Ravenswood
Ravenswood, once a thriving gold mining town, is a must-see heritage listed town, located 89 kilometres east of Charters Towers, south of the Flinders Highway. In 1868 while mustering cattle, Marmaduke Curr stopped to scoop up a drink of water from Elphinstone Creek and saw specks of alluvial gold in the bottom of his pannikin. Gold is still mined there today from Queensland's largest active Gold Mine, Ravenswood Gold.
Outdoor attractions such as the White Blow Environmental Park (a 300 million year old white quartz outcrop), golf course, swimming pool and tennis courts are popular. Don’t miss the historic buildings, including two original hotels, the Railway Hotel and the Imperial Hotel, and the Courthouse Museum, where you can learn stories about the people who made Ravenswood. 100 year old plus Chimneys can also be seen; standing as links to the dozens of mines that littered the landscape from when steam power drove the excavation and processing of thousands of tonnes of gold ore.
Many original buildings in Ravenswood still operate today, including the general store, a church with its own special ghost story, private miners’ cottages and the school buildings, to name a few. There are a number of short distance walking trails with interpretive signs throughout the township. Make sure you collect a copy of the trails’ map from the Courthouse or Thorp’s building and discover some amazing sites and stories this region holds, both natural and man-made, as well as stories of the life and times around this incredible heritage-listed township. Both pubs, caravan park and the Ravenswood Reserve (Showground) offer wonderful accommodation facilities - you'd be crazy not to spend more time exploring this unique town!
Venture a little further and head out to Burdekin Falls Dam and maybe even camp the night – you won’t be disappointed. If the water is not over the spillway, take a drive across the base and get a closer look at all the birdlife that call the riverbed home.