It was time to leave the beautiful Capricorn Coast and finally head inland to explore Queensland Central Highlands. The Capricorn Highway leads from Rockhampton to the city of Emerald. From Emerald, it takes another hour to reach the town of Rubyvale. The Sapphire Gemfields is one of the largest sapphire bearing areas in the world and includes the towns of Rubyvale, Sapphire, Anakie and Willows.
Emerald
The largest city in this region, Emerald is a great stop to refuel or shop before heading into the Sapphire Gemfields. The town is known for the Big Easel, one of the many big things you can find dotted around Australia.
The Big Easel is a 25m high replica of the famous painting, Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh. You will find it in the middle of Morton Park near the Info Centre. It was erected to represent the main industry as Emerald used to be the major sunflower producer. We found out that a similar structure is located in the Canadian town of Manitoba, the sister city of Emerald.
Also worth seeing is the Railway station from the 1900s, in the centre of the town. It has been restored in 1986 and its wrought-iron lacework and pillared portico are really stunning.
Rubyvale
The small town of Rubyvale has unexpected charm and serves as the hub of this region. As you drive in you are greeted by The Big Miner – Bobby Dazzler, an obvious reminder that you are truly in the heart of sapphire gemfields.
Then there is the town’s pub New Royal Hotel, Rubyvale Gem Gallery, Post office, Laundromat and Rubyvale Friendly Grocer and few other places. Everywhere you go, locals are eager to welcome you and have a chat. A nice change after our travels in the big cities on the coast.
We have stayed in the heart of the town, above the Rubyvale Gem Gallery. There is an apartment for rent that has everything you need. Fully equipped kitchen, living room, and comfortable bed. And you can watch the sunset down over Rubyvale from your balcony.
We spoke to the owner of Rubyvale Gem Gallery, Peter Brown who moved out here as a young 21-year-old Kiwi (New Zealander) to look for sapphires. He drove all the way here in an old VW beetle hoping to find sapphires! Just imagine! Sadly, Peter passed away in March 2021, but his family proudly continue his work.
His personal story was fascinating and we were eager to listen to how sapphires were found back in the old days. His son Mitch has seen the world but has now returned back home to help run the family business and had some exciting plans for the future. He is hoping to open a nano-brewery right next to the Gem Gallery! So if you’re visiting in the coming months you might have another reason to stop here. We had a tasting and the beer was exceptional.
Of course, if you came here to purchase sapphires, then do chat with Peter’s wife Eileen or Mitch in the shop. They know everything there is to know about sapphires and gems. Sapphires are Australian-mined and cut right here to create one of a kind jewellery pieces.
There are gems and jewellery to suit the thickness of all wallets in the Sapphires Gemfields and this is the best place to buy them in Australia.
Miners Heritage – a guided tour of the sapphire gemfields
As part of a visit to the Sapphire Gemfields, a guided tour is a must. We’ve visited the Miners Heritage, which is the largest underground walk-in sapphire mine in Australia. The mine tour takes in a tunnel section called Monkey Drive that was dug in 1906 by Charles Hagan.
The knowledgeable staff will tell you more about the history of the Sapphire Gemfields and more specifically about this mine. You will hear some incredible stories from the past when mining for gems was a truly tough job done by candlelight and no machinery. The so-called tummy tunnels were used by pioneer miners.
The temperature underground is always 25 degrees Celsius so if you come in summer, this is the perfect way to escape the heat of the outback.
The tour lasts 45 minutes and you can then shop for these gems in their air-conditioned store. Or you can go fossicking yourself! For just $25 you can buy a bucket of wash so you can look for your own sapphires. It was a lot of fun!
The friendly staff will show you the process in a few simple steps and then it’s up to you to search for your treasure. All equipment is provided.
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