"Emerald the Jump off point to the Gemfields" Emerald by Gemmie

Emerald a coal mining and Farmiong town is only 50 Km from the world renown Centarl Queensland Gemfields.
For more info see us at <a href="http://www.gemfields.com">Gemfields.com</a>
The Central Queensland Gemfields, formerly known as the Anakie Gemfields, have become legendary amongst tourists, miners, and gem buyers alike, having gained worldwide recognition for their top quality golden yellow Sapphires. Some of the largest gem quality Sapphires have been found in the Gemfields and many a fortunes where made and lost. To this day, miners and fossickers alike come up with the most outstanding finds and many Australians have a story or two to tell about the "Fields".
Because the Gemfields attract so many tourists, visitors will find general information easy to come by out here, and plenty of people willing and able to advise how and where to find gems. The best time to visit the Gemfields is in winter, or at least between March and October. During summer the area is very hot and also can be very wet. Armed with a Department of Minerals & Energy fossicking license and a camping permit, you are allowed to camp in a number of areas on the fields. These permits are readily available on the fields when you arrive, or beforehand from the Department's offices in Brisbane or Emerald. Camping is allowed at Big Bessie and Graves Hill, near Sapphire; at Reward and Middle Ridge, near Rubyvale; at Glenalva, just south of the highway 22 km west of Anakie; and at Tomahawk Creek, 70 km north west of Anakie. None of these areas has any man-made facilities, so you must be self-contained. For more info see us at <a href="http://www.gemfields.com">Gemfields.com</a>

• Pros:Near the Fields for cheap accomodation and mining
• Cons:a bit hot in the Aussie Summer
• In a nutshell:Well worth seeing