Julia Creek is one little outback Queensland town that is determined not to get lost on the map. The McKinlay Shire Council is doing a fantastic job of ensuring that every year, travellers continue to put Julie Creek on their itineraries to experience all that’s on offer.
Of course, the Artesian Bath Houses are the most iconic Julia Creek attraction. They also offer free Cruise Bikes, a swimming pool with a water park, plus bush dinner nights and dunnart feeding.
Be sure to plan a few days in Julia Creek during your Outback Queensland trip. You will be glad you made the detour!
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Things to Do in Julia Creek
All of the things to do in Julia Creek included in this article can be found on the interactive map below.
MAP KEY:
🔴 Red pin drops = Thing to do in Julia Creek
Julia Creek Artesian Baths
Number one at the top of everyone’s list of things to do in Julia Creek is the Artesian Bath House experience.
Six Bath Houses sit on the outskirts of the Julia Creek Caravan Park and overlook the Outback Queensland landscape. Four have been built to look like large water tanks, while the other two are luxury rider huts.
Inside each Bath House are two single claw-footed baths, which are refilled every session with beautiful hot water straight from the Great Artesian Basin below.
The good news is that Caravan Park guests will get a discount when booking an Artesian Bath House session, however, all Julia Creek visitors are welcome to book.
The Replica Water Tank sessions go for 45 minutes, while the Rider Hut sessions go for 1 hr 15 minutes and come with a pamper gift pack.
All guests are welcome to order the optional Gourmet Grazing Platter for $40, which comes with locally sourced nibblies.
There are 15 minutes between each booked session, which allows staff to clean and sanitise the bathtubs, refill them and deliver the platters (if ordered).
Replica Rainwater Tank Bath House:
- Relaxing experience
- 4 huts available
- 2 baths in each hut
- Session – 45 mins
Boundary Rider Hut Bath House:
- Luxury experience
- 2 huts available
- 2 baths in each hut
- Session – 1 hr 15 mins
- Gift Pack included (pannikin, gift bag, loofah, bath salts, slippers & moisturiser)
Julia Creek Artesian Baths PRICES
| BATH HOUSE EXPERIENCE | CP GUEST | VISITOR |
|---|---|---|
| Boundary Rider Bath Houses | REGULAR TIME: • $45 – Individual • $80 – Couple SUNSET: • $60 – Individual • $110 – Couple | REGULAR TIME: • $55 – Individual • $95 – Couple SUNSET: • $70 – Individual • $130 – Couple |
| Rainwater Tank Bath Houses | REGULAR TIME: • $25 – Individual • $40 – Couple SUNSET: • $35 – Individual • $60 – Couple | REGULAR TIME: • $40 – Individual • $70 – Couple SUNSET: • $50 – Individual • $90 – Couple |
| Gourmet Grazing Platter (optional) | $40 | $40 |
Julia Creek Artesian Baths BOOKINGS
Bookings are essential for Julia Creek Artesian Bath House experience. Please call or email the Caravan Park ahead of time to avoid disappointment.
- Phone: (07) 4746 7108
- Email: jccaravanpark@mckinlay.qld.gov.au
| JULIA CREEK CARAVAN PARK | |
|---|---|
| Park Address | Old Normanton Road, Julia Creek QLD 4823 |
Julia Creek Swimming Pool & Water Park
Directly across the road from the Julia Creek Caravan Park is the local Swimming Pool and Water Park.
There you’ll find a 25-metre lap pool, a shallow-depth toddler pool and a water park complete with two big water slides and a splash park!
Julia Creek Caravan Park guests get FREE entry into the swimming pool and water park. Just ask the staff at the caravan park reception for your tokens.
Julia Creek Swimming Pool & Water Park:
- 25-metre lap pool
- Toddler pool
- 2 slides
- Splash park
- Grassed area
- Amenities
- Shade sails
| JULIA CREEK SWIMMING POOL | |
|---|---|
| Cost | Caravan Park guests – FREE Non-caravan Park guests – Adult – $2.00 | Child – $1.00 |
| Opening Hours | WINTER: – Monday to Friday (2pm – 6pm) – Weekends (1pm – 5pm) SUMMER: – Monday to Friday (6am – 7am | 3pm – 6pm) – Saturday to Sunday (9am- 12pm | 3pm – 6pm) |
| Address | 32 Julia Street, Julia Creek QLD 4823 |
Cruiser Bikes
Visitors to Julia Creek can enjoy FREE Bike Hire (with helmets included).
Whether you’re staying at the Caravan Park or the Free RV Camp down the road, you’ll find a selection of cruiser bikes to choose from.
Since everything is so closely located in Julia Creek, you can literally set up camp and explore using the walking and cycling trails, which link the town together.
Head off for a picnic, go along the Nature Trail or even head to the pub for lunch without having to drive home.
| CRUISER BIKE HIRE | |
|---|---|
| Cost | FREE |
| Hire Locations | • Julia Creek Caravan Park – all year round • Julia Creek RV Camp – April to October |
Bike Safety Track
If you’ve got kids, go for a ride to the Bike Safety Track (opposite the Indoor Sports Centre) to practice real-life traffic scenarios.
With round-a-bouts, intersections, stop signs and traffic lights, the kids will have lots of fun riding on a ‘real life road.’
| BIKE SAFETY TRACK | |
|---|---|
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | Shaw Street, Julia Creek QLD 4823 |
At The Creek (Visitor Information Centre)
‘At The Creek’ is Julia Creek’s award-winning Visitor Information Centre, which is housed in historic railway fettlers cottages. There you can see a range of interactive visual and audio displays, which really capture and tell the story of the local land and people.
‘Beneath the Creek’ is one of the centre’s main attractions. Learn about the significance of having access to the Great Artesian Basin, which sits below a large portion of Outback Queensland.
At the Information Centre, you can grab any maps and brochures you need for the area. Be sure to ask about what events and attractions are currently available to see while you’re in town.
| AT THE CREEK | |
|---|---|
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | 34 Burke Street, Julia Creek QLD 4823 |
Dunnart Feeding
While you’re visiting At The Creek, ask about the Dunnart Feeding show. Dunnarts are tiny carnivorous nocturnal marsupials about the size of a mouse.
Learn all about how the Julia Creek Dunnart was discovered. This particular species can only be found in an 8,000m² area between Julia Creek and Richmond in western Queensland. It is currently listed as ‘near threatened.’
For just $5 you can enter the Dunnart feeding room and explore the projections on the floor showing the Dunnart’s world. Listen to the knowledgeable staff as they talk about the local dunnarts and watch ‘Duncan’ and ‘Donald’ as they get fed.
All money raised helps to go towards the protection of the Julia Creek Dunnart.
| DUNNART FEEDING | |
|---|---|
| Cost | $5 per group |
| Times | • Monday to Friday – 10.00 am & 2.00 pm • Weekends – 10.00 am Seasonal (usually November to March) |
| Address | 34 Burke Street, Julia Creek QLD 4823 |
Virtual Muster
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to round up cattle on a huge outback station? Well for just $10, you can have a crack at it – virtually that is!
At the Julia Creek Visitor Information Centre you can put on a VR headset and headphones, which will then place you in the position of ‘musterer.’ From being on the back of a dirt bike, inside a chopper and sitting on the rails of a cattle yard, you’ll get to experience it all.
| VIRTUAL MUSTER | |
|---|---|
| Cost | $10 |
| Address | 34 Burke Street, Julia Creek QLD 4823 |
Duncan McIntyre Museum
Explore what life in Julia Creek used to be like during the pioneering days. Have a look at some locally-sourced fossils from when this landscape used to be the Eromanga Sea, around 110 million years ago.
See an old vintage Willy Jeep Truck, a steam engine and an old tractor. Let the antique artefacts tell the history of hospitals, radios and telecommunications in the area.
| DUNCAN MCINTYRE MUSEUM | |
|---|---|
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | Burke Street, Julia Creek QLD 4823 |
Julia Creek Historical Walk
Take a self-guided walk through town and discover the 38 signposted sights along the way.
Grab a map from the Information Centre and from there you can either wander along the main street to read the signs as you go. Or, you can do the full tour, which includes driving to the outskirts of town.
Two ways to do the Julia Creek Historical tour:
- Go for a wander through town and see what you can find
- Take the half-day driving tour using the map, visiting the outskirts of town
| HISTORICAL TOUR | |
|---|---|
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | (Map from Info Centre) 34 Burke Street, Julia Creek QLD 4823 |
Julia Creek Opera House
The Julia Creek Opera House does have one thing in common with the Sydney Opera House – they both officially opened on the same day. But that’s where the similarities stop.
At the Julia Creek Opera House you’ll find a photo gallery collection of the last 100 years in Julia Creek and the surrounding region.
| JULIA CREEK OPERA HOUSE | |
|---|---|
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | 14 Julia Street, Julia Creek QLD 4823 |
Wildlife Spotting
Go for a walk or jump onto a free Cruiser Bike and wander the sealed trails around the edges of town. See what wildlife you can spot.
Keep your eyes peeled for the majestic Brolgas down at the RV Park. Other animals that regularly make an appearance include kangaroos, emus, lizards and various birdlife.
Spirit of the Light Horse Sculpture
Standing out the front of the Julia Creek RSL is Samson, the Spirit of the Light horse sculpture.
Artist Sue Tilley created Samson using vintage metal objects (all sourced locally) as a tribute to the spirit of the ANZACs.
| SPIRIT OF THE LIGHT HORSE SCULPTURE | |
|---|---|
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | Cnr Matthews & Goldring Streets, Julia Creek QLD 4823 |
Bush Dinner Night
Every Monday, Bush Dinner Night is held at Julia Creek Caravan Park, which runs from June to August. This is open to everyone, whether you’re staying at the caravan park or not.
For $25 per adult ($15 for kids) you can enjoy a two-course meal made from local produce and cooked by a local non-profit group.
Bush Dinner Nights are a great opportunity for local organisations to fundraise while providing a great service to locals and travellers alike.
Listen to an Outback Aussie tale and maybe even enjoy some local entertainment around the campfire. Don’t forget to BYO plates, cutlery, drinks and chairs.
Julia Creek Bush Dinner Night bookings are essential.
| BUSH DINNER NIGHTS | |
|---|---|
| When | Every Monday night from June till August |
| What to Bring | • Cutlery & plates • Drinks • Camp chairs |
| Cost | Adult (12 yrs and over) – $25 Child (< 12 yrs) – $15 Under 5’s – FREE |
| Address | Julia Creek Caravan Park Old Normanton Road, Julia Creek QLD 4823 |
WW2 Site – The Round House
See the remains of a concrete building that used to generate power for a RAAF High Frequency/ Direction Finding Station in World War 2. That RAAF building was called the ‘Round House’ and was installed in 1942 on a nearby ridge.
The role of these stations was to assist in the detection of Japanese planes across northern Australia. The only other concrete Round House constructed sits at Tolga on the Atherton Tablelands.
| WW2 SITE | |
|---|---|
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | Flinders Highway, Julia Creek QLD 4823 (3 km west of town on the left-hand side of the road) |
Julia Creek Dirt n Dust Festival
If you’re travelling through Julia Creek in April, then pencil the Julia Creek Dirt n Dust Festival into your itinerary.
Pegged as the dirtiest, dustiest, most challenging festival in Australia!
Featuring Australia’s toughest sprint triathlons, horse racing, PBR bull riding, live music, best butt competition, bog snorkelling and loads more.
Whether you’re athletic and want to challenge yourself, a curious family or a spectator looking to be entertained, there’s something for everyone.
Check out the Dirt N Dust website for this year’s program, tickets and visitor info.
JULIA CREEK ESSENTIALS
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