MITCHELL, QUEENSLAND. AUSTRALIA

Mitchell was one of our stops in our adventure in Outback Queensland.

Soaking in the soothing mineral springs at Mitchell is just one of the surprises that awaits you in this quaint town on the edge of the outback.

Just 87 kilometres west of Roma via the Warrego Highway, Mitchell sits peacefully on the banks of the Maranoa River. It lies in the westerly-most reaches of Southern Queensland Country and services the adjoining communities of Amby, Muckadilla and Mungallala.

We pulled up out our first stop where many a sun-scorched traveller has found bliss floating in the thermal mineralised waters of the Great Artesian Spa. It's relaxing for the body and therapeutic for the soul, and a precious natural resource that the locals proudly share. Located in Mitchell's aquatic centre, the Spa offers two large pools, one warm and one cool, of natural artesian water. It has been designed for easy access, with a hydro chair for those with restricted mobility.

Another exciting venture can be to explore is the magnificent sandstone formations and pristine native ecosystems and take in magnificent panoramic vistas at numerous sites throughout the area. Accessing the Mt Moffatt section of Carnarvon National Park is easy from Mitchell. Nature lovers will be impressed with the abundance of wildlife including over 250 bird species living in and visiting the area. We didn’t venture the 6 hour drive north because we were heading to Charleville next.

Mitchell's active community is keen to preserve the treasures and lessons from the past and have created a range of heritage and cultural displays covering its local indigenous cultural heritage, early explorers and pioneers, bushranging past and social history. So our next stop was making our way to the Heritage Museum, which was packed full of local history.

Before camp we dropped into Major Mitchell's Campsite, established in 1846 on his fourth expedition to map an overland route from Sydney to Darwin.

For a taste of the town's chequered past take in the history make sure you check out Kenniff Court House, which is the original courthouse where local bushrangers, the Kenniff Brothers, were committed to stand trial in 1902.

Just outside of town is the Neil Turner Weir, a free campsite beside the river with fresh water available, toilets and apparently, good fishing. We also had some internet access. There were a number of other free campers at the site, not as many or as close together as the previous spot and quiet and peaceful.

There is something wonderful about sitting in a spot beside the water, watching the sun go down with nothing else to do BUT watch the sun go down. It’s also wonderful to watch Kim enjoying herslf fishing (not catching mind you). We settled in for the night and the next day we took a quick trip up the road to Morven for another overnighter.