Continuing the A-Z of Australian country towns with attendant haiku, today is the letter Q.

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Quambatook
As an early pioneer of its emblematic tractor pull, Quambatook still hosts the Australian Championship event every Easter Saturday and swells the town’s population of around 400 by nearly ten fold.
http://www.murrayriver.com.au/event/392-quambatook-australian-championship-tractor-pull-/

Queenscliff
Queenscliff is a charming, historic, seaside village on the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria. It is one end of the Sea Road link across Port Phillip Bay to Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. Stepping into the Queenscliff Hotel evokes images of nineteenth century ladies taking high tea when a trip to Queenscliff was de rigeur for Melbourne society figures. Today, it’s the stepping off point for a unique musical experience aboard the Blues Train, a steam train that travels along 16km of track while passengers enjoy four different blues acts.
http://www.travelvictoria.com.au/queenscliff/

Quirindi
Not a town to rest on its laurels, Quirindi on the north west slopes of New South Wales, holds a rural heritage festival every May to celebrate its agricultural roots. It’s an area of broad-acre farming almost directly west of the coastal city of Port Macquarie.
http://www.visitquirindi.com.au/

Quambatook
All styles and sizes –
Tractors come from near and far.
Quambatook pulls them.

Queenscliff
Queenscliff’s old ladies,
creaking boards notwithstanding,
resist tests of time.

Quirindi
Rural heritage
lauded and applauded.
Quirindi parties.

Continuing the A-Z of Australian country towns with attendant haiku, today is the letter P.

I’d love to hear from you about these posts. Please use the “Leave a comment” link just below the title of the post.

Perth
Yes, there is a Perth in Tasmania, as different from Perth, the state capital of Western Australia. Last August, we visited three Perths in three weeks – Tasmania’s, Western Australia’s and Scotland’s! All very different. The southern Perth was established in 1821, eight years ahead of its Western Australian sister. Historic buildings remain intact here, there are lovely views to the mountains of the Western Tiers and the leatherwood honey is worth a visit on its own.
http://www.discovertasmania.com.au/about/regions-of-tasmania/launceston-and-north/perth

Port Pirie
Port Pirie is a busy sea port and has the world’s largest active lead smelter. Tourists are drawn to the waters of the Spencer Gulf for fishing and other water-based activities. The Art Gallery houses a fibreglass model of the longest recorded white pointer shark landed in South Australia – a timely reminder that we share the sea with other creatures!
https://www.pirie.sa.gov.au/page.aspx#.VTNGnPmUfro

Proserpine
Until recently, Proserpine has been overlooked as a tourist destination. It was a town founded for the sugar industry, but it also offers an easy drive to beautiful Airlie Beach and access to Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef and the highly lauded Whitsunday Islands. Definitely not a place to pass by.
http://www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au/destinations/proserpine/

Perth
Tassie’s Perth is small
compared with western sister –
but serves its people!

Port Pirie
Port Pirie smelters
abide calmly side by side
with art and beaches.

Proserpine
Proserpine – gateway
to Great Barrier Reef and
Whitsunday Islands.

Continuing the A-Z of Australian country towns with attendant haiku, today is the letter O.

I’d love to hear from you about these posts. Please use the “Leave a comment” link just below the title of the post.

Oodnadatta 
Oodnadatta is the quintessential remote outback town. It is accessed by unsealed roads including the Oodnadatta Track, so it is truly isolated during wet weather. The population hovers around the 300 mark. Nevertheless, it’s a destination that rates highly on the “See Australia” bucket lists.
http://www.southaustralia.com/info.aspx?id=9000467

Oakey
Oakey is located on the Darling Downs about 160 kms from Brisbane. It services agricultural and mining enterprises as well as the Army Aviation Training Centre and houses the Museum of Australian Army Flying. It’s a centre that I visit semi-regularly because my eldest sister lives there.
http://oakey.qld.au/

Oatlands
Travelling from the main northern city of Tasmania at Launceston down the Midland Highway to Hobart, the traveller finds the turnoff to Oatlands. It is worth taking the time to discover the treasure trove of sandstone houses and buildings that remain intact and in use in Oatlands. Many of these were built with convict labour during the nineteenth century. The Callington Mill is here too, the only example of a working Georgian windmill in the southern hemisphere.
http://www.discovertasmania.com.au/about/regions-of-tasmania/hobart-and-south/oatlands

Oodnadatta
You’ve been ‘everywhere’
once you’ve made Oodnadatta.
Outback wanderings.

Oakey
From Toowoomba to
Oakey on the Darling Downs –
a pleasant commute.

Oatlands
Convict labour built
the Oatlands sandstone buildings.
Step back to the past.

Continuing the A-Z of Australian country towns with attendant haiku, today is the letter N.

I’d love to hear from you about these posts. Please use the “Leave a comment” link just below the title of the post.

Today I was going to focus on places that I have not yet visited, but Naracoorte slipped in anyway.

Nhulunbuy
Nhulunbuy is a remote community in eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. It was established to service bauxite mining and refining. Last month, the town was hit by Cyclone Nathan. Although cyclones are not uncommon in that part of the world, Nathan was a direct hit and caused a lot of damage.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-22/prepared-nhulunbuy-community-weathers-cyclone-nathan/6339396

Naracoorte
Just under twenty kilometres from Naracoorte are the 26 caves which lie within the Naracoorte Caves National Park. The park is world heritage listed because of the abundance and variety of fossils that are found in the area.
http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/naracoorte/Home

Newman
Newman sits in the harsh landscape of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is the accommodation hub for iron ore mining in the area. Our attempts to reach Newman by car were thwarted by unseasonal overnight rain that turned the roads into bogs. We did get to see the stark beauty of the nearby Karijini National Park, and that made the trip worthwhile.
http://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/karijini

Nhulunbuy
Cyclone season sweeps
Nhulunbuy’s community
to rapid action.

Naracoorte
Caves, fossils and more!
Naracoorte presents precious
ancient history.

Newman
Newman, mining town –
Pilbara’s refuge from the
scorching summer heat.

Continuing the A-Z of Australian country towns with attendant haiku, today is the letter M.

I’d love to hear from you about these posts. Please use the “Leave a comment” link just below the title of the post.

Today was tough to limit the list of names. So many Ms….

Mullumbimby
As you drive into Mullumbimby, a large sign welcomes you to “The biggest little town in Australia”. I’ve never worked out what that means but it’s a great spot to visit. Since the 1970s, the town has developed as one of the recognisable centres for alternative culture in northern New South Wales.
http://www.brunswickvalley.com.au/index.php?D=44

Mulwala
Down on the southern border of New South Wales, Mulwala is situated on Lake Mulwala – a bulge in the Murray River formed by a dam. Mulwala and the lake are popular with water sports enthusiasts.
http://www.yarrawongamulwala.com.au/

Margaret River
The south-west corner of Western Australia is a prosperous wine-producing area and a popular surfing area. The boutique wine-makers account for most of the tourists coming to the area. There are few more pleasant delights than enjoying good wine and food with friends in a relaxing atmosphere.
http://www.margaretriver.com/

Mildura
Speaking of wine and food… Mildura on the Victorian side of the Murray River is another spot that draws the gourmet. The area around Mildura produces most of the state’s wine grapes. It is also well-known for its quality citrus production.
http://www.visitmildura.com.au/

Mullumbimby
Mullumbimby town
bustling with active artists –
potters and painters.

Mulwala
Water sports galore!
Mulwala draws fun-seekers.
Laughter, happy squeals.

Margaret River
Margaret River
Ah! Great wines born and honoured.
Sultry Summer days.

Mildura
Fine food, fresh fruit, wine!
Oasis on the Murray
Mildura beckons.

Continuing the A-Z of Australian country towns with attendant haiku, today is the letter L.

I’d love to hear from you about these posts. Please use the “Leave a comment” link just below the title of the post.

Longreach
Longreach lies on the Tropic of Capricorn and is located in western central Queensland. It is an agricultural hub for sheep and cattle producers but is also home to the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame which recognises the contributions of pioneers and stockmen to the development of this part of Australia. Indigenous cattle workers are particularly recognised. Longreach is also home to the Qantas Founders Outback Museum which tells the story of the birth of Australia’s principal airline at Winton, about 175 kms away.
http://www.queensland.com/sitecore/content/Global/Global-Content/ATDW/Products/Destination-Information/9005786-Longreach?sc_lang=en-US

Liawenee
Wikipedia says that Liawenee’s name was derived from the word in the local Aboriginal language for ‘frigid’, and it is cold – even in high summer. Liawenee is a tiny town on the shores of Tasmania’s Great Lake, nestled amongst the mountains. As one can imagine, the scenery is stunning. Driving from the north along the Lake Highway, the first view of Great Lake is breathtaking – and it just gets better.
http://www.ifs.tas.gov.au/publications/great-lake-angler-access-brochure

Longford
Just south of Launceston airport, Longford is situated on the Macquarie River. My husband loved the well appointed local hardware store! We took the opportunity to spend a couple of nights in the Gardener’s Cottage on the nearby historic Woolmers Estate.
http://www.longfordtasmania.com/

Longreach
Longreach icons praise
laconic Australians:
Stockmen and pioneers.

Liawenee
Frigid, to be sure –
Liawenee by Great Lake,
but fishing’s magic!

Longford
River fishing spot –
Longford, south of Launceston.
All we caught were eels!

Continuing the A-Z of Australian country towns with attendant haiku, today is the letter K. I’d love to hear from you about these posts. Please use the “Leave a comment” link just below the title of the post.

Katherine
Katherine was established as part of the network of infrastructure support at the time that the Overland Telegraph Line was being built. The OTL covered 3200kms between Port Augusta in South Australia and Darwin in the Northern Territory. Katherine, like many other small towns derived benefit from its proximity to the later discovery of gold. Today, tourists flock to the region to embrace the stunning Katherine Gorge within the Nitmulik National Park.
http://www.parksandwildlife.nt.gov.au/parks/find/nitmiluk#.VSspUfmUfro

Katoomba
I hesitated to include Katoomba in this list because the town has been amalgamated into the larger entity of the City of Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. But my memories are of ‘Katoomba’ and the impact of the overlook at Echo Point towards the Three Sisters landmark.
http://www.bluemts.com.au/info/thingstodo/threesisters/

Kyogle
Kyogle is in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales, just south of the Queensland border. It is an agricultural hub for dairy, cattle and timber. Indeed, Kyogle was founded to support the timber industry.
http://www.visitkyogle.com.au/

Katherine
Katherine and Gorge
Unparalleled scenery –
Nature in ‘best dress’!

Katoomba
Three sisters guard o’er
Katoomba’s panorama.
Escarpment views thrill.

Kyogle
Kyogle basks in
Northern Rivers hinterland.
Lush, green, sub-tropics.

Continuing the A-Z of Australian country towns with attendant haiku, today is the letter J. And again, as you can see, I couldn’t decide on just one or two.

Jabiru
Jabiru was a purpose built accommodation town for workers at the Ranger uranium mine. Both Jabiru and the mine are located amongst the striking landscapes, flora and fauna of  Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory.
http://www.parksaustralia.gov.au/kakadu/

Jerilderie
Jerilderie is probably better known across Australia as the place where notorious bushranger Ned Kelly wrote “The Jerilderie Letter” than it is as the childhood home of Sir John Monash, a decorated military commander. Nevertheless both form an integral part of the nation’s history.  (Ned Kelly was captured by police at Glenrowan, Victoria.)
http://www.jerilderie.nsw.gov.au/council/about-the-council/council-s-coat-of-arms.aspx

Jeparit
Jeparit was settled as a wheat growing area in the remote western part of Victoria, Australia. Sir Robert Menzies, founder of the Liberal Party and long-serving Prime Minister, was born here though his family moved to Ballarat during his school years.
http://www.wimmeramalleetourism.com.au/our-towns/jeparit-victoria

Jabiru
Uranium mine
Jabiru in Kakadu
Beauty and the beast.

Jerilderie
Ned Kelly’s roaming
brought him to Jerilderie.
but soon – Glenrowan.

Jeparit
Bob Menzie’s birth place
Jeparit honours this son –
Prime Minister of old.

Continuing the A-Z of Australian country towns with attendant haiku, today is the letter I.

Injune
Injune is a small town in south-west Queensland, gateway to the magnificent Carnarvon Ranges.
http://www.about-australia.com/location/queensland/injune/

Inverloch
Inverloch is located on the south-east coast of Victoria. It has taken a while for tourists to discover Inverloch and its pristine, white beaches.
http://www.visitvictoria.com/Regions/Gippsland/Destinations/Inverloch

Injune
Injune is small, but
Carnarvon Ranges beckon:
Come adventurers.

Inverloch
Inverloch’s beaches:
Untrammeled beauty awaits
those seeking solace.

Continuing the A-Z of Australian country towns with attendant haiku, today is the letter H.

Hall
Hall is a small village just within the boundaries of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and close to the New South Wales border. The first white population in the area came as graziers. The continuing expansion of the nation’s capital, Canberra, means that dormitory suburbs or townships are moving closer to Hall.
www.hall.act.au/