The weather had cooled down, school holidays are on and the Easter long weekend is nearly here – that means it’s the perfect time to plan a road trip along the Great Inland Way, which is just oozing with events at this time of year. Easter Sunday falls on April 9th in 2023 and all of our towns will have Easter festivities. Here are some of the highlights:
Become a real-life Outback Opal Hunter in Lightning Ridge for their annual Easter Festival (April 7-9). This town likes to do things differently so expect rickshaw races alongside horse races, bull and bronc riding alongside fireworks and Easter hunts with a twist – the Little and Big Digs. The Little Dig gives the kids an opportunity to fossick for $3500 in prizes, while the Big Dig (for big kids) is the chance to find $15,000 worth of solid opal!
Just up the road from the Ridge is Dirranbandi where you can park up beside the Balonne Minor River at Jack Dwyer Park and join the locals in their annual family-friendly fishing competition and carp muster (April 8-9). There’s giveaways and prizes, a big cook-up on Saturday night and the final weigh-in on Sunday afternoon.
Fancy a tipple? Well, don your bunny ears and get along to Easter in the Vines at the Riversands Winery in St George for a weekend (April 8-9) of live music, food and, of course, fine wine. Settle in with friends in the lush gardens and enjoy your own BBQ or purchase a gourmet platter, sample the Riversands wines (and their popular – but naughty – port) and let the kids run wild with Easter egg hunts and face painting.
Channel your inner stockman at Roma’s Easter in the Country. All things Outback are celebrated in this five day event (April 6-11) so think campfire dinners, professional rodeos, extreme bull riding, drag racing, burnout competitions, international speedway, mud buggies, bush poetry and song and tours of everything from the Big Rig and the Roma Saleyards to the Carnarvon Ranges.
In Emerald Easter means sunflowers, honouring the rich agricultural heritage of the area (and have you seen the world’s largest Van Gogh Sunflowers painting – all 25m of it – in Morton Park?) Start the fun with the street parade and stick around for the art exhibition, high tea and horse racing.
At the northern end of the Great Inland Way you’ll find Kuranda’s Easter Festival (near Mareeba). In contrast to our outback and agricultural events this is a festival in a rainforest and its jam-packed full of kid’s activities, live music, market stalls, shopping ’til late and delicious food.
We’re looking forward to seeing you over Easter somewhere along the Great Inland Way.