Winton - The Dinosaur Capital of Australia

You wouldn’t guess it but there’s only one site in the world that shows evidence of a dinosaur stampede. And it just happens to be in our Aussie backyard of Winton, in Outback Queensland.

In October 2016 a new species, Savannasaurus Elliottorum, was officially named, the fossilised skeleton of this 18-metre-long dinosaur discovered by Winton grazier, David Elliott, on his property while mustering sheep.

It wasn’t the first time Elliott had stumbled upon dinosaur bones: that happened back in 1999, and his family went on to establish the Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum on their property, which now boasts the largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils in the world.

This non-profit museum is a great visit for those who are self-proclaimed dino-geeks or those who just love all things history.

Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum — Check out the fossilised bones down at the museum.

The History of Winton and the Dinosaurs

Originally based in a sheep station in Belmont, owners Judy and David Elliot started up the museum in October 2002. During September 2006, the owners of the Mt Landsborough Station near Winton, Peter and Carol Britton, donated their 1,400 hectares (called ‘Jump-Up’ country) for the Australian Age of Dinosaurs to relocate there. Fast forward to 2009, and the Elliot family were moving the museum to Winton.

In the late 1970s, scientists found fossils and footprints in the surrounding areas in Lark Quarry, believing that millions of years ago, there was a stampede of over 150 two-legged dinosaurs. During this time Lark Quarry was excavated and became an Environmental Park. You can only see it from afar due to the safety of preserving this magnificent piece of land.

In 2005, David Elliot, yet again found another dinosaur site on his property in Belmont and dug up 17 pallets of fossil bones. Giving the dinosaur the nickname of Wade, it was a tribute to the Australian Paleontologist Dr Mary Wade who passed away during the dig. Later in the year, there was a discovery of another site on Elderslie Station (close to Winton) leading to a series of digs that resulted in the recovery of two dinosaur skeletons preserved together. The theropod was nicknamed Banjo (after Andrew Barto ‘Banjo’ Paterson) and the sauropod was nicknamed Matilda (relating to Banjo Paterson’s iconic poem, Waltzing Matilda).

What you can see and do in the Museum

Age of Dinosaurs Museum Winton — Discover even more creatures at the Age of Dinosaurs museum.

Thousands of footprints at Lark Quarry Conservation Park tell of a day, 95 million years ago, when a herd of small dinosaurs were chased by a meat-eating theropod, creating a stampede. Winton looked a little different back then, covered in rainforests and swamps on the edge of an inland sea, and this part of Queensland’s west has proved Australia’s richest source of dinosaur fossils – and big dinosaurs in particular.

The museum runs across three different facilities, the Fossil Preparation Laboratory, Collection Room and Dinosaur Canyon. In these areas of the museum, you can find dinosaur fossils from three periods, Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous. Found throughout the majority of the country, bones have been discovered in the regions of NSW, QLD, SA, VIC, and WA.

Those who are employed at the museum go on special digs for fossils, so their collection has been increasing since they opened in Belmont. You too can opt to go on a Dig-a-Dino experience. The entire tour takes up seven days, but you’ll only be digging for five or six of them. Included in the price ($3,500 for new diggers), you’ll get accommodation, all meals and pre-dinner drinks. You’ll also get to take an excursion to the museum’s laboratory, where you’ll see how fossils are studied.

Australian Age of Dinosaurs WInton QLD — Learn about what goes on during the digging and preparation stages of fossil hunting.

If you’re looking to help but don’t have enough time to spend a whole week digging, the Prep-a-Dino experience is worth the short journey. The preparation will last for two days, starting at $169 per person for a twin package. Be guided through the laboratory, learning how to find dinosaurs, dig and clean away the rock that they’re entombed in. Hop onboard to the shuttle bus tour to Dinosaur Canyon and witness Australia’s prehistoric landscape. You have to have a steady hand for this type of work because you’re essentially putting pieces of a dinosaur puzzle together.

Otherwise, for those one day only visitors, the museum has a tonne of activities and exhibitions for you to see. In the Collection Room, check out some of the first discoveries in QLD and learn about the story of Banjo, Matilda and Wade. Once you’ve gone through these exhibits, make your way down to the Dinosaur Canyon in the shuttle bus. You’ll witness the original Dinosaur Stampede in Lark Quarry, known to be world’s only known record of a stampede. Also on display are life-size dinosaur exhibits, the death in Billabong exhibit and so many more.

Lark Quarry Dinosaur Museum Winton — The life-size dino exhibits are found at the Lark Quarry centre.

Once you’re feeling a little hungry, make your way down to the Cretaceous Cafe. Order up a delicious chunky meat pie and maybe a sweet killer python lolly for a classic Aussie lunch.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

What else can you do in Winton?

Waltzing Matilda Centre

The Waltzing Matilda Centre has a great historical display about the area of Winton as well as lots of information on the famous Banjo Paterson. Head through the Main Exhibition as you experience the background and story of the iconic song through interactive displays. Check out the Chorregon Railway, a BB 18 1/4 class steam locomotive display that stands right outside. And stop into the Tuckerbox Cafe for some refuelling.

Bladensburg National Park

Bladesburg National Park QLD — The flat plains of Bladensburg National Park.

Almost 20 kilometres south-west of Winton lies Bladensburg National Park. Filled with flat-topped plateaus, and an epic scenic view to grassland plains and rivers, red gums and rocky scrap, this is the perfect place to have a picnic. You could even camp here if you are enamoured with the views, and the twinkling night sky is even better. If you walk over to Scrammy Lookout, you’ll find low trees that are perfect for shade from the blistering outback sun.

The Details

Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History

Address: Lot 1 Dinosaur Drive, Winton, QLD, 4735
Contact Number: (07) 4657 0078

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Getting There

If you’re thinking of heading out to Winton in the outback, then you’ve got got a great trip ahead of you. For Brisbane dwellers, hop down to the airport and catch a flight into Longreach Aiport. This will take a couple of hours, and once you’ve landed head down the road, where a Spirit of Outback* RailBus will pick you up and take you the 2 hours up to Winton. Along the way, you’ll see the true Aussie outback, full of kangaroos, dusty roads and empty skies.

But honestly, you can’t go wrong with a great outback road trip. If you don’t feel like driving the almost 15 hours up there (or 7 hours from Townsville), then daily coach services head into Winton right from Brisbane Coach Terminal. Sit back, make that Australian country playlist and put it on repeat.

*Please note: The Spirit of Outback bus only comes twice a week. Make sure you coincide your trip with the flight schedule and land earlier in case.

Planning a trip to Outback Queensland? Head here to check out our curated guide on everything to do and see.

Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

Getting there

car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland — Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

Best accommodation in Clermont

Theresa CreekDam in clermont — Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn.

Things to do in Clermont

three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting — Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters, Four Mile, Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings. To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting. They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum. Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland — See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services. Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs. The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

meal at Commercial Hotel — Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.

Winton – The Dinosaur Capital of Australia

You wouldn’t guess it but there’s only one site in the world that shows evidence of a dinosaur stampede. And it just happens to be in our Aussie backyard of Winton, in Outback Queensland.

The History of Winton and the Dinosaurs

What you can see and do in the Museum