Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways — Attraction in Opalton

We did the 'Age of the Dinosaurs' Tour first, then this one. It was quite a drive, landscape was awesome as was the wildlife - budgies, Kangaroos, cattle :-) Our tour guide was awesome and entertaining (Nija I believe was her name). The film was very interesting, however watching it was a bit difficult, as all the seats are at the same level and one has to find a spot to peak through inbetween shoulders from the row in front to see the pictures and be able to read the text. It would be awesome to have at least 1 model of the dinosaurs each in the section where the foot prints are to get an idea of the size of the dinos. We and other visitors where disappointed that there were hardly any souvenirs to buy (we would have hoped for / expected the same ones that are at the 'Age of the Dinosaurs' museum) - there were people missing out on them as they thought, they'd buy the souvenirs at the second leg of their tour. We would also had liked the possibility to buy some lunch at the cafe (like at the 'Age of the Dinosaurs') and sit outside in the awesome landscape before heading back for an hours+ drive. Also the possibility of buying the film as a DVD would have been great and a bit more for the kids would be fantastic - eg some models of dinos like the ones at the 'Age of the Dinosaurs' museum, so one gets more of an idea on the size. We went for the Spinifex Walk before the tour, which was nice, then we had the tour and only spent about 1.5 hours there before driving back. We would have happily spent more time and money there if it would have...

The uniqueness of finding a climate controlled building located way out in the Australian Outback pales into insignificance with what the building is protecting, and why this attraction is well worth the drive. To add to that, this is the only known example of a dinosaur stampede anywhere in the world.

Note that seeing the Australian Age of Dinosaurs located on the road heading East out of Winton is also worth combining with this experience, it's just a shame they're so far apart.

The road to get here is unsealed, and recommended for 4WDs, I did it in a small 2WD SUV, but there were significant corrugations in parts and a little water/mud in others. I certainly wouldn't have attempted the drive if the weather had been bad.

There's some good views from the trails above the building. Hard to take a bad photo.

The actual main event, the footprints, almost seem like a blink and you'll miss it, but the structure that hovers above them allows you to really explore and follow the tracks. You kind of have to be interested in fossils and the story, otherwise it's probably not for you. It's not like any of the larger museums where you'll find travelling exhibits and multiple attractions, nor does it need that, as the drawcard is unique, no one...

A single afternoon on the shore of a lake has been preserved for 95 million years, this alone is unique and spectacular and of course should be on your must see list. The road in is good however there are long sections of dirt and the dust as usual can be a problem. The facilities are excellent and the presentation is good. It is the story that makes this so special, the visible evidence is simply a lot of dinosaur footprints. However what I did not expect was the stunning landscape this conservation reserve is set in. The 'Spinifex Walk' is an easy short walk on a well maintained track with great views from the lookout. What made my visit truly memorable was the second more difficult walk. The scenery on this walk is incredible and one of the best I have done on my trip. This track is not well defined and only identified by trail marks and has some steep sections and a couple of backtracks were required to pick up missed trail marks. Even though it is not a long walk, I spent just over two hours with lots of photo stops you need to be well prepared before attempting this but the rewards...