Cunnamulla: Rails, Races and Hot Springs
The drive from Bourke to Cunnamulla crosses the border from New South Wales into Queensland somewhere along the Mitchell Highway, and the country doesn’t really change to mark the moment. Flat, wide and pale gold.
We broke the drive at Enngonia, a small community just shy of the Queensland border, with a pub that let us camp out the back for the night. There’s not much to Enngonia. That’s not a criticism. It’s a useful stop between two bigger towns, the kind of place where you pull up, have a meal and a couple of drinks at the pub, and watch the light go out of the sky. We slept well.
Cunnamulla was a different proposition. We’d been through before, but this visit, we gave it proper time, checking into the Warrego Riverside Park and staying long enough to get to know the place a little better.
Our first instinct, as always, was the information centre. The Cunnamulla Fella Visitor Centre on Jane Street turned out to be the right call immediately. The staff sold us an adventure pass, a discounted entry combining the Artesian Time Tunnel, the All Aboard experience at the old railway station, and a day pass for the hot springs. If you’re planning a visit, get one. It pays for itself quickly and provides great structure for your stay.
One piece of advice we’ll pass on: try not to arrive on a weekend if you want to get a proper feel for the town. Like most outback Queensland communities, Cunnamulla quiets right down on Saturday afternoon and is pretty much closed on Sunday. It’s not a problem if you know it’s coming, but it can catch you off guard if you don’t.
We arrived to a happy coincidence. The Cunnamulla races were on that weekend. Neil heard this news with the expression of a man who has just been told he has won a medium-sized prize in the lottery. The weekend plan formed itself almost immediately. Neil at the races. Cameron at the hot springs. Everyone satisfied.
But first, We spent a morning exploring the town.
The Warrego River runs alongside quietly, and the weir is worth the short drive. The Robbers Tree is an easy stop, a heritage-listed cypress pine on Stockyard Street that turns out to have a genuinely good story attached. On the 16th of January 1880, a station hand named Joseph Wells walked into the Queensland National Bank armed with a revolver and demanded money. Things went sideways quickly. A neighbouring storekeeper tried to intervene, was wounded in the scuffle, and Wells fled into the surrounding bush. He might have gotten away entirely, except for a sheep dog that followed his scent and sat barking under the tree where Wells had taken refuge. The police found him in the branches. He was tried in Toowoomba, convicted of armed robbery with wounding, and executed in Brisbane in March 1880. He was the last person in Queensland to hang for that offence. The tree has been on the Queensland Heritage Register since 1992. It’s a cypress pine, well, what’s left of a cypress pine! The story is what makes it worth stopping for.
The afternoon session of All Aboard at the old railway station was a good way to end the day. The Cunnamulla railway arrived in 1898, and the station closed to passengers in 1994, a run of nearly a century at the end of the line. The station itself burned down and was rebuilt in the 1930s. In 2021, the Paroo Progress Association, a volunteer committee, opened a purpose-built theatre inside the weatherboard building, with a 15-metre wide screen, air conditioning, and a holographic station master named Steven Tandy as your host. Tall tales and real stories from locals about the trains and the people who rode them. It runs around 90 minutes and is worth every cent of the entry fee, and is worth supporting.
Race day for Neil was exactly what it sounds like…a day in the sun with the Cunnamulla locals, a few bets, a few drinks, and the particular warmth of a country race crowd who are genuinely happy to have visitors among them. He came home ten dollars ahead, which he considered a solid performance.
Cameron spent the same day at the hot springs, and the day pass turned out to be the key to the whole experience. The Cunnamulla Hot Springs sit alongside the Warrego River, with seven free-flowing mineral pools of different temperatures, fed by the Great Artesian Basin deep beneath the earth, alongside a cold plunge pool, sauna, steam room and relaxation areas. The day pass allows you to come and go as you please across the full day. A morning soak in cool air. An afternoon return when the pools feel different. A sunset session in warm water under a wide outback sky. Three different moods, one pass. The entry fee of $45 (cheaper with the Adventure Pass) does make some travellers balk at a visit, but the value of a day at the springs to wash off the red outback dust cannot be understated! Treat yourself, and you won’t regret it.
It’s a genuinely impressive facility for a town this size, and the artesian water has a mineral quality that’s distinct from anything you’d find in a city day spa. Sitting in a geothermal pool on the banks of the Warrego as the light went gold felt like a reasonable way to spend a Sunday.
We packed a lot into a short stay. Cunnamulla has more going on than most travellers assume, and the adventure pass makes it easy to move through the highlights without overthinking it.
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Cunnamulla, Queensland
Cunnamulla sits on the Warrego River in south-west Queensland, about 787 kilometres west of Brisbane and 120 kilometres north of the New South Wales border. It’s the administrative centre of the Paroo Shire, a vast stretch of outback Queensland covering over 47,000 square kilometres. The name Cunnamulla is widely accepted as an Aboriginal term meaning ’long stretch of water.’
How to Get There
From Bourke (NSW), follow the Mitchell Highway north-west to Cunnamulla, approximately 200 kilometres via Barringun at the Queensland border. Roads are sealed throughout and suitable for caravans and motorhomes. From Brisbane, Cunnamulla is approximately 787 kilometres via the Warrego Highway through Toowoomba and St George.
What to See / Tours / Activities
What we did:
Overnighted at Eungella pub (camping out the back) on the way from Bourke.
Stayed at Warrego Riverside Park, Cunnamulla.
Visited the Cunnamulla Fella Visitor Centre and purchased adventure passes.
Walked the weir and the Robbers Tree heritage site.
Attended the afternoon session of All Aboard at the old railway station.
Neil spent race day at the Cunnamulla races.
Cameron used a day pass at the Cunnamulla Hot Springs, morning, afternoon and sunset sessions.
Explored the Artesian Time Tunnel at the visitor centre.
Other highlights nearby:
Charlotte Plains Station, 40 minutes east — a working sheep and cattle property with an 1890s artesian bore pond open to visitors.
Eulo Mud Baths, about an hour west — artesian mud baths in a bush setting.
Yowah, about two hours west — opal mining town with artesian bath houses.
Cunnamulla Bushlands, a short drive from town for wildlife spotting and birdwatching.
Cunnamulla Rodeo, held annually in August.
When to Visit
Autumn through spring (April to October) offers the most comfortable temperatures. Summer in south-west Queensland is extreme. The visitor centre operates reduced hours on weekends during peak season and is closed Saturdays and Sundays from November to March, so plan around this. The hot springs and All Aboard both operate year-round, though All Aboard runs daily only from April to September and from Monday to Friday from October to March.
Final Thoughts
Cunnamulla surprised us with how much it had to offer for a town of its size. The adventure pass is genuinely good value, the hot springs are a cut above what you'd expect, and the locals at the races were exactly the kind of people you come to outback Queensland to meet. Get the adventure pass. Stay longer than you planned.
What's Nearby
We came to Cunnamulla from Bourke, which we’ve written about here. The road west opens up into the opal country around Eulo and Yowah — both worth a dedicated stop if you’re continuing that way.
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Fast Facts
Location: Cunnamulla, Queensland
Distance: 787km west of Brisbane; 200km from Bourke NSW
Traditional Owners: Kuungkari People
Access: Sealed roads throughout; Warrego Highway from Brisbane; Mitchell Highway from Bourke
Facilities: Warrego Riverside Park, full town facilities, visitor centre, hot springs, caravan parks
Walking Track: Warrego River walk; Robbers Tree, Stockyard Street
Best Time to Visit: April to October
Dog Friendly: Yes (riverside park and surrounds; not within hot springs complex)
Things That Could Kill You (Probably Won’t)
A semi-serious guide to surviving Australia. Mostly common sense, occasionally luck.
The summer heat: South-west Queensland in summer is not a suggestion. Plan your visit for cooler months.
The day pass: Three sessions at the hot springs in one day sounds manageable until you’re too relaxed to leave.
The races: Coming home ten dollars up is a victory. Know when to stop.
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An overnight pub camp at Enngonia, then north to Cunnamulla; the Robbers Tree, the All Aboard rail show, a day at the races for Neil and artesian hot springs for Cameron. A weekend well spent.