Things to do in Julia Creek

There’s much to see and do in and around Julia Creek. From historical walk and cultural trails, from shopping, cafe & pub dining – Julia Creek is a small town that punches way above its weight. Make the Julia Creek Visitor Information Centre your first port of call so you can chat with our local staff who can guide you on your journey around Julia Creek.

Attractions

  • A TASTE OF JULIA CREEK

    If you are looking for a snack, feeling a bit peckish or are flat out starving, you can find exactly what you are looking for in Julia Creek. From snacks and fast food to steaks, Bush Dinners and more. There are cafe tucked away in a supermarket, two hotels and a bakery / cafe. Take your pick, you won’t go hungry.

  • AQUA EXPERIENCE

    Whether you want to do laps for staying fit while travelling, just want a relaxing swim, be a big kid and have a go on the water slides or you have real children that want to have some fun, come on down to the Julia Creek Swimming Pool and Water Park. Entry is free if you are a paid guest at the Julia Creek Caravan Park, otherwise prices are $2 per adult and $1 per child. Please see the Visitor Information Centre for opening hours.

  • ARTESIAN BATH HOUSES

    These newly constructed private bath houses are an unexpected surprise in the Outback, and something you’ll really enjoy. The baths are nice and roomy, two in each bath house, seating, pebble floor mats, authentic outback clothes hooks and a great view. Throw in some bath salts or bubble bath, sip on some chilled wine, snack on nibbles and enjoy the company of partner or friend or just on your own and enjoy the view.

  • AT THE CREEK VISITOR INFORMATION

    Located on the main street, ‘At the Creek’ won Gold for the Queensland Tourism Industry Council’s – Visitor Information and Services Award in 2019. The centre offers a great selection of travel information brochures, maps and a range of souvenirs that can only be found in Julia Creek. Our friendly local staff are dedicated to helping you experience and enjoy all that Julia Creek, the McKinlay Shire and Outback Queensland has to offer.

  • BUSH DINNER

    Come along and enjoy the award winning Bush Dinner nights at the Julia Creek Caravan Park (all welcome including free campers) each Monday night from June to September. Enjoy some local produce cooked for you by a local non-profit community group, hear a local yarn told by a true blue outback Aussie, enjoy the warmth of our camp fire and maybe even win a prize. BYO!

  • CRUISER BIKES

    These bright coloured cruiser bikes are FREE to hire and can be used to travel into town on the fully sealed walking/riding track. If you have a family or are travelling as a group, these bikes are great fun to ride around, stopping to have a picnic lunch somewhere. The bikes are available from the Julia Creek Caravan Park all year round, and also at the RV Park from April to October.

  • CURIOUS ABOUT CATTLE MUSTERING

    If you’ve never taken part in a cattle muster, you now have the opportunity to come and take part in a virtual reality cattle muster at the Julia Creek Visitor Information Centre. For a small fee, you can don a Samsung VR headset, headphones and immerse yourself into being on the back of a dirt bike, inside a chopper, sitting on the rails of a cattle yard, watching cattle being loaded and more, all in air conditioned comfort!

  • DUNCAN MCINTYRE MUSEUM

    If you love history, you’ll enjoy the Duncan McIntyre Museum, home to countless relics from a bygone era. You’ll see a Willy Jeep Truck, steam engine, tractor plus an array of fossils formed in the Eromanga Sea. See items from the District’s wool heritage, history of the hospital, radio and telecommunications and much more. There are a host of fantastic historical images for viewing to give you an insight of what life was like in Julia Creek in the early days. Entry is free.

  • HF / DF STATION POWER HOUSE RUINS

    For something different, visit the remains of a concrete building which housed a generating plant supplying power to a RAAF High Frequency / Direction Finding Station, called the ‘Round House’, installed in 1942 on the ridge nearby. These stations proved great importance as navigational aids during WWII and assisted in the detection of Japanese aircraft across Northern Australia. There were only ever two Round Houses constructed of concrete, the other being at Tolga on the Atherton Tablelands.

  • HISTORICAL WALK

    There are a few versions of our historical town that you can do, whether you are after a short walk around the main area of town or the half day version. You can obtain a map from the visitors centre and walk the 38 signposted sites, reading their interesting and colourful history along the way and drive to the sites on the outskirts of town.

  • JULIA CREEK DUNNART

    ‘Beneath the Creek’, another attraction at the centre, provides a hands-on interactive journey through many facets of life in the McKinlay Shire, and is also home to two very active and cheeky Dunnarts. Beneath the Creek allows you to hear about these remarkable tiny creatures and to view them in a habitat similar to that in the wild.

  • SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

    Love shopping? Here at Julia Creek we have a range of shops from gifts and souvenirs, groceries, furniture, saddlery, hardware, vehicle parts, tools and much more. Walk both sides of the street browsing in the shops starting at one end, work your way down the other end of town, cross over and do the same. You will be delighted at some of the goodies you will find here that you never expected!

  • SPIRIT OF THE LIGHT HORSE SCULPTURE

    Standing proud at the Julia Creek RSL, Samson, the major sculpture was created by artist, Sue Tilley, from a range of vintage metal objects collected locally. Samson, together with the surrounding Light Horse Brigade silhouettes, form a prominent tribute to the spirit of the ANZACs. This is located on the corner of Mathews and Goldring Streets (heavy vehicle bypass).

  • THE JULIA CREEK OPERA HOUSE

    The Opera House you ask? Yes, this is our Opera House……so named because it was officially opened on the same day as the Sydney Opera House. The Julia Creek Opera House is home to an interesting collection of local and regional photographs of the past life of the people of the region. It’s located in Julia Street, just a short stroll from the Visitor Information Centre.

  • WATER TOWER

    Just looking around town, one feature you definitely won’t miss is the 30m wine glass shaped water tower, which can be seen from up to 20km away. At night, the blue lights give the tower a completely different look and makes for some spectacular photography! Built in 1971, the tower has the capacity to hold 100,000 gallons of water and stands above one of Julia Creek’s bores. Not only does it serve to provide good water pressure in the town, but also allows the water to cool.