270 km west of Rockhampton on the Capricorn Highway. A hot and dusty spot which belies its name. The only things worth seeing are the 250 million-year-old fossilized tree trunks outside the Town Hall. Don’t be fooled by the name – the main gem-fields are 40 km or so west of here around Anakie. It was once famed for being a large sunflower producer and now it is the host to one of Australia’s many ‘big things’, the world’s largest painting of Van Gogh’s sunflowers on an easle. 25 meters high it has sister easels in Canada and America.

Perhaps the key attraction for Emerald is Lake Maraboon, a man made lake due to the Fairbairn Dam, and one of the biggest in Australia. When it is full it can hold more water than the Sydney Harbour. There are loads of water sports that can be played on the lake and it is a nice spot to go for a picnic.