Yowah - town in Queensland, Australia
Yowah is an outback opal mining town in South Western Queensland.
Get in
Access is by 60km of sealed road from the Bulloo Developmental Road (The Adventure Way) just outside of Eulo. A 23km unsealed 4wd track takes around the same time to traverse as the sealed road to Eulo, but may provide a time saving if travelling to or from Thargomindah.
Get around
You will need a car to get around town.
See
- Opal Galleries. Browse through the many opal galleries in town.
- The Bluff. The bluff is a 50m elevation in remarkably flat country, around 4km out of town. It gives a view of the country for miles around, and an appreciation for how flat and remote it all is.
Do
- Mine Tour. You can take an underground opal mining tour. negotiable
- Fossicking. Get a fossicking licence from the general store, and follow the signs to the fossicking fields. Maybe strike it lucky! 8.70 for a 1 month licence
- Yowah Opal Festival. A licenced bar in Yowah. Just for the weekend!
Buy
Why opals of course. Direct from the miner. There are many opportunities for opal shopping in town.
The Yowah nut is the local opal. Small rocks on the ground reveal the opal colouring when cut. The local miners can see which of the rocks are likely to contain a nut. You can get your own fossicking cut for a fee as well (you won't know if you've found a true nut until it is cut).
You can purchase them in the rough, or as fine jewellery, or in pretty much any state in between.
Eat
- General Store. food suppliers
- Short and Sweet. Hamburgers, milkshakes, that sort of thing.
Drink
There is no pub, or bottle shop in Yowah. The nearest beer is in Eulo or 135 kilometres north at Toompine where the population is just 2, the publican and his wife. On holidays much of Yowah's population can migrate to Eulo for a beer.
Sleep
There is a single caravan park in Yowah, with six cabins. The closest alternative place to stay would be Eulo.
- Artesian Waters Caravan Park, 1 Blue Bonnet Blvd, -27.971606°, 144.637636°, +61 7 4655 4953. 2017-07-29
Connect
There is Telstra 3G coverage in Yowah. No other mobile networks are available. There is a public phone.
Go next
If you have a four wheel drive, and you came in via the sealed road, perhaps you would like to return via the Black Gate Road. Turn left off the main road just out of town, next to the dummy fireman.