Emerald

Emerald lies on the Nogoa River on the Country of the Kairi and neighbouring peoples, about 270 km west of Rockhampton in Queensland's Central Highlands. It is a busy regional centre for agriculture and coal mining, and the largest town between the coast and the outback on the Capricorn Highway. For travellers, Emerald is a comfortable base with full services, a big lake and easy access to the sapphire fields and Carnarvon Gorge.

Things to do in Emerald

• Van Gogh sunflower painting. A giant replica of one of Van Gogh's sunflower paintings stands on a huge easel in town, a nod to the district's sunflower crops.
• Emerald Botanic Gardens. Riverside gardens with walking paths and picnic areas.
• Historic railway station. A heritage-listed station building in the town centre.
• Lake Maraboon. Formed by Fairbairn Dam, one of Queensland's largest lakes, about 20 km south of town. Fishing, boating and camping are popular.
• Town heritage walk. Murals and historic buildings tell the town's story.

The Gemfields

West of Emerald, the towns of Anakie, Sapphire and Rubyvale make up one of the richest sapphire fields in the world. You can buy a bucket of wash at a fossicking park and sieve for gems, join a mine tour, or fossick yourself in designated areas with a Queensland fossicking licence. Gem shops cut and set stones. The Gemfields have a distinctive, quirky character, with miners' camps and small museums.

Carnarvon Gorge

Carnarvon Gorge, with towering sandstone cliffs, side gorges and significant Aboriginal rock art, lies about 250 km south of Emerald via Springsure. Many travellers combine Emerald with a few days in the gorge.

Getting there

Emerald is on the Capricorn Highway, which links Rockhampton to Longreach, and the Gregory Highway, which runs north–south. Emerald Airport has flights to Brisbane. The Spirit of the Outback train between Brisbane, Rockhampton and Longreach stops at Emerald. Emerald is a stop on the Great Inland Way.

Where to stay

Emerald has motels, hotels and caravan parks. Camping is available at Lake Maraboon and in the Gemfields.

Suggested two days

Day one. Explore Emerald's gardens, the Van Gogh painting and the railway station, then spend the afternoon at Lake Maraboon.

Day two. Drive to the Gemfields, fossick at a park in Sapphire or Rubyvale, take a mine tour, and visit gem shops.

When to visit

April to October has mild days and cool nights. Summers are hot, and floods occasionally affect the region.

Tips

• Buy a fossicking licence online before heading to the Gemfields.
• Carry water and a hat when fossicking.
• Watch for mining traffic on roads around Emerald.

History in brief

Explorer Ludwig Leichhardt passed through the Central Highlands in 1844–45, and pastoral runs followed. Emerald grew around the railway line west from Rockhampton in the late 1870s. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Fairbairn Dam and irrigation scheme transformed the district into a major cropping area, growing cotton, grain, citrus and grapes. Coal mining in the Bowen Basin brought further growth. Emerald remains a busy working town with a mix of farming and mining families.

Fossicking tips

• Choose the right method. Beginners usually start with a bucket of wash at a fossicking park, where staff show you how to sieve and spot sapphires.
• Go early. Mornings are cooler and the light helps when sorting gravel.
• Bring gear. Sieves, a shovel, water and a hat are essential if you are fossicking yourself.
• Know the rules. Licences are required, and fossicking is allowed only in designated areas. Never enter private claims.
• Get stones valued. Local gem cutters can tell you what you have found.

Nearby

Springsure, south of Emerald, sits beneath the striking Virgin Rock. Capella and Clermont to the north are historic towns in mining and grazing country. Further west along the Capricorn Highway, Alpha and Jericho lead towards Barcaldine and Longreach.

Events

Emerald hosts agricultural shows and community events throughout the year, and the Gemfields hold a gem festival, usually in August. Check the Central Highlands Regional Council events calendar for dates before you travel.

Fuel, phones and medical help

Emerald Hospital on Hospital Road is open 24 hours and is the major referral hospital for primary health centres across the Central Highlands. Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service lists general medicine, maternity and emergency care, and there is a pharmacy at the hospital (phone 07 4987 9400).

Travelling with kids

Families often enjoy the Big Easel and fossicking at the Gemfields, where kids may find small sapphires in a bucket of wash.

Fishing Lake Maraboon

Lake Maraboon, behind Fairbairn Dam, is part of Queensland's Stocked Impoundment Permit Scheme. The Queensland Government lists barramundi and golden perch as the stocked species. Anyone 18 or older needs a current permit to line fish the dam. Redclaw crayfish are plentiful. Check the Queensland Government's Fairbairn Dam page for current permit rules, size and bag limits.

More things to do in Emerald

The Big Easel. In Morton Park, a giant easel holds a large replica of one of Van Gogh's Sunflowers paintings. The Central Queensland Highlands visitor site lists it with the Centenary of Federation Mosaic Pathway and the Pioneer Cottage Complex.

Emerald Regional Botanic Gardens. On the banks of the Nogoa River, the gardens are described as covering 42 hectares, with themed gardens, a maze, a rainforest section, sculptures and about 6 km of walking and cycling tracks. They're a shady spot for a picnic.

Lake Maraboon (Fairbairn Dam). Fishing, boating, kayaking, birdwatching and sunsets. See the Lake Maraboon section below for fishing rules and SIP details.

The Sapphire Gemfields. Fossick for sapphires at Sapphire, Rubyvale, Anakie and the surrounding fields, join a mine tour, and browse gem shops. A fossicking licence is required.

Is Emerald worth visiting?

Yes, especially if you're interested in fossicking, fishing or Carnarvon Gorge. Emerald is the Central Highlands' main service town, with supermarkets, fuel and mechanics. It's a practical base for Lake Maraboon and the Gemfields, which are about 40 to 60 km west. Allow two days for the town and the Gemfields, and more if you add Carnarvon Gorge.

Emerald with kids

The botanic gardens' maze and paths, picnics at Lake Maraboon, and fossicking at the Gemfields are all family favourites. Kids especially enjoy sieving wash for sapphires at a fossicking park.

Practical information

• Distance: about 270 km west of Rockhampton.
• Best time: April to October.
• Related: Carnarvon Gorge, Great Inland Way, Longreach, Duaringa, Outback Queensland.

Emerald is the gateway to the Central Queensland gemfields. See fossicking and gem fields for licences and permits.

Nearby park guide: Blackdown Tableland.