Nestled between Longreach and Yeppoon in central Queensland’s vast red expanses sits the hamlet of Barcaldine.
Tourists are drawn to the Garden City of the West because of its historic roots at the start of the Labor movement and its lush, leafy streets drinking from the Great Artesian Basin below.
Jeff Bowman owns the local tourist shop and cafe and says when war broke out a world away in Iran in March, they seriously considered closing up shop for the entire six-month dry season.
Jeff and Kerry-Ann Bowman run retail stores Barcaldine and Beyond and Barcaldine Country Rumours. (Supplied)
With petrol prices skyrocketing, he said the “fear factor” kept tourists away, who grimaced at the hours-long road journey to take in the region’s vistas.