Moura is a central point and vibrant community for the people who serve its local industries – the farmers, growers and miners and their families that help to make Queensland great. Lying in the heart of the Dawson Valley, not far from the Dawson River, its parklands and public facilities, festivals and events, river fishing and water sports attract thousands of visitors each year.

In its heyday, Wowan was the dairy capital of the region. With more than 600 farmers on the job, the Dawson Valley Dairy Cooperative was topped up daily with fresh supplies of full cream milk, ready to ship off to towns and cities as far away as England.

Year-round, Isla Gorge is amazing. Each season and even at different times of the day, the park offers outstanding experiences with the land covered in thick evergreen foliage and a backdrop of coloured cliffs and gorges that put on quite a display as the sunlight shifts throughout the day.

A rural hub with a pub to service weary travellers, Jambin is on the Burnett Highway just south of Smoky Creek. Part of the Callide Valley, the town is wedged between the Callide Creek to the west and the highway to the east, making it a picturesque spot to stop.

More than 130 years in the making, Thangool first opened to settlers, who tried it as a sheep run in the 1850s. Soon to fail, beef cattle were introduced and later, dairy and cotton took hold. Based on the success of these industries, a make-shift town sprang up.

Goovigen is a small rural village in the region’s northern farming heartland. A short distance north-west of Jambin off the Burnett Highway, fewer than 300 people live in the town. The streets of Goovigen are as neat as a pin and the heritage buildings have been either restored to their former glory or updated for present needs.

Mount Morgan is an historical mining town nestled on the Dee River a short 38 kilometre drive from Rockhampton. The town is rich in nineteenth century Queensland colonial history and has artefacts and relics from the gold rush days that visitors can experience.

Mount Scoria rises up from the surrounding plain, a single and spectacular highlight against an otherwise flat landscape. Across its peak, multi-sided rocks are regimented into large vertical and semi-vertical pillars or columns, blunt at the top as if they’d been cropped.

The northern most town in the Banana region, Dululu is a junction point that divides the two southern arterials, Burnett Highway (A3) to the east and the Leichhardt Highway (A5) to the west. Both highways reveal untold adventures and this rural village is the start of them all – a launching pad to the region and perfect place to stop, rest and make your touring plans.

Duaringa is located 107 kilometres west of Rockhampton along the Capricorn Highway. The small town is the essence of a small rural community. Duaringa is the oldest township in Duaringa Shire with buildings dating back to the 1860s and a corner of the local hotel has been preserved to show how early pioneers lived.