It’s not every day that you hear someone say that they’re headed to Cunnamulla. This charming outback town of around 1,200 residents is in the Paroo Shire, about 750 kilometres west of Brisbane, and it’s best known for its iconic Cunnamulla Fella statue and song, its hot springs centre, and its Cobb & Co history.
The word ‘Cunnamulla’ is an Aboriginal term from the local Kunja language, meaning ‘big waterhole’ or ‘long stretch of water’. The town was named by Cobb & Co when they established a base at the local waterhole.
The Cunnamulla Fella, and a rich history
Cunnamulla’s compact town centre is built around a war memorial fountain near the banks of the Warrego River, and one of the most prominent landmarks is the Cunnamulla Fella.
The larger-than-life bronze statue was created by artist Archie Sinclair (based on a drawing by Michael Nicholas) to honour outback stockmen, immortalising the Aussie larrikin character in the famous song, Cunnamulla Fella, written by Stan Coster in 1965 and performed by Slim Dusty.
It became such a famous Australian bush ballad that when Slim Dusty passed away in 2003, Paroo Shire held a competition to design a visual concept for the legendary bush character, and the statue was unveiled in 2005.
The 1950s and ’60s were a boom time for Cunnamulla, as wool was pound for pound and cattle were worth their weight in gold. Thriving wool town and the pubs were packed with rowdy, beer-swilling men, their pockets flush with cash. But times change and excessive stockpiling led to a devastating market crash in 1989. Overnight the price of wool became worthless and locals either had to leave town or wait until the market bounced back.
It took two decades for the latter to happen, and now the town is thriving once again.
Where to stay and dine in Cunnamulla
Hotel Cunnamulla is one of those grand, classic outback pubs that ooze character, and it’s right in the middle of town, and so a great place to base yourself while exploring. The rooms are clean, light-filled and basic, and for business travellers, there’s free wi-fi, onsite parking and conference and meetings facilities.
Meals are made from scratch from locally sourced ingredients where possible, and every Sunday the hotel has soup of the day, a hearty roast and delicious house-made desserts. During the cooler months, guests can dine by the open fire in the heritage dining room.
Club Boutique Hotel is another great place to stay, and it doubles up as a tour company. Built in 1934, it was once a meeting place for shearers and graziers, and the building has its original polished timber floors and period-style decor, but now with added deluxe offerings, such as gorgeous period-style decor, L’Occitane toiletries, plush bath robes and en-suites.
There are also queen, king and family-sized glamping tents in the hotel’s garden, and all of them have outdoor seating, so it’s a lovely way to do some star-gazing.
The Day Spa offers guests therapeutic massage and beauty treatments delivered by experienced therapists and all ingredients are locally sourced: honey, eucalyptus, aloe vera, Dead Sea minerals, and native botanicals combined with the wellness properties of ancient artesian water.
There are plenty of tours to choose from, and for those who love getting out on the water, you can book in a kayaking tour of the Warrego River.
Cunnamulla’s Artesian-fed hot mineral Springs
The Cunnamulla Hot Springs is a state-of-the-art wellness complex that opened in early 2024 after a $11.7 million injection from the Queensland and Federal Government under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Fed by the mineral-rich Great Artesian Basin, the awesome facility features seven geothermal mineral pools (with water temperatures ranging from 30°C to 40°C), a cold plunge pool, sauna, steam room, and a relaxation room. There are lovely areas to sit outside – shaded by native coolabah and eucalyptus trees – and look out over the Warrego River.
Though a wellness centre may seem an extravagance in the outback, the entire region is founded on the Great Artesian Basin – an underground freshwater source stretching more than 1.7 million square kilometres. Without it, life in remote towns such as Cunnamulla would not be possible, and the wellness centre is now a major drawcard for visitors.
For the ultimate outback wellness experience, unwind in the soothing Artesian Mud Baths at nearby Eulo, which is a 45-minute drive from Cunnamulla. Immerse yourself in naturally warm artesian waters enriched with mineral-rich clays formed from the nearby mud springs over millions of years.
For another amazing outdoor bathing experience with a more rustic edge, head to Charlotte Plains – a family-run 27,000-hectare working sheep station famous for its open-air bathtubs fed by an 1890s bore. There are 14 free-flowing deep cast-iron tubs sitting in the paddocks, filled with mineral-rich artesian water naturally heated to a steaming 42°C.
You can completely immerse yourself in the outback by camping here at the Bore Campsite (unpowered) by the Artesian baths or stay in the Shearers Campsite (powered) in the wide, open landscape. The Shearers Quarters is for those who prefer a ready-made bed and a roof over their head.
You can learn more about the region’s history and the hot springs in the area at the Cunnamulla Fella Centre, where the Artesian Time Tunnel (the museum’s star attraction) chronicles the basin’s development over the past 100 million years.
Get back to nature in the great outdoors
Less than a 20-minute drive from Cunnamulla will have you at The Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, which extends from the floodplain of the Warrego River to tablelands of Mulga woodland in the west. In a region dominated by grazing properties, Bowra is the opposite – it protects important tracts of native vegetation and permanent waterholes to ensure the future of native wildlife.
There are powered and unpowered camping sites within the sanctuary, so you can truly immerse yourself in nature, surrounded by native wildlife.
The cracking clay soil on the floodplains provides habitats for small mammals and reptiles, and there are diverse and distinctive ecosystems within the park, including areas with plenty of gidgee, poplar box, cypress pine, coolabah, river red gum and mulga trees.
It’s a wild, natural sanctuary with more than 280 plant species from 56 families, with the patchwork of woodlands, shrub-lands, grasslands and riparian vegetation creating refuge for a huge diversity of semi-arid wildlife.
The sanctuary is home to more than 300 species of native animals including the desert spadefoot toad, the striped skink and pebble dragon. It’s also a mecca for bird-watchers , with more than 200 species, many of them threatened. The charismatic pink cockatoo is regularly spotted by visitors, breeding in tree hollows on the sanctuary.
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Rex Airlines flies to Cunnamulla Book your flights here and check out the route map below.
