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Charleville - Queensland
Charleville is the largest town in South West Queensland, 750 kilometres from Brisbane. It is a popular destination for travellers, as you can see the Bilbies, go stargazing at the Cosmos Centre, and learn about World War II history.
On our recent visit to Charleville, we started the day by learning about the Bilbies, then visited the World War II Secret Base and wandered around the Graham Andrews Parklands. We then walked along the streets of Charleville, saw the silo art and ended the day at the Cosmos Centre.
Charleville is home to the largest Bilby breeding program in Queensland, and you can learn more about them at the Bilby Experience. There is an informative keeper talk several times a day, and then you see the Bilbies in their specially designed nocturnal house. Make sure to book in advance as this experience is very popular.
The World War 2 Secret Base is an interactive exhibit where you will learn what 3500 American Army Air Force Troops were doing in Charleville in 1943. It is open daily from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm; they also offer a Tag a Long Tour, where you drive around to explore six unique sites.
At the Graham Andrews Parklands, you can wander along the pathways and enjoy the water features and sculptures; you can then take a rest on the Big Red Chair.
The Steiger Vortex Rainmaking Guns were used to try and break the drought in 1902 by firing them into the cloudy sky to try and produce rain.
We wandered around Charleville and looked at the lovely old heritage buildings, colourful murals and quirky artworks.
Guido van Heten painted the Charleville Water Tower mural, which features four children intertwined through sport.
From April to October, The Cosmos Centre is open from 10.00 am to 7.00 pm, seven days a week, and you can explore the interactive Cosmos Shuttle and watch a documentary in the Star Gazing Theatre for free. You can also book a Planetarium Show, a Sun viewing or the Big Sky Observatory Tour.
Unfortunately, the evening Big Sky Observatory tour with the outdoor telescopes was cancelled due to cloudy weather, so we did the backup option, the Planetarium Virtual Observatory, in the dome.
Other things to do in Charleville are the Historic House and Museum, Corones Hotel Tour, Angellala Bridge Explosion, Royal Flying Doctors Visitor Centre, and Outback Date Farm Tour.
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