Things You Might Not Know About Gympie
A few of our favourite facts about Gympie and the Sunshine Coast – the patch we’ve worked in since 2003.
Gympie is named after a tree
And not a friendly one. The name comes from the local Gubbi Gubbi word gimpi-gimpi for the gympie-gympie stinging tree, whose sting is reckoned to be one of the most painful in the world. Fitting, really, for a town that keeps tree blokes like us busy.
The town that saved Queensland
James Nash struck gold here in 1867, and the Gympie goldfield is widely credited with rescuing the young colony of Queensland from bankruptcy. The gold kept coming for more than 60 years.
The Mary River runs right through it
Gympie’s lifeblood – and its occasional headache. The Mary has a habit of flooding spectacularly, and the main street has gone under water more than once over the years.
One of the biggest country music festivals in Australia
The Gympie Music Muster is held each August out in the Amamoor State Forest, and over the years it’s raised more than $16 million for charity.
The Mary Valley Rattler
A lovingly restored heritage steam train that runs from Gympie station through the green Mary Valley to Amamoor – well worth a Sunday.
The Glass House Mountains were named by Captain Cook
Those dramatic peaks south of here were named by Cook as he sailed past in 1770. They’re the eroded volcanic cores of ancient volcanoes around 26 million years old.
Australia Zoo is just down the road
Steve Irwin’s famous Australia Zoo is at Beerwah, on the southern end of the Sunshine Coast.
Noosa is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
One of only a handful in Australia, recognised for its remarkable biodiversity – from the national park headland to the hinterland behind it.
The Big Pineapple
The 16-metre fibreglass pineapple at Woombye has been a Sunshine Coast icon since 1971 – one of Australia’s most famous ‘Big Things’.
Rainbow Beach & K’gari
The coloured sand cliffs at Rainbow Beach are the gateway to K’gari (Fraser Island) – the largest sand island on Earth.
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