diamantina tourism

Birdsville Bakery opens this Saturday

2017-04-04T03:14:51Z

Locals and visitors to this outback landmark were welcomed in for a spot of lunch and a cold beer.

A settlement of recipes also took place as former bakery owner Dusty Miller handed over the secret ingredients to their famous curried camel pies.

Tourism chiefs want Queensland to be events capital

2017-03-30T04:20:46Z

TOURISM leaders have embarked on a bold bid to make Queensland the events capital of Australia.

This year, Queensland will host events worth an estimated $600 million, with officials deep in discussions to bring other blockbusters to the state.

It is understood the State Government is just days away from renewing the contract of a major tourism event, while talks are also under way to lure marquee matches of another high-profile global sporting event to Queensland.

Brisbane has already won the right to host the final of the rugby League World Cup in December. The aggressive pursuit of major events is part of an ambitious target for Queensland to seize the title of Australia’s events capital.

Birdsville Bakery sells for $1.2 million

2017-03-30T03:27:29Z

Australia’s most iconic outback bakery, The Birdsville Bakery, has sold for $1.2 million, marking a new era of investment and development for Queensland’s most remote town.

After the 2:30pm settlement, Dusty Miller handed over the keys and recipes for the bakery’s famous curried camel pies to Martin Josselyn. This brings an end to 12 years of handling the heat in Outback Queensland’s most famous kitchen. The settlement of this iconic property is not just a boon for the Birdsville economy, but the population.

The Josselyns move their 4WD tour business and staff, who’ll now make up six per cent of the population of Birdsville, 1400km south-west from Townsville to their new base.

8 outback events that’ll make you ‘true blue’

2017-03-30T03:26:59Z

Forget crowded indoor music performances where you have to dress up in stiff suits and frilly frocks. Grab ya boots, your sense of adventure, and head outback!

You’ll find an event utopia where there are no queues to grab a beer, plenty of chairs to relax in, and no risk of falling asleep between acts. We’ve pulled together the Top 8 Outback Queensland events that will get you boot skootin’ like a true local.

BIG RED BASH | BIRDSVILLE 4-6 JULY, 2017

Looking for Australia’s ultimate outdoor music venue? Grab your camping gear and get set to enjoy performances from some of the country’s biggest music legends like Missy Higgins, James Reyne, Mark Seymour and Lee Kernaghan (just to name a few) at the Big Red Bash. Did we mention the gig is held from the top of the biggest sand dune in the Simpson Desert (aka Big Red)? If the thought of listening to Aussie ballads under the stars of the Southern Cross, with your feet in the red earth, doesn’t make you proud, nothing will.

BEDOURIE CAMEL RACES & CAMP OVEN COOK-OFF | BEDOURIE 8 JULY, 2017

The Bedourie Camel Races are about as far removed from your fashions-on-the-field racetrack experience as you can get. These original ships of the desert can be cheeky buggers as they fly around the dirt track with their brave riders holding on tight. After a day on the track, dive into some delicious outback tucker that would make your nanna jealous. Don’t be scared, the camp oven cook-off isn’t the charcoal remains from dad’s BBQ – you’ll see feasts prepared the outback way that would put any master chef to shame and leave you salivating for more.

BIRDSVILLE RACES | BIRDSVILLE 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2017

The Birdsville Races, or the ‘Melbourne Cup of the Outback’, is a two-day race that attracts over 7,000 people to the outback town of Birdsville. Frock up or get creative and watch the race that stops the outback!

Third-generation manager takes on 500,000ha cattle station in Queensland's Channel Country

2017-03-30T04:21:11Z

Imagine taking over the family business of managing a 1.3-million acre (or 526,000-hectare) cattle property in outback Queensland before the age of 30.

That is the job ahead for 29-year-old Patrick Tully who is taking over from his father Garth, making him the third generation to manage Cluny Station near Bedourie in the heart of Queensland's Channel Country.

For the Tully family, managing Arrabury Pastoral's Cluny station has been the family business since the early 1960s.
After 26 years at Cluny, second-generation manager Garth Tully said it was time to hand over the reins.
"Well, it is a very hard decision," he said.

PM’s spending tour keeps One Nation in check

2017-03-30T03:01:31Z

RECENT tours by Malcolm Turnbull and his ministers to deliver big-ticket spending in Queensland have stopped One Nation in its tracks, but almost one in three voters now back minor parties.

The Coalition, Labor and Greens all went backwards in the latest Courier-Mail/Galaxy poll, but the swing went to independents and other parties rather than Pauline Hanson’s party.

One Nation’s vote was 12 per cent, the same as it returned in an August poll, and still well up on its result of 5.5 per cent at the July election.

Russell Morris, Ian Moss and Kate Ceberano Joins Birdsville Big Red

2017-03-30T03:02:18Z

Russell Morris, Ian Moss and Kate Ceberano as well as Ray Ryder will perform at Birdsville Big Red in 2017.

The event previously announced Lee Kernaghan, Jessica Mauboy, James Reyne and Mark Seymour. James Blundell, The McClymonts, Tania Kernaghan, The Wolfe Brothers and Christie Lamb will also perform at the festival.

Birdsville Big Red takes music fans to the Simpson Desert. The event offers free parking and allows BYO alcohol.

180 flock to Betoota for Channel Country Ladies Day

2017-03-30T03:28:20Z

The fifth annual Channel Country Ladies Day event was held over the weekend with 180 women from across northern South Australia, the north west corner of NSW, and Western Queensland, all converging on Betoota, the smallest gazetted town in Australia – population 0.

Commencing with the Gatsby Glitz and Glamour Cocktail Party, which had ladies dressed to the nines in themed attire, the weekend started with a bang thanks to the support of Easternwell.

Largest-known night parrot population found in Queensland

2017-03-30T03:28:49Z

Scientists have discovered a new population of night parrots in Diamantina National Park, giving a large boost to the known range of the critically endangered bird.

THINGS ARE LOOKING up for one of Australia's rarest birds, with a new night parrot community found in central-west Queensland representing a significant increase in the known population and distribution of the mysterious bird.

Scientists with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy discovered active birds and nests in Diamantina National Park in central-west Queensland, with their findings later independently verified by renowned bird scientist and author Lloyd Nielsen.

In total the scientists were able to confirm – at seven locations in Diamantina – three nests with birds in the vicinity, one pair of night parrots spotted drinking, and three records of bird calls heard by two observers.