Gladstone

Centuries may have slipped beneath the tidal river but along Gladstone's wide, leafy main street, time could have stood still. Oozing colonial charm and the pace of by-gone days, Gladstone has been transformed from a busy port to a funky historic village.

Discover its colonial heritage on a stroll past 19 beautifully preserved buildings, now housing art galleries, specialty shops, a café, hotel/restaurant, beauty spa and private homes. The most impressive building is the National Heritage-listed Old Court House, where the trial scene in the movie of Thomas Keneally's classic novel The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith was filmed.

Established in the 1860s on a tight bend of the Macleay River, Gladstone (formerly Darkwater) soon became one of the valley's main wharfs and a thriving community. 

Nowadays Gladstone is so peaceful you can hear the splash of a pelican as it lands on the dark-blue river and disturbs cloud reflections. Throw in a fishing line off the photogenic wharf to really relax.