GIN GIN is known as the town that’s half way to everywhere because of its central location on the Bruce Highway.
But it’s much more than that. You’ll find that the town and the surrounding district in the Kolan Shire have their own attractions that make this area worthwhile to visit. So don’t just drive straight through. If you’re looking for a friendly place to stay, Gin Gin will meet you more than half way! In fact, the town won a “friendliest town in Queensland” award a couple of years ago and still lives up to the title.
Convenience is greatly appreciated by people on the road, and here you can access fuel, food and toilets 24 hours a day. Even the regional visitor information centre has 24-hour displays. For people who are towing vans, this place also has to be the easiest spot to park along the entire highway. The inform-ation centre is right in the main street (on the corner of Mulgrave Street [the Bruce Highway] and Milden Street) and is open seven days from 9.00am to 4.00pm. The static regional displays can be viewed at any time.
Enjoy the sight and fragrance of a lavender farm, taste a couple of local wines at boutique wineries and see olive farms in this picturesque area. The small hamlets of Tirroan and Wallaville also have their own attractions, so put them on your list of places to visit during a drive of the district.
Back in Gin Gin, try one of the award-winning pies at the pie shop just across the road from the information centre. Relax over devonshire tea at the Regional Courthouse Gallery and wander through the art displays there.
The Historical Village, situated at the old railway station on the intersection of the Bruce Highway and the Bundaberg Road, has a great Saturday market where you can buy crafts and fresh produce. Also learn about the shire’s past at the historical complex.
Find out about Queensland’s only authentic bushranger, the Wild Scotchman, and his affinity for this area. See the pioneering masterpiece of the Boolboonda Tunnel. It is the longest unsupported man-made tunnel in the Southern Hemisphere. Explore the largest natural hoop pine forest in Australia. Fish for barramundi at Lake Monduran. Barra well over a metre long have been caught in the lake, so you might want to stay over at the holiday park to give yourself lots of time to catch a biggie. There is no closed season at the lake, although different limits apply at different times of the year. You might also hook a bass. (A fishing permit is required.) Get your tackle from the Lake Monduran Holiday Park kiosk.
Enjoy the bushland surroundings and walk along some of the trails. Further afield, the Goodnight Scrub National Park also offers the opportunity to do some bushwalking and rewards you with views of Paradise Dam.
