Jundah is a small town with a laidback pace of life. Sealed roads now give travellers a comfortable drive from either Longreach or Windorah. Once you’re there, nowhere is it more laidback than when you’re sitting on the bank of the Thomson River with a fishing rod in your hands.
Some people who like camping holidays, find a good spot and stay 10 or 12 days. (Camping is allowed along the riverbank.) Others like to do a bit of fishing but prefer to stay in an air-conditioned room at the Jundah Hotel. Either way, the yellowbelly fishing is usually good. You might also catch a jew or bream.
After you’ve burnt up your energy through various activities, socialise at the Jundah Hotel. Chat with the locals and learn more about the day-to-day living while quenching your thirst or enjoying a meal from the hotel’s menu. Fortnightly Goose Clubs are held to raise funds for the local charities. Breakfast, lunch and dinners are available daily, along with packed lunches for those who would like to take a day trip such as the Junction Loop.
For those towing caravans or bringing their own camping equipment, sites are available at the Jundah Caravan Park. An overflow of visitors to the park can be accommodated at the Sports Complex.
If you’re looking for a little recreation while visiting, check in at the Jundah Information Centre to acquire equipment for a game of tennis or basketball. If you’re travelling in a group, there’s always indoor cricket. A nine-hole golf course and clubhouse is located near the hospital.
The information centre also has an exhibition of local photography with souvenirs, gifts and access to a public internet service.
Cool off in the 25m pool which is situated in landscaped grounds in Miles Street. Then have a picnic in the memorial park adjacent. The memorial cenotaph in the centre of the park lists the names of soldiers from the shire who volunteered their services and fought in World Wars One and Two and the Boer War. Under shelter on one side of the park are two wagons used for general freight and wool carting during the pioneer days.
A mural of the outback, painted by the school principal and children in November 1997, adorns the front of a building that was once a general store dating back to the late 1880s. Today the store is used once a week as a meeting place for locals wishing to enjoy a cuppa and a spot of craft.
The Jundah Store is a small shop but it’s packed full of goods. The store has everything from hot drinks, meals and snacks to meat, fruit and vegetables. People can buy jewellery, souvenirs and knicknacks.
Jundah itself is at the centre of sheep and cattle grazing land and is the administrative centre for the shire. The Barcoo Shire Museum has been set up so it can be open 24 hours, and you’ll find it a fascinating spot to browse around, with everything from antique mortuary tools to an old RFDS medicine kit.
For natural history, visit Welford National Park, 45km southeast of Jundah. The park fronts onto a stretch of the Barcoo River. If you’re a nature lover, there are camping grounds beside permanent waterholes along the river system. A Heritage-listed pise homestead is the private dwelling for the park ranger. The earthen homestead dates back to pre 1900s, and is one of only two pise constructions still occupied in Queensland. Check with the information centre at Jundah or Windorah for more information before heading out.
For history that goes back even further, visit the site of the Native Well, about 32km north of Jundah and consisting of several native wells carved into the rock.
