8 experiences not to miss during Winton 150 years celebrations

From dark sky drone shows to dinosaur footprints, there are plenty of reasons to visit Winton this April.

With links to Waltzing Matilda, Qantas, boulder opal mining and dinosaur fossils, there’s much to discover in the outback Queensland town of Winton at any time of year. But as Winton 150 years of settlement hits, there’s even more.

Here, long, wide streets fill with calls of the pink galahs resting on power poles as the sun rises. The town wakes up early to enjoy tea on wooden verandahs or get active before the day heats up. From midday, the town’s pubs become the place to be for welcoming locals and travellers passing through.

As this small town celebrates its 150th anniversary of settlement, the welcome mat is out for visitors to explore and enjoy all Winton has to offer. Discover eight experiences you shouldn’t miss when helping celebrate Winton’s milestone anniversary in April 2025.

Rangelands station rock rifts tour with Red Dirt Tours — From food to station visits, there’s plenty to do in Winton. (Image: TEQ)

1. Events to mark the 150th year of settlement

Winton’s 150-year celebrations will honour the town’s rich heritage while embracing its vibrant future with a week of activities and tours, culminating in a packed weekend for all ages from 11–13 April.

Festivities kick off with an opening ceremony in Elderslie Street and close with a dinner, live music and fireworks. In between, there’s a host of fun events planned, including a dark sky drone show, vintage-style handmade craft markets, antique roadshow, grand parade, vintage dress-up day, gala ball and even an old-school sports day, all encouraging visitors and locals alike to celebrate the town in a brand new way.

winton 150 two people sitting inside at Australian Winton Hotel — Join in unique events during Winton 150. (Image: TEQ)

2. Drink a toast to stunning sunsets at Rangelands Station

The rock rifts of jump-up country at Rangelands Station provide the perfect backdrop for an outback sunset. Join a Rangelands Rifts and Sunset Tour of this working cattle station, just 10 kilometres from Winton, and gaze upon a 360-degree panorama of this ancient mesa landscape, shaped by nature to create channels through the rock. Or extend your stay with an overnight off-grid stay in a luxury glamping tent at Rangelands Outback Camp .

Rangelands Red Dirt Tours winton — Enjoy a sundowner with epic views. (Image: TEQ)

3. Marvel at Arno’s Wall

When German immigrant Arno Grotjahn discovered a valuable opal at nearby Opalton in the 1960s, he bought a house in Winton and then spent the rest of his life building the quirky structure that became known as Arno’s Wall. The two-metre-high concrete and rock wall runs for more than 70 metres and is embedded with lawnmower parts, boat propellers, vintage typewriters, a couple of motorbikes and other found objects and old machinery. Find it on Vindex Street.

Arno's Wall in winton queensland — Walk along the quirky Arno’s Wall. (Image: TEQ)

4. Drive the Outback Way

Winton marks one end of the Outback Way touring route, which runs for 2750 kilometres to Laverton in Western Australia. Whichever way you drive it, the Outback Way is a cross-continent adventure like no other; dubbed ‘the world’s longest shortcut’, it takes in the beauty of western Queensland and the Central Australian deserts of Uluru and Alice Springs, plus a swag of other fascinating places.

One of the most interesting and unusual stops along the Outback Way is Middleton , an old Cobb & Co Coach stop, 169 kilometres from Winton. Grab a beer at one of the most isolated pubs in Queensland and take in the view across the stunning Lilleyvale Hills at nearby Cawnpore Lookout .

Winton Outback Way Cawnpore Hills lookout — Take in the view from Cawnpore Lookout.

5. Go fossicking at Opalton

The Winton area is famous for its boulder opals (the second-rarest opal in the world, after black opals), first discovered in Opalton in 1888. Opalton, which is 110 kilometres south of Winton, is still the centre of opal fossicking. Visitors can try their luck in designated areas, or skip the hard work and simply buy a beautiful piece of opal jewellery from one of the local miners. Five stores in town also bring the best of the opal offerings to you.

A network of walking trails links some of Opalton’s historic sites, including the cemetery, old horse yards and the township itself. Head to the Winton Visitor Information Centre at the Waltzing Matilda Centre for a fossicking permit, map and more information.

6. Meet the dinosaurs at Lark Quarry Conservation Park

When the first dinosaur footprint was discovered near Winton in 1962, it was just the start of one of Australia’s most amazing tourist attractions.

Take the tour at Lark Quarry Conservation Park to see evidence of a dinosaur stampede, with over 3300 footprints dating back 95 million years to the Cretaceous period. This is believed to represent the most concentrated site of dinosaur footprints, and only definitive record of a dinosaur stampede, in the world.

At the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum on the Winton jump-up, view the world’s largest collection of dinosaur fossils and learn more about these creatures that once walked Australian lands.

dinosaur footprints at Australian Age of Dinosaurs in winton qld — See part of the Lark Quarry stampede at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum. (Image: TEQ)

7. Play a tune on the Musical Fence

Grab a stick and make music at the world’s only Musical Fence. Designed by percussionist and composer Graeme Leak, the Musical Fence is a wire fence that can be played as an instrument and is the first permanent musical fence installation in the world.

Located behind the Diamantina Heritage Truck & Machinery Museum near the Industrial Estate, the fence is free for everyone to enjoy. The installation is such a draw for locals and tourists that Australian singer-songwriter Gotye even featured a sample of the Musical Fence in his song Eyes Wide Open.

At sunset, head to the nearby Avro Plane sculpture, which marks the birthplace of Qantas, for a unique photo opportunity.

people playing on winton's musical fence and found percussion — Try your musical prowess at the Musical Fence. (Image: TEQ)

8. Sing along at the Waltzing Matilda Centre

The first public performance of Australia’s unofficial national anthem, Waltzing Matilda, is believed to have been at Winton’s North Gregory Hotel on 6 April 1895, after the poet Banjo Paterson penned the words while visiting nearby Dagworth Station.

The Waltzing Matilda Centre , in the centre of town, is where you’ll find all things ‘Matilda’ –and is also the first museum in the world dedicated to a song. This state-of-the-art building also houses an art gallery, retail store, cafe and the Qantilda Museum, which tells the story of Winton Shire, including the shearers’ strike of 1891.

exterior shot of the Waltzing Matilda Centre in winton — Discover the local history of Banjo Patterson’s Waltzing Matilda. (Image: TEQ)

Discover more at experiencewinton.com.au and plan to join the anniversary celebrations at winton150.com.au .

Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

Exploring K’gari

ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island — Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island — Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

Unwind at sunset

two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort — Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

Indulge and disconnect

woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa — Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

Getting there

kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island — The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.

8 experiences you can’t miss during Winton’s 150th year of settlement