How to explore Emerald and the Sapphire Gemfields in 48 hours

Some gems out here aren’t so hidden, and one of our favourites will greet you as you roll into Emerald. Standing at an attention-grabbing 25 metres tall and comprised of over 13 tonnes of steel, the Big Easel is a vibrant reproduction of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers (1889) – a tribute to the extensive sunflower fields found in the Central Highlands region.

Things heat up quickly out here, so if you want to get your bearings and learn the stories and history of the area, hop back on the road towards Rubyvale along the Sapphire Gemfields Interpretive Trail. Beginning at the Anakie Crossroads, your first stop is the Sapphire Reflections, a 12-metre-tall artwork with sparkling glass panels that catch the light. Continue on through the surrounding gemfield towns, stopping at five interpretive panels and 30 place markers, to uncover the stories of the characters, history and boom or bust nature of the local gem industry.

Up next: Start your treasure hunt on a fossicking tour

You’ll need to know where to look and the tricks of the trade if you're going to find hidden gems while you're here. Luckily, there are a number of ways to join a guided fossicking tour, or test your skills in a fossicking park where you can skip the heavy digging and get straight to sieving for sapphires and zircons. 

Discover Pat's Gems, Gemfields Fossicking Park, Miner's Heritage or Fascination Gems to learn how to fossick. Signs offering fossicking tours and gem-cutting dot the roadsides, but digging for sapphires isn’t just a tourist attraction. It’s a way of life here and although sapphires were first discovered here a century ago, there are still plenty to be found.

The Fascination Gems self-drive tour includes a fossicking licence, tips from an experienced miner, all the tools and driving directions. Once at your designated fossicking area you can start digging up earth, sieving off dust and washing stones in a bucket of water so any heavy sapphires sink to the bottom. Then it’s time for the moment of truth as you turn out your sieve and inspect the contents.

You never know what you’ll find, from a tiny sapphire chip to a rock that could be worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Afternoon: Go underground with a mine tour

Escape the heat and venture below the surface at Miners Heritage, Australia’s largest underground walk-in sapphire mine tour. Here, you'll learn more fascinating history on a 40-minute family-friendly tour - and the many sapphires sparkling in the mine's walls will get you fired up for more fossicking later.

Miners Heritage features an underground museum where you can read about some of the sapphires that have been found over the years, and after the tour, you can buy a bucket of ‘wash’ (the leftover dirt from commercial mines) and fossick for your own gem.

Dinner: Join the locals at Rubyvale's only pub

Rubyvale is a one-horse town and the New Royal Hotel is the only option for your evening meal - but even so, it's a classic outback pub, brimming with character and history. Join the locals at the bar and hear them spin a yarn or two, or play darts or pool while you wait for your meal to arrive. 

The New Royal Hotel has cabins and motel-style rooms if you need a place to stay, or head across the road to the Rubyvale Gem Gallery, which has self-contained rooms and a two-bedroom cottage that’s perfect for families. Nearby you'll also find Rubyvale Motel which is ideal for stargazers, or tow your rig into Rubyvale Caravan Park. 

By night: Go stargazing

It's not just sapphires that sparkle out here in the Gemfields. Peer into the universe in wide-eyed wonder at Rubyvale Motel's 'Gems by Day, Jewels by Night' Observatory, which takes advantage of the area's near-zero light pollution and optimum stargazing conditions. 

A powerful telescope will help you pick out clusters of colourful stars and planets, including Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s many moons. Even if you didn’t find a sapphire while fossicking, the night skies are a gem everyone can enjoy.

Bookings are essential and you must be a guest of Rubyvale Motel to take a tour. 

Day 2

Morning: Discover locally-made jewellery

Fuel up on a big breakfast at Muggachinos then pop into the renowned Rubyvale Gem Gallery, which was started by pioneering miner turned gem cutter and jeweller, Peter Brown. Peter unearthed his first sapphire while out fossicking on the Sapphire Gemfields as a 21 year old back in 1974, and then spent his life earning a reputation as a true expert in the field. Peter's legacy continues with his two sons who now help run the business since his passing in 2021.  

If you get seduced by the precious stones on display, you can buy a ready-made piece or choose a loose sapphire and commission a unique piece of jewellery.

Mid-morning: Go another round of fossicking

Now you’re up to speed with fossicking, you can buy a permit, hire the tools and go out on your own to any of the five designated fossicking areas around Rubyvale (Reward, Middle Ridge, Scrub Head, Divide and Tomahawk Creek). Fascination Gems will help you out again and tell you where you could strike it rich.

To gain a fossicking permit, you can fill out an online form here, or obtain one locally.  Make sure you carry the fossicking licence on you at all times (no need to print it - you can simply show an inspector the license on your mobile, if asked) and follow the rules. 

Afternoon: Explore the local wetlands

Ready to put down the equipment? The Sapphire Gemfields Wetland Reserve is a 14-hectare protected area home to walking and cycling tracks and is perfect for if you're ready to see a different side to the region. Not only is it a birdwatching paradise, you’ll pass a restored fossicker’s dwelling along the way, which was built by one of the original residents to the Sapphire area, the Dove family - offering a unique glimpse into the way miners lived. 

Sunset: Lounge lakeside

With the sun setting on your 48 hours in Emerald and Sapphire Gemfields, it's time to kick back at your own pace with a visit to Lake Maraboon, Queensland’s second largest lake.

Want to spend the night? You can camp out at Lake Maraboon Holiday Village or hire a cabin. They also hire kayaks and boats if you want to get out on the water or go fishing. The lake is home to eight different species of fish, but it’s the red claw shellfish everyone loves most. The birdlife is prolific so if fishing’s not your thing, just enjoy the bird spotting or chill out on the grassy banks.

Where to next? Make your way east to Rockhampton, discover ancient beauty at Carnarvon Gorge, or to pair your fossicking adventure with a little sun and snorkelling, follow this five-day itinerary from Heron Island to the Gemfields.