With increasing numbers of rural Australian communities recognising the economic importance of attracting more grey nomads, many are coming up with innovative ways of doing just that.
The tiny town of Yowah, west of Cunnamulla, in south-west Queensland is certainly hoping its new artesian spa complex will help it to survive.
With the local opal industry in significant decline, Yowah’s population has been slowly dwindling and now stands at just 100.
The Yowah Opal Miners Group says 30 mines have been ‘passed in’ over the last 12 months and it needed to do something to keep people in town.
The organisation has accessed funding for a $140,000 spa development that officially opens this weekend … and locals are desperately hoping it will see the town added to grey nomad itineraries.
The hot water from the Great Artesian Basin is in plentiful supply and comes out of the ground at about 53 degrees Celsius.
Danny Burnes from the Yowah Opal Miners Group told the ABC that artesian water was prized by many people for its relaxation and therapeutic effects.
“It (the water) has been coming out at 500,000 litres a day for over 100 years, so yes, we’ve just tapped into it,” he said. “We are not using any more water, we are just recycling it … it will go back into the pools and back out into the bore drain.”
Mr Burnes said the new spa attraction at Yowah could also be good for surrounding towns such as Quilpie, Cunnamulla and Thargomindah that people might go through to get to the new spas.
“Everyone seems to enjoy them,” he said. “People who have been to other places – Moree, Lightning Ridge, Ilfracombe … there are a lot of grey nomads that follow that trail.”
Yes, we love hot spas
Sounds great to us, we won’t pass it by. I have often wondered about bores on the Nullarbor, maybe the CMCA or the like could open one for travellers, since the locals won’t share with travellers. Maybe if we travellers paid the cost of capping an uncontrolled bore it could be win win.
Fantastic idea. Would certainly visit. However, would need some bush camping available. If you had this, could approach CMCA for help installing a dump point. If you had drinking water available could charge $5 a night for camping. Just a couple of ideas.
There is a free camp at Yowah with toilets, free hot shower and a dump point. There is also a caravan park and lots of shops that sell opal.
NOT a good idea, would never be able to get SWMBO out of the ‘artesian spa’ and on the road again !
Already great camp at Yowah with hot showers & septic toilets, donation, also dump point. When we last visited the only fuel in town was at the C.P. & the owner wouldn’t serve visitors who hadn’t stayed at his park perhaps that may have changed.
We bought gas at the hardware store & the young lady told us about the local laundry & where to get water. We were there when the opal festival was on & enjoyed our visit.
Make more successful areas for grey nomads to find abit of opal so they will come back, if there is none there they won’t return. Love hot spas Ilfracombe was lovely.
All are able to buy fuel, groceries etc at the Yowah Caravan Park, no matter if staying in their park or not, very friendly new owners.
A rainwater tank that tourists can access at the tourist information centre at no cost.
Attached to that same building is the yowah cafe, BEST Hamburgers I have ever eaten, EVER. they also have delicious lunch menu, very reasonably priced.
come visit us in Yowah, all welcome to our friendly town.
Cheers
Carmen (resident of Yowah)
Hi to all traveling to the beautiful town of Yowah we have been their on many occasions have found all the free camp and caravan park great
, and the town folk always helpful and friendly
Ray & Betty