📍13 Best Things To Do In Chinchilla, Australia. (Attractions & Activities 2024.)

LOOKING TO FIND THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN CHINCHILLA?

Way out west of Brisbane lies Chinchilla, the Watermelon Capital of Australia. Home to the famous Melon Festival, this small town in southern Queensland welcomes an average of 20,000 visitors wishing to watch or partake in the watermelon-based shenanigans.

But that only happens over four days every two years, so while it’s a great reason to visit, it’s not the only reason. I visited here for 3 days during a week-long trip throughout the Western Downs when its famous festival wasn’t on and discovered that there are so many fantastic things to do in Chinchilla that make it a great year-round destination.

1. The Big Melon.

Australia is famous for its long list of “Big Things“. The Big Pineapple, the Big Banana and there’s even a Big Poo. Yeah, that’s a weird one. What the hell, Kiama?! It’s touristy as hell and cheesier than cheese, but it’s visiting them is an Australian right of passage and taking a selfie with them is an absolute must when you’re in a town with one of them.

And in Chinchilla, their “Big Thing” is the Big Melon, a massive slice of juicy-looking watermelon that is a homage to the town’s status as the country’s largest producer of the delicious fruit and wildly fun bi-annual festival that centres around the delicious oval-shaped red and green melon.

It’s one of the newest additions to the long list of “Big Things” around the country, as it’s only been around since late 2018. But driving along the Warrego Highway/A2/Chinchilla Street as you go through town, you can’t miss the sumptuous slice of fruity paradise, so drop by and grab a silly selfie with it.

2. Chinchilla Botanical Parklands.

Once you have pulled a few fun faces and plenty of ridiculous poses in front of the Big Melon, take a stroll to the Chinchilla Botanical Parklands behind it. These beautiful recently curated parklands have many different areas and large spaces to enjoy, so it’s easy to find a peaceful place to have a quiet picnic, BBQ, or book read to yourself.

It’s also one of the best places to visit in Chinchilla with kids, thanks to the fantastic watermelon-themed playground they developed for the little ones to go nuts playing in.

3. Chinchilla Museum. – $.

Backing onto the Chinchilla Botanical Gardens is the Chinchilla Museum. Take a stroll through the place and discover the country town’s history, heritage and geography, which include pioneer buildings, an agricultural memorial to the cactoblastis’ defeat of the invasive prickly pear cactus, and a showcasing of Chinchilla Red, the region’s beautiful fossilized wood that became buried in lava flows.

4. Chinchilla Weir.

One of the biggest attractions is Chinchilla Weir, a stunning lake perfect for picnics, BBQs and an assortment of water-based activities. It’s a lovely place to go wild swimming on a hot day or to explore by powered boat, but the ultimate way to experience it is by kayak or canoe. There’s something very peaceful about floating across calm water with no auxiliary noises disturbing the ambient sounds of nature. It’s a great way to relax and appreciate the landscape.

The weir is not only great for that, but it’s also a free camping site! So you can do all that and camp under the stars by the lake with a fire going. How neat is that? And because it’s such a beautiful, well-maintained and newly renovated spot, it’s one of the region’s best places to camp for free, so you can just rock on up and pitch the tent or park the motorhome or caravan on your own schedule, which is the best thing about road trips, not having to conform to a schedule, and why it was certainly was my favourite place to visit in Chinchilla!

5. Fossicking For Chinchilla Red. – $.

Chinchilla Red is a type of petrified wood from trees entrapped in lava flows, which created their unique reddish colour and a high level of preservation. These woods are abundant in the countryside around Chinchilla, and fossicking for these stunning pieces of geology is permitted in certain areas.

However, you will need to collect a map from the Information Centre to know where to find the locations and get a fossicking license. However, if you prefer not to fossick for your own, you can also see a few samples there too.

6. Richard Best Memorial Park, Warra.

Adding to the list of what to do in Chinchilla’s surrounding areas is visiting the Richard Best Memorial Park. Almost every town has a museum, painting a picture of what life used to be like there. Some are paid affairs, while others are free behind fences and opening times, but Richard Best Memorial Park is a little different.

Situated in the tiny township of Warra, halfway between Dalby and Chinchilla, this park beside the Warrego Highway has an array of beautifully restored buildings and other odds and ends. They include a historic railway station, a school building, tractors and other such throwbacks that are accessible to see at any time of the day.

It’s pretty light on the information side of things, but if you’re not looking to delve deep into why it was integral to the town, a walk through the small park is an intriguing one and my favourite stop on the long drives between the townships.

As a bonus, there’s the old Warra Hotel across the street standing there as if it’s an extension of the Memorial Park and there is also the War Memorial building across the street, culminating in a great little collection of history.

7. Barakula State Forest.

Something about the countryside out in these parts is there isn’t a whole heap of visitable natural areas outside the lagoons and creeks. They have plundered it for agricultural use, and subsequently, there aren’t many forests to enjoy or trails to walk. It’s a shame, but there’s one place that somewhat makes up for it.

Barakula State Forest is a massive working forest 50 km drive from Chinchilla where people can enjoy picnicking, cycling and birdwatching. You can also swim in the creek, camp under the stars and search for nocturnal wildlife after the sun sets, making it the best place to go near Chinchilla if you’re looking for a natural place to recharge your spirit.

8. Tara Lagoon.

Someway south of Chinchilla is Tara. There’s not much for the tourist in this tiny town at the intersection of the Chinchilla-Tara and Surat Development Road, but there is one place that makes the long detour worthwhile: Tara Lagoon.

Tara Lagoon lies close to the township and is a beautiful piece of nature in an area devoid of many visitable natural attractions. A walk around its circumference is a great way to stretch the legs between long drives. Or better yet, get the togs on and go for a refreshing swim! It’s an excellent way to cool off for those hot summer days. Heck, even the winters are typically mild, making it a favourite year-round swimming haunt. You could also kayak the lagoon, go bird watching or have a picnic at the park adjacent to the water, although it was unfortunately flooded when we went there which was a bit uninviting.

9. Stargazing.

It’s not just Barakula State Forest that’s excellent for stargazing. It’s the whole damn region too! With towns so few and far between and fewer cars on the road as the night goes on, there’s not a whole heap of light pollution blocking out the stars.

Better yet, the skies are frequently clear, so find a backroad in the middle of nowhere and enjoy looking up at the universe while pondering existential thoughts about it and all its infinite mysteries.

Cue Stand By Me by Florence and the Machines.

10. Chinchilla RSL War Memorial.

It’s always moving to see a war memorial dedicated to the numerous Australians who served in the armed forces and fought in all of history’s wars. They are a sobering reminder that many of the freedoms and liberties citizens enjoy are because of their sacrifices.

At Chinchilla, the RSL (Retired Services League) Memorial Club is a lovely poignant place my dad and I chanced upon while driving through town and is where veterans, service folk and their families can gather for a meal, a drink and enjoy some entertainment, but everyone is welcome to come in. On the outside is a small but beautiful place of remembrance where people can pay their respects to the region’s war heroes. It’s not advertised, but it’s fairly close to the highway, so take a little detour down Heeney Street and discover this lovely hidden gem.

11. Cactoblastis Shed & Monument.

Another fantastic hidden gem in Chinchilla worth checking out is the Cactoblastis Shed and Monument. What’s that, you ask? It sounds like some mutant form of Cactuar from the Final Fantasy game series.

While it’s not a massive overgrown animated cactus threatening to “acupuncture” you to death with 10,000 needles, it is cactus-related. The monument isn’t an ode to the spiky plant but rather its destruction.

This was from back when Australia was newly overtaken by the Europeans and before they properly knew about the havoc foreign plants and animals could cause to the landscape, (wait, our species are still creating catastrophically destructive environmental decisions. Man, we’re slow.), they imported the Prickly Pear Cactus because it was pretty. Pretty fast spreading, that is. It overtook the fields and was unstoppable, kind of like Cactuar in Final Fantasy.

Enter the Cactoblastic insect, the species behind the fall of the indomitable, evasive plant. They became the hero Australia never knew it needed. Cue the glory light, the fog machine and bow before them! Yeah, it’s kind of weird. No, it’s completely weird. But it was also the most interesting thing of historical significance we read about how this little creature saved Australians from themselves. In the end, the moral of the story is to stop messing with the environment, and that humans aren’t the only ones who can be heroic. Insects can be heroes too.

12. Archers Crossing.

Another place to visit in Chinchilla is Archers Crossing. Only a short driving distance from the town, this hidden gem is a beautiful spot to escape into nature. While there aren’t any facilities, it’s a great place to go bird watching and perhaps a bit of a kayak if the water is high enough. It’s more well-known as being a free overnight camp, but more on that in the Where To Stay section of this post.

13. Kogan Creek Power Station.

Last on the list of what to do in Chinchilla and its surrounds is to visit the Kogan Creek Power Station. What makes this power facility so interesting is that it’s one of the most technologically advanced and efficient coal-fired power stations in Australia.

While you can’t tour the buildings, there is a lovely viewing area with information boards, so you can appreciate the state-of-the-art facility while you’re there.

Dalby.

Heading towards the coast along the Warrego Highway will land you in Dalby, a small place in the easternmost part of the Western Downs. While it doesn’t seem like it has a lot to offer from the outset, venturing beyond the town unveils plenty of excellent things to do.

My favourite spots include camping at Lake Broadwater where I witnessed an epic sunrise over the water, saw two galahs, kangaroos and for the first time, a royal spoonbill (waterbird) and the Australian Army Flying Museum at Oakey.

Distance from Chinchilla To Dalby: 82km southeast along the Warrego Highway(A2).

Miles.

Half the distance in the other direction along the Warrego Highway is Miles, which is the last town before the Outback starts. It has some fantastic attractions in town, such as Miles Historical Village Museum, which gives visitors a vivid taste of what life looked like in the past and an extremely rare German field weapon thought to be one of only three remaining in the world.

Outside the gateway destination, in the surrounding towns and villages, lie even more treasures. The ones I enjoyed the most were Caliguel Lagoon, the Meandarra Anzac Memorial Museum and the Waterloo Plain Environmental Park.

Distance from Chinchilla To Miles: 48km west along the Warrego Highway(A2).

Where To Stay In Chinchilla.

Chinchilla is a small country town with accommodation offerings for those seeking a comfortable place to stay with all the creature comforts and options for those looking to camp out under the stars.

➡️ Chinchilla White Gums Motor Inn.

A great option for staying in Chinchilla is at the White Gums Motor Inn. This modest 4-star motel has rooms in three configurations suitable for up to 5 guests with some featuring kitchenettes perfect for those looking to create some self-cooked meals on their travel adventure.

Private parking comes free of charge and is close to the entrance of the rooms which is particularly convenient for people who are road-tripping and don’t have their gear all together in suitcases or bags. It also has laundry facilities so any dirty clothes can get promptly cleaned after a day’s adventures.

Best of all, it’s in an excellent location. It’s just across the road from the Big Melon and Information Centre with the Botanic Parkland and Museum just a bit further away.

If you’re worried about the noise from the road disturbing your sleep, fear not, the rooms are soundproof! How good is that?

Frequently Asked Questions.

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like there are many there’s little to see in Chinchilla and the surrounding areas, but while it may not have an abundance of them, there are still quite a few places to see.

So whether you are coming to town to enjoy the mayhem at the Melon Festival or just visiting to see what’s out here, or it’s a pitstop along a longer journey, there’s a handful of fantastic things to do in Chinchilla to supplement your adventure.