We've pulled into Surat today, a quiet town that once echoed with the thunder of hooves and the rattle of Cobb & Co coaches. It's remarkable how some places carry their history like a badge of honour, and Surat's deep connection to those legendary coaching days is woven right through the fabric of the town.
The caravan park here is a ripper. The circular garden feature in town caught my eye straight away, bursting with colour against the classic red earth that defines this part of inland Queensland. .
Walking around town, you can't help but picture what it must've been like during Cobb & Co's heyday. From 1854 to 1924, those distinctive coaches were the lifeline of rural Australia, carrying mail, passengers, and precious cargo across impossible distances. Surat was an important staging post on these routes, and the town's heritage preserves that remarkable chapter of Australian history.
The park itself spreads across generous grounds, with that distinctive red dirt road network connecting the sites. Mature eucalypts provide welcome shade—crucial in this climate—and there's plenty of room to spread out without feeling cramped. Lisa's already sussing out the best spots for sunset photography, and I reckon she'll have some beauty shots with those gums silhouetted against the western sky.
It's towns like Surat that remind you the Big Lap isn't just about the famous landmarks and tourist hotspots. These smaller places, with their rich histories and quiet dignity, offer something equally valuable—a genuine connection to the stories that shaped Australia. Tomorrow we'll explore more of what Surat has to offer, but for now, we're settled in nicely, surrounded by the red earth and tall timber that characterizes this beautiful stretch of Queensland.