal and Torres Strait heritage using a wide range of displays and hands-on activities. Set in 12 ha of parkland just off the Bruce Highway, 6 km north of the city centre, a guided or self-guided tour allows you to witness some masterful didgeridoo playing, before exploring the various displays outside in the Torres Strait Islander Village. These include traditional gunyahs (shelters) and the giant Dugong Complex, with artefacts and building materials. There is also a native plant garden where you can learn about their use as food and medicine. For many the highlight of their visit is the opportunity to throw a boomerang so it actually comes back.

Established over 20 years ago, Koorana Crocodile Farm (Coowonga Rd, Emu Park, 33 km east of the city, T4934 4749, http://www.koorana.com.au, 1000-1500, $22, children $11, tours at 1030-1200 and 1300-1430, no public transport), was the first private croc farm in Queensland and is home to some mighty large characters. Tours are available and there is an interesting video presentation that will avail you of many facts, the most memorable being that crocodile dung was once used for contraception (though quite how, thankfully, remains an enigma). Mount Morgan, 38 km southwest of the city, has a steam railway and a small but well-presented museum (1000-1600, $5, children $1), celebrating its highly productive gold and coppermining heritage. There is also a bat-infested cave nearby where dinosaur footprints were discovered in 1954. Mount Archer, which looms large at 604 m above Rocky’s northeastern suburbs, has a fine summitwalk and lookout. Access is from the end of Moores Creek Road, north of the Bruce Highway. Vehicular access to the summit is from Frenchville Road, off Norman, which is off Moores Creek Road....read more