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Mustering beef cattle at Rockhampton, QLD

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Overview

Welcome to Rockhampton (‘Rocky’ to its mates), where the hats, boots and utes are big, and the bulls are even bigger. With over 2.5 million cattle within a 250km radius, this riverside city, founded in 1858 on land owned by the Darumbal people, calls itself Australia’s Beef Capital with some justification. Despite rustic touches such as cane trains running down the centre of wide streets, it's the administrative and commercial centre of Central Queensland, with fine Victorian buildings reflecting the region's 19th-century mining and beef-rearing heyday.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Anzac Memorial, Rockhampton Botanic Gardens, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia

    Botanic Gardens

    Rockhampton

    These Heritage-listed gardens, begun in 1873, are a beautiful escape from often-sweltering Rockhampton, with tropical and subtropical rainforest,…

  • Queensland, Australia - December 2019: Tourists inside a cavern explore the ecosystem of the Capricorn Caves. Photography difficult due to very low light.

    Capricorn Caves

    Rockhampton

    Riddling the Berserker Range some 24km north of Rockhampton, this vast cave complex is one of the Capricorn Coast's foremost attractions. Technically not…

  • Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia - December 27, 2017. Exterior view of Dreamtime aboriginal cultural centre in Rockhampton, QLD, with vegetation.

    Dreamtime Cultural Centre

    Rockhampton

    The stories of the local Darumbal people and Torres Straits islanders are well-conveyed here. Self-guide through exhibits such as 'The Vanishing Culture…

  • Archer Park Rail Museum

    Archer Park Rail Museum

    Rockhampton

    Housed in a handsome heritage-listed railway station dating to 1899, this museum is a labour of love, telling the station’s story through photographs,…

  • Kershaw Gardens

    Kershaw Gardens

    Rockhampton

    Just north of the Fitzroy River, this excellent botanical park showcases Australian native plants and is a great spot for a picnic or play with the kids…

  • Rockhampton Heritage Village

    Rockhampton Heritage Village

    Rockhampton

    A great place to break up a road trip, the Heritage Village is 11 hectares of relocated and replica buildings from the 1850s to the 1950s. Offering a…

  • Rockhampton Art Gallery

    Rockhampton Art Gallery

    Rockhampton

    Founded in 1967, this great regional gallery owns an impressive collection of modernist Australian paintings, including works by Russell Drysdale, Arthur…

  • Mt Archer

    Mt Archer

    Rockhampton

    The highest peak in the Beserker Range and the focus of a 4250-hectare national park, this mountain (604m) has walking trails weaving through eucalypts…

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