Extend your shade and experience the adventure sooner

Dinosaurs in Winton: A must-go-to town

Winton. The dinosaur capital of Australia, bush poetry hotspot, and primary boulder opal centre.

“Australia’s outback is unforgiving but I’d rather be here than back in time with the dinosaurs!” – Rafa Mata, adventurer and Destination 4WD owner and enthusiast.

You may have heard of Winton, in Queensland’s outback, it’s a pretty and quaint town, famous for the poem and song, Waltzing Matilda, by bush poet Banjo Paterson, the only dinosaur stampede in the world, and one of the only places in Australia that you can mine for the precious and beautiful boulder opal.

Where is Winton?

Winton is way out west, in Queensland, Australia. It’s located 177km northwest of Longreach and 1357km from Brisbane.

We travelled out to Winton from Cairns, passing through Hughenden on the way. We’d just stayed at Porcupine Gorge at the Pyramid Campground for a few nights and in search of millions-year-old fossils, which we found. The next stop on the Dinosaur Trail for us was Winton. 

You can read all about Porcupine Gorge here.

What’s the Dinosaur trail?

The Trail connects three outback Queensland towns where dinosaur fossils were first found. It takes in Hughenden, Winton, and Richmond. Here’s some more information on the Dinosaur Trail. 

Hughenden to Winton is an easy drive on a bitumen road. It’s 216km down the Kennedy Developmental Road and takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes. There’s not a lot to see on this trip so have some games, like Eye Spy, ready to go and your Spotify list downloaded.

Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia, Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia, Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia, Winton

What is there to do in Winton?

We really loved Winton, the first thing you’ll notice is how pretty and modern the country town is – and then how friendly everyone is. There are heaps of shops, a hairdresser, a supermarket, a hardware store, cafes and pubs for food, laundromat, and other essential (and non-essential) services.

There’s a lot to do in this town that has a population of about 1000 (2016 Census) – in fact, when we were there it was during school holidays and most of the attractions were booked out a few days in advance. Word of warning – be sure to book!

{It was the same with accommodation – almost everything was booked out. So be sure to keep that in mind too}.

We only stayed three nights in Winton, so we had limited time to tick off the attractions on our to-do list.

Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia Winton

Australian Age of Dinosaurs

If you want to get down into the nitty-gritty of Australian dinosaur discovery, this place is where you’ll get your information and see dinosaur bones and fossils up close and personal.

“The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum is home to the largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils in the world. The Museum is split between three facilities, the Fossil Preparation Laboratory, Collection Room, and Dinosaur Canyon.” (Source: Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum)

The museum is 24km south-east of Winton and when we visited we saw the Fossil Preparation Laboratory, where we watched people prepare the fossils and listened to a talk on how they found the bones in the Collection Room.

- FOSSIL PREPARATION LABORATORY (30 MINUTES):

This is a behind-the-scenes look through the most productive Fossil Preparation Laboratory in the Southern Hemisphere.

We were really impressed to discover how dinosaurs are found and recovered, and how the museum is working to preserve our history. It was also interesting talking to the people who prepare the bones and fossils and why they do it.

NOTE: Anyone can become a fossil prepper by doing a course with the museum. Many people who have done the Pre-a-Dino course go back year after year. You can find out more info here.

You will also see remnants of an ancient world including huge seashells and plant fossils.

- RECEPTION CENTRE, COLLECTION ROOM TOUR (30 MINUTES):

After the laboratory tour we visited the Collection Room, in the main reception building, which houses “the only known specimens of Australia’s largest, and most complete carnivorous dinosaur – Australovenator wintonensis, nicknamed “Banjo”, as well as Australia’s most complete sauropod Diamantinasaurus matildae, nicknamed “Matilda” and Savannasaurus elliottorum “Wade”.”

Our passionate guide told us the story of “Banjo” and “Matilda” and how they came to be found together – was it a love story or something more ominous?!

- DINOSAUR CANYON TOUR (90 minutes):

We didn’t get to do the Canyon Walk tour as it was booked out. But it comes highly recommended and we’ll be back to do it again.

Australian Age of Dinosaurs

Open: 8:30am-5.00-5.30pm depending on the season (Winton is a seasonal town, like a lot of north Qld towns, because of the severe heat and temperatures in summer months, so please bear in mind that some attractions and shops do close for several months of the year. There is a list of opening times for summer and winter on their website).

Time spent there: 2 hours (but we only did the laboratory tour and the collection room talk).

Where is it: Lot 1 Dinosaur Drive, Winton

Click for bookings and more info

Experience the adventure with Destination4WD awnings and accessories Arnos Wall in Winton

Arno's Wall

Just wow. That’s what you’ll say when you see what Arno Grotjahn, originally from Germany, did with the wall around his house. Arno’s Wall, in Arno’s Park, Winton, is an incredible display of “someone else’s junk is another person’s treasure”.

You’ll find Arno’s Wall one block back from Manuka Street (Winton’s main street and town area), you can’t miss it. The wall itself is about 70m long and about 2m high and was made from rock brought in from his opal mine at Opalton, outside Winton. Arno spent 30 years crafting the wall and the story is commemorated on a sign outside his home.

On the wall, you’ll find car parts, motorbikes, propellers, typewriters, kitchen sink, sewing machines, hub caps, mailbox, statues and so much more. It’s fascinating!

The locals are happy to share the stories associated with each piece in the wall, but we just happened to be there when the now-residents were at home on a break and they invited us in to see the incredible collections inside the wall in the yard and house.

When you experience these works of art in person, somehow the organised mess (imagine cutlery welded on to a helmet, a 2m pile of bike handles, and even lightning arresters (that’s the proper name for those coil-like things you see on power poles) just made sense.

“We don’t often let people come in because it’s our home, you know,” we were told. “The other day we had about 200 people ask if they could come in and we said no.” 

WOW – THANK YOU! How cool is that?

Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia, Arno's Wall Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia, Arno's Wall Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia, Arno's Wall Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia, Arno's Wall Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia Arno's Wall Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia, Arno's Wall Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia Arno's Wall Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia, Arno's Wall Winton

Open: The wall runs alongside a park and is open for people to view all day, every day.

Where is it: 19 Oondooroo St, Winton

Time spent there: About an hour

More information: A google search will give you lots of info and stories about the wall and Arno himself.

Other attractions to visit in Winton

  • Dinosaur Stampede at Lark Quarry Conservation Park – the only dinosaur stampede in THE WORLD! Sadly, we missed Lark Quarry as it was also booked out. Go here for more info
  • Waltzing Matilda Centre – Information centre and tribute to iconic Australian poet, Banjo Paterson. Go here for more info
  • Musical Fence – The Musical Fence in Winton was commissioned by the Queensland Music Festival and the Winton Shire Council in 2003.  It has become a tourist attraction in the remote outback Queensland town and has a Bush Drum Kit, Fuel Tank Swing Set, Hub Cap Array, and Gas Bottle Bells. Go here for more info
  • Winton Diamantina Heritage Truck & Machinery Museum
  • Bladensburg National Park
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia Winton

Where to stay in Winton

There are motels and van parks to stay in at Winton (just google it!), but we were interested in camping – and there are two free camps in Winton. You can use WikiCamps and AirCamp to check out more free camps in Australia to save money while you travel.

The first is Long Waterhole, which is where we stayed (and loved it!), and the second is Mistake Creek, which was also nice, but too close to the highway for us.

Long Waterhole is known as the locals’ waterhole and is only 3km out of town on the Jundah Road. There is a sign, but it’s small, so do slow down and get ready to turn left. As you are coming into the waterhole, you’ll travel along a corrugated dirt road, keep going, you’ll think “where the heck is this taking me” but eventually after a couple of kilometres, you’ll come to the waterhole.

You can camp anywhere in and around the waterhole – so make yourself at home. There are no facilities here and remember to take your rubbish with you too.

And, you’ll probably have company by way of cattle as this area is also used by graziers.

 

Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia Long Waterhole Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia, Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia outback Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia Long Waterhole Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia outback Winton

Winton's hidden gems

  • If you need to fill up with drinkable water, there is a carpark on the edge of town, on the corner of Landsborough Highway, and Winton Jundah Road where you can fill up your tanks. There’s also a dump spot and rubbish bins there too.
  • There are two public laundromats in Winton – the one we used was at the back for the Australian Hotel. Just go in and ask the staff and they will direct you to washing machines and dryers.
  • We had a burger and a steak at the Gregory Hotel. It’s a beautiful old and restored pub, iconic for its bush poetry showcases every afternoon.
  •  The sunsets at Long Waterhole are worth the trip alone.

Why should you go there?

Winton is a quaint little country town with a big personality and so many things to do you could stay for a week and still not get through everything. Make sure you watch for emus, brolgas, and other Australian wildlife on the side of the road heading out to Long Waterhole.

Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia Birds of Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia Birds of Winton
Destination4WD awnings to extend your shade in Australia Birds of Winton

Watch the adventure trip no video here