Tourism officials in Queensland are desperately keen to attract more of Australia’s growing band of grey nomads to the state’s Outback areas … and they’re pulling out all the stops to do so.
New travelling routes such as the ‘Natural Sciences Loop’ through south-west Queensland are being heavily promoted in a bid to lure grey nomads and others into some of the region’s smallest communities.
The ‘Loop’, a fully-sealed bitumen road network, allows visitors to ‘experience an array of natural wonders set within the diverse landscapes and communities of Charleville, Quilpie, Eromanga, Thargomindah and Cunnamulla’.
The 1,000-kilometre or so drive allows travellers to discover more about science fields including astronomy, geology, hydrology, meteorology, biology, palaeontology and history.
Charleville’s Cosmos Centre spokeswoman Jane Morgan said there had been a surge in interest in the loop because it offered an authentic outback experience.
“For any trip that gives them some sort of itinerary – and the loop is perfect for it – because it is a real explorers’ loop,” she told the ABC. “You are getting out further west than normal, you’re finding out all this amazing stuff from opals through to hydropower made from [water] bores and they are loving it.”
She said grey nomads, caravan travellers and younger visitors were being drawn to rural events like rodeos and to experiences such as looking through telescopes at the Outback sky.
Have you driven the Natural Sciences Loop? Does learning more about science enhance your Big Lap experience? What’s the best ‘travelling route’ in Australia? Comment below.
Sounds awesome! Definitely on my ‘must-do’ list! Thanks for publishing the story.
Maybe they had better look at the price of fuel as that is the most turn off next to Parks