Situated 81-kilometres west of Dalby along the Warrego Highway in the Darling Downs is the Melon capital of Australia, Chinchilla – producing 25 per cent of the country’s watermelons, rockmelons and honeydew melons. It’s no wonder why there’s fruit spare for the annual melon skiing, bungee and pip spitting competitions held every second February.
Visitors also flock to Chinchilla by the dozen to try their hand at fossicking the Chinchilla Red petrified wood. Licences can be purchased from the visitor information centre, where you’re encouraged to settle in with a Devonshire tea and freshly-made scones on the verandah.
Stroll the main street lined in native cypress pines and dabble in the nearby cultural centre, art gallery and historical museum loaded with steam engines and saw mill artefacts. Step it up a notch on the local bushwalking trails and tourist district drives, detouring along sidetracks lined in unique Chinchilla White Gum (Eucalyptus argophloia).
Experience the night sky and stars from within a swag on the banks of the Condamine River and Charleys Creek, and throw a fishing line at the Chinchilla Weir for (almost) guaranteed freshwater golden perch and jewfish.
