THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED
As seasoned theatre goers know, it’s a good tactic not to be blinded by the star performers in the cast because you might miss outstanding contributions from the support actors. So it is with the Carnarvon Highway, a 700-kilometre route that links Moree in north-western NSW with Rolleston in Central Queensland. Although book-ended by the celebrated attractions of hot artesian pools at Moree and the stunning wilderness experience of Carnarvon Gorge, the highway rewards leisurely inspection with plenty of delightful scenes to make the trip memorable.
The first artesian bore was sunk at Moree in 1895 and a pool lined with timber railway sleepers was built at the bore head as a public bathing facility. It was a male-only venue except for Monday and Thursday afternoons when the men were banished and women could soak in the mineral-rich, 39-degree waters. Although the therapeutic benefits of geothermal baths had been prized by ancient societies for thousands of years, it wasn’t until the railway arrived in Moree in 1897 that visitors from Sydney and beyond could take the waters there. The influx of European migrants following WWII further popularised Moree’s pools and these days more than 300,000 visitors come through Moree’s Spa Complex, which, following a recent upgrade, includes a day spa, an active pool with jets, a slightly cooler passive pool, a program pool for hydrotherapy, an Olympic pool and a giant water
