Explore Gin Gin

Gin Gin - Queensland

Gin Gin is a small rural town 350 kilometres north of Brisbane, surrounded by sugar cane, vineyards and olive groves. It is a popular place to stop when travelling along the Bruce Highway, as it is halfway between Brisbane and Rockhampton.

During our visit to Gin Gin, we wandered along the main street and enjoyed a Devonshire tea at the Gin Gin Regional Courthouse Gallery. We saw the heritage-listed Railway Station at the Historical Village and rode through the Boolboonda Tunnel. We also explored the Mystery Craters and visited the Fred Haigh Dam at Lake Monduran.

Gin Gin Queensland

Gin Gin Queensland

Gin Gin Queensland

Gin Gin Queensland

Gin Gin Queensland

Gin Gin Queensland

Along the picturesque, wide main street is a Visitor Centre, lovely gardens, a playground, picnic tables, artworks and sculptures. Gin Gin also has a great bakery, several cafes, traditional Hotels and shops to browse in.

The Gin Gin Courthouse was built in 1935 and used as a courthouse until 1990. It is now home to the Gin Gin Regional Courthouse Gallery, which showcases local arts and crafts and has a cafe and gift shop; we enjoyed a lovely Devonshire tea on the verandah. At the rear of the courthouse is the original police lock-up consisting of a small weatherboard-clad timber structure on low concrete stumps covered by a corrugated iron-clad gable roof.

The Gin Gin Historical Village is a collection of railway and machinery memorabilia on the former Gin Gin Railway Station site. You can wander around the grounds for free or pay a small fee to view the museum inside.

Gin Gin Queensland

Gin Gin Queensland

Gin Gin Queensland

Gin Gin Queensland

Gin Gin Queensland

Gin Gin Queensland

The Boolboonda Tunnel is located 35 kilometres from Gin Gin, and it extends 192 metres through the rocky hill. It is the longest, non-supported tunnel in the Southern Hemisphere,

It was constructed between 1883 and 1884 as part of the railway line from North Bundaberg to Mount Perry. The miners cut through from both ends and met up in the middle. You can drive or walk through the tunnel, which is now home to hundreds of bent-wing bats.

The Mystery Craters are 35 unusually shaped craters discovered in 1971. They are located 22 kilometres from Gin Gin at South Kolan. The craters are a unique mixture of sandstone and ochre, and scientists believe they are over 25 million years old. But nobody knows how they were formed. Are they sinkholes, remnants of the dinosaur era, or created by a volcanic eruption?

You can take a self-guided tour of the mystery craters, browse through the crystal rock and fossil room and the gift shop and enjoy a coffee at the cafe.

Gin Gin Queensland

Gin Gin Queensland

Gin Gin Queensland

Gin Gin Queensland

Gin Gin Queensland

Gin Gin Queensland

Located 24 kilometres north of Gin Gin is the Fred Haigh Dam at Lake Monduran. This lake is known for its fantastic barramundi fishing, and in 2010, a world-record barra weighing 44.6 kilograms was caught here. There is also a holiday park, boat ramp, lookouts, BBQ and picnic areas.