Joanna James
Moranbah is a modern thriving coal-mining town encapsulating the rugged and picturesque environment of outback Australia. Here are some places to visit and do whilst there.
Moranbah was found 1019 km towards the northwest of Brisbane and 195 km southwest of Mackay. It is a flourishing modernised town, initiated exclusively as a mining village in 1970 by the Utah Development Company. In 2016 it had a population of around 8700 people. Today it is a booming and wealthy town in the centre of the coal-mining country in Queensland. The town is big enough to support a population of permanent miners and a high number of out of state miners who land at the regional airport and work in the many pits nearby the town.
Found in the Town Square Park close to the walkway opposite the shops is a statue of a Bridled-Nailtail Wallaby, made out of sandstone by artist Adriaan Vanderlugt in 2001. The Bridled-Nailtail Wallaby is a type of wallaby believed to be extinct but has made a comeback, thanks to successful breeding programmes that release them back to the wild.
The Peak Range is a string of rugged and striking mountains amidst Dysart, Moranbah, and Clermont. The distinctive summits are noticeable from a notable distance beyond the low country plains. The most magnificent scenes will be at sunrise and sunset. The Peak Range is built by widespread distribution of basalt runs and rhyolite, trachyte. These emitted from the Peak Range Volcano between 32 and 29 million years ago.
Visitors can experience bushwalking and photography in the National Park and witness dramatic geological highlights, landscapes and places of historical interest. It is a secluded natural environment with no mobile vehicle entrance, amenities or designated walking tracks.
The walk begins at Mills Avenue and Goonyella Road and continues for a kilometre until it arrives at the Big Red Rhino Bucket. It is symbolic of the massive coal pits in the region. The Bucket for 1$ was sold to the town's people by the Peak Downs Mine.
At 572m and 172 hectares, it is the most famous peak of the mountains and takes around an hour to reach the peak. It has notable picturesque and geological areas of interest. Climbers can hope to encounter a swarm of bats in a small cave and the giant St Andrews spiders close to the peak. Once there, you will get a 360° glimpse of the encircling farmland and the National Park and offering remarkable and unique views of Queensland. The incline under its volcanic peak displays an open scrub opening way to clear fields of grassland and Eucalyptus trees.
A fun little game, especially for children, can be found at the Musical Playground and found at Town Square Park. It includes a seat that can be performed like a xylophone. There is also a playable park table and a complicated section of railway fittings that can be hit and clanged. For accommodation in Moranbah, service apartments such as the Oaks Moranbah Suites can be found around town.
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A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
