All roads lead to Roma

Outback meets brigalow and vast farmlands; sandstone ranges guard rarely seen creatures and Indigenous artworks; wide rivers outline historical towns – and it all begins in Roma.

The newest attraction for the southwest outback town 500km west of the coast is the Big Rig Tower and Tree Walk, but there’s plenty of other attractions to make the trip worthwhile.

Big Rig Tower and Tree Walk.

Here are seven good reasons to head to Roma:

The newly opened Big Rig Tower and Tree Walk brings to life the story of Roma – Australia’s first discovery of oil and gas. The new 40m observation tower is a grand addition to the self-guided outdoor museum The Oil Patch, The Big Rig Night Show and new 100m tree walk around Big Rig experiences. Visit bigrigroma.com.au

Biggest Bottle Tree is Roma’s icon and a meeting place for locals. It was planted at a neighbouring property in 1927 and now takes six men to reach around its base – a diameter of about 9m. The 6m high trunk is still growing about 1cm a year and the crown towers to 20m.

Roma Saleyards are the largest cattle selling centre in Australia with more than 400,000 cattle passing through each year. A new state-of-the-art interpretive centre tells the story of the cattle industry. Watch live as auctioneers demonstrate their fast-paced skills.

Rosedale Orchards, with an orange twist and a hint of citrus, welcome visitors to pick navel oranges and experience the inner workings of this scenic fruit farm.

Boobook Eco-Tours take you deeper into the real and remote outback through the lens of local ecologists and passionate creators of Boobook, Craig and Meryl. Roma Revealed, Discover Carnarvon Ranges, Eco-Discovery Adventure and Southwest Outback Explorers are among tours that cover wildlife, dinosaur fossils, artesian spas, cattle and farming and old opal mining towns. Visit boobookecotours.com.au

Wallaroo Outback Retreat 160km north of Roma is the home of glamping. Five deluxe tents with ensuites and five classic tents with private bathroom, mean resting on Posturepedic beds with crisp white linen among towering eucalypts and birdsong.

Spoectacular views at Carnarvon Ranges.

Adventure awaits in the Carnarvon Ranges 160km north of Roma. The main Carnarvon Gorge walking track is 9.7km towards the Big Bend natural waterhole. Local tour guides, who will share secret spots in the range, are in tune with the nature and sacredness of the site.