Babinda

The small blue timber building on the corner of Bruce Highway and Monro Street clearly indicates that this community is serious about tourism because this is the official tourist information centre and its location is designed to catch your attention when you enter town. Many years ago this same building was the local police station and was used to dispense local law enforcement. Now it dispenses helpful information on the town and region's many attractions. This includes the Babinda Boulders, 7 kilometres west of Babinda. Unfortunately they can be very dangerous after heavy rain because the waters become a deadly narrow shute downstream at Devil's Falls. Closer in, the town itself has on display many examples of early Queensland architecture in the main street, including the Babinda State Hotel and Post Office. A neat and tidy town, the median strip contains colourful flowerbeds. Babinda is also known as 'The Umbrella Town' because of the rainfall it receives each year and it proudly displays a sign that acknowledges Babinda winning the 'Friendliest Town' category in the 2001 Tidy Towns Competition. For a classic example of early Queensland railway architecture, take the time to point your camera at the Babinda railway station building when you are exploring this area.