Toowoomba to Charleville – Hot Springs and Cold Beers
Today we were heading west from Toowoomba to Charleville, with a planned stop at Mitchell to check out the Great Artesian Spa. But before we hit the highway, there was an important matter to attend to: breakfast!
Our first stop was Darby’s Bakery in Oakey for a pastry treat. Because no decent road trip should get too far underway without something tasty from a country bakery. It’s practically a touring regulation!
With the pastry situation under control, we continued west towards Mitchell and our planned soak in the artesian hot springs.
Unfortunately, there appears to be a small hole in our photographic records for this day. Either we took photos and they’ve mysteriously disappeared, or we were so busy enjoying ourselves that we forgot to take any in the first place. Both are entirely possible! So, you’ll just have to use your imagination for this leg of the adventure.
A Soak at Mitchell
The Great Artesian Spa at Mitchell is well worth a visit if you’re passing through the area.
The spa uses naturally heated mineral water from the Great Artesian Basin, providing a relaxing place to soak away those aches and pains that seem to accumulate during a road trip. It’s also a good excuse to stop driving for a while and do absolutely nothing productive.
We enjoyed a refreshing dip, giving ourselves a chance to relax before climbing back into the MX-5 and continuing our journey west. There’s something rather appealing about soaking in warm artesian water before returning to the open road. If only every touring day came with its own spa treatment!
Once we’d dried off and were ready to roll again, we called into the Post Office Hotel for a cold beer.
Naturally, after enjoying hot water at the spa, a cold beverage seemed like the logical next step. It’s all about maintaining a healthy balance, after all!
Charleville – Time to Find the Pubs
With our spa session and pub stop ticked off, we continued to Charleville, where we’d be spending the night at the Warrego Motel.
After checking in and getting ourselves settled, we wandered down to Hotel Corones for a couple of beers. Then, because apparently two beers weren’t quite enough to complete the evening’s research, we ventured over to the RSL for a couple more.
We were certainly doing our bit to support the local hospitality industry!
When it came to dinner, though, Charleville wasn’t exactly setting our culinary world on fire that evening. Nothing we saw really grabbed our attention, so we settled for a simple burger from the truck stop.
It did the job, filled the gap and saved us from wandering the streets looking for something more exciting.
And that was another day of touring done and dusted. A bakery treat, an artesian soak, a few country pub beers and a burger to finish the night.
We may have lost the photos, but thankfully we hadn’t lost the ability to find a good pub!
The Thirsty Tourists: keeping the local pubs in business, one stop at a time. 🍻
