Unearth a Treasure
Visit The Sapphire Gemfields
WELCOME TO THE SAPPHIRE GEMFIELDS
The Sapphire Gemfields is one of the largest sapphire-bearing areas of the world, and is the only place in Australia where you can live, work and play on what is known as ‘common ground’. We share the land and roads with the local wildlife, so as you explore the 4 townships that make up the Sapphire Gemfields - Rubyvale, Sapphire Central, Anakie Siding and the Willows, it is not uncommon to find yourself giving way to camels, cattle, brolgas, kangaroos, echidna and turtles as you explore this magical place we call
We are the proverbial “diamond in the rough” - people come for a weekend and stay for a lifetime. Sapphires truly are a beautiful gemstone, and so too are the locals who from across the globe and who now call the Sapphire Gemfields home.
HIGLIGHTS OF THE GEMFIELDS
Just a 45-minute drive west of Emerald, The Sapphire Gemfields cover almost 900 square kilometers, and we have people from all over the world descending on our little slice of heaven each year to experience fossicking firsthand, trying their luck to uncover the ultimate gem.
So why don’t you join us too?
Explore the fossicking fields and gem galleries; take a tag-along fossicking tour and try to find your own Sapphires; meet the locals in the multi-award-winning pub ‘The New Royal Hotel’ located in Rubyvale, and maybe even encounter some of the characters from the TV show ‘Gem Hunters Down Under’ which is on 7Plus.
Things to Experience
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Gem Shops & Galleries
Get your very own Australian-mined and cut sapphire or quality sapphire jewellery in any of our gem shops or galleries. Gemcutters can facet your very own find and jewellers will set them into a piece of jewellery for you.
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Fossicking
Try your hand at finding a fortune! You can purchase a fossicking license, and then head to any of the 9 areas that are designated for recreational and tourist fossicking. Or, go on a tag-along fossicking tour to dig, sieve, wash and inspect your own diggings, under the guidance of an experienced miner.
Fossicking licence are available online only.
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The Sapphire Gemfields Interpretive Trail
Get out and about for a day of discovery on this unique and innovative tourism trail. You can take yourself on a historic journey through the 4 townships of the Sapphire Gemfields by following the trail of interpretive signage and listening to solar-powered audio posts on the trail, truly immersing yourself in life on the Gemfields. Begin the trail at ’Sapphire Reflections’ at the Anakie Crossroads, and follow the trail to 5 interpretive panels and 30 place markers that tell the stories of remarkable characters, and the history of the local area.
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The Sapphire Gemfields Wetland Reserve
The Wetland Reserve consists of 3.6km of gravel walking and cycling tracks, with accompanying educational and directional signage, as well as 2 viewing areas. There is also a restored fossicker’s dwelling that you can visit, which will give you a glimpse into the way miners lived. Located on Rockhound Road in Sapphire, the Reserve is an important natural attraction in our region, as it is home to a wide range of local flora and fauna.
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Geo-Caching
Grab your GPS and a treasure map from the Information Centre, and hit the Sapphire Gemfields geo-cache trail where you can discover 19 hidden gems. It’s a fun day of adventure and treasure hunting!
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Mountain Bikes, Motor Bikes and Four-Wheel Driving
What better way to explore the area than by 4WD? We have 4WD tracks everywhere. Why not spend a day in the Tomahawk Creek fossicking area, with its 2,500 hectares of bush tracks making it the perfect 4WD spot.
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Miners Common
Give way to the cattle, horses and camels. Known as the heart and soul of the Gemfields, the Miners Common covers 4,500 hectares, and it is one of the last remaining miners common in Australia. Residents have the right to graze a few head of livestock in unfenced areas, including in the town centres of Sapphire and Rubyvale.
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Gemfields Architecture
Pioneers of the Sapphire Gemfields built their home or shacks out of a wide range of unique materials. From billy boulders to bush timber, corrugated iron and even glass bottles, the architecture that makes up the Gemfields is unique in every way.
