HOME HILL

Home Hill is situated on the southern bank of the Burdekin River, separated from its twin city, Ayr, by the Silver Link bridge. Originally, Home Hill was part of the Inkerman Downs Cattle Station. The cattle station was later converted to a sugar cane plantation. The town developed rapidly after the Inkerman sugar mill was established in 1914, and workers and cane farmers established themselves here.

FOR ALL THE BEST LOCAL ATTRACTIONS, ACCOMMODATION AND DINING OPTIONS IN THIS REGION, USE THE LINKS ABOVE OR SCROLL DOWN.

Home Hill is Ayr's twin town. Noone knows exactly where the name came from and there are two versions: one of them says that it was originally intended to be named Holmehill after a battle of the Crimean War, but the signwriter mispelled the name. The other version maintains that Home Hill was going to take its name from Colonel Home, who served in the Crimean War.

Like Ayr, the town's main industry is sugar cane, although both towns now produce more mangoes than Bowen, which has been Australia's Mango Capital for many years.

The town has many services to suit everyone's needs. Among the amenities the city offers are a golf club and a pistol shooting club.

ATTRACTIONS AND THINGS TO DO - HOME HILL

FISHING

STENNO'S SPORTSFISHING TOURS
Burdekin region
Phone (07) 4782 9667
www.stennosfishingtours.com

Discover the fish rich waters of the Burdekin District with approximately 22 estuaries and two rivers inside two huge bays. Your guide Andrew specialises in lure bait and fly fishing for species such as Barramundi - Mangrove Jack - Fingermark - Bream - Cod - Queenfish - Salmon - Trevally - Flathead - Tarpon - Mackerel and more.....

Stenno's Sportfishing Tours run daily trips and two day accommodated fishing tours.

MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES

ASHWORTH'S TREASURES OF THE EARTH
Located in the main street, Asworth's Treasures of the Earth is home to a gallery, a rock shop and the Ashworth's Jewellers.

NATURAL SITES

GROPER CREEK
Groper Creek is a very popular destination for keen fishermen, very well known for its huge Gropers and Mud crabs. The crees is located south east of Home Hill. Facilities in the area include picnic tables, camping and caravan areas and a boat ramp.

EVENTS

HOME HILL HARVEST FESTIVAL
The town of Home Hill celebrates its Harvest Festival every November. The festival is a celebration of the sugar and vegetable harvest and it includes a ball, a wedding show and a street parade. It starts with the Melbourne Cup race day.

Everybody is welcome to share with the inhabitants of the region a weekend where there will fun for all the members of the family.

BURDEKIN GROWER'S RACE DAY
The Burdekin Grower's Race Day celebrates the abundant and lush Burdekin region and it is a major event on the North's social calendar.

With a seven horse race program, the Fashions on the Turf competition with the new Mr. and Mrs. Trendy categories, a veggie contest, local produce, food and drinks and lots more, the Burdekin Grower's Race Day keeps attracting more and more people each year.

For more festivals and special events around the region, please check out our complete and comprehensive TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND EVENTS CALENDAR.

ACCOMMODATION - HOME HILL

Home Hill accommodation includes traditional pub style accommodation as well as budget motel rooms and backpackers hostels. Home Hill backpackers hostels cater largely to visitors on a working holiday visa who are taking advantage of the casual employment opportunites in the local fruit and vegetable harvest industry. There are also campgrounds and caravan parks. Scroll down or use the buttons on the right to choose your style of Home Hill holiday accommodation.

HOTELS

COMMERCIAL HOTEL 71 Eighth Avenue, Home Hill Phone (07) 4782 1078 Located close to Home Hill CBD, the Commercial Hotel is set on a two storey house. All rooms have fans. The facilities include a TV room and showers and toilets.

CROWN HOTEL 99 Eighth Avenue, Home Hill Phone (07) 4782 1007 / Fax (07) 4782 2680 The Crown Hotel offers single, share and family rooms. All the rooms have fans and some of them are air-conditioned. Communal toilets and showers as well as TV room.

MOTELS

BURDEKIN MOTOR INN 14 Eighth Avenue, Home Hill Phone (07) 4782 1511 / Fax (07) 4782 1606 The Burdekin Motor Inn offers Austra and free wirless internet. All rooms are air-conditioned. Room service is available, also cut lunches if required.

BACKPACKERS HOSTELS

HOME HILL BACKPACKERS 30 Fourth Street, Home Hill Phone (07) 4782 1717 / Fax (07) 4782 1737 More information coming soon... .

MALPASS HOTEL 145 Eighth Avenue, Home Hill Phone (07) 4782 1600 / Fax (07) 4782 1030 The Malpass Hotel, in the centre of Home Hill, provides backpacker accommodation in four-share rooms at affordable rates. All rooms are air-conditioned and have a fridge provided. Linen is also provided, and cooking facilities are available, along with an ATM and EFTPOS

CARAVAN PARKS AND CAMPGROUNDS

BARTONS CARAVAN PARK 158 Eighth Avenue, Home Hill Phone (07) 4782 1101 The park features a playground, undercover barbecue area, laundry service and communal shower and toilet facilites. HOME HILL CARAVAN PARK Eleventh Avenue, Home Hill Phone (07) 4782 2498

GROPER CREEK CARAVAN PARK Groper Creek, via Home Hill Phone (07) 4782 0186 The park features a barbecue area, laundry service and communal shower and toilet facilites. Perfect for fishermen.

DINING - HOME HILL

OLD BAKERY COFFEE SHOP 37 Eighth Avenue, Home Hill Phone (07) 4782 1251 MAYLEE'S CHINESE RESTAURANT Home Hill Phone (07) 4782 2938 THE BRIDGE RESTAURANT & BAR Burdekin Motor Inn 14 Eighth Avenue, Home Hill Phone (07) 4782 1067

HO-WON CHINESE RESTAURANT 71 Eighth Avenue, Home Hill Phone (07) 4782 4782 2099 COMMERCIAL HOTEL 71 Eighth Avenue, Home Hill Phone (07) 4782 1078

GETTING TO HOME HILL

The East Coast road offers beautiful scenery and, along the way, there are many interesting spots worth visiting. Tours and scheduled bus services do not always stop along the way, that's why we recommend you drive your own vehicle and travel at you own pace. And then you can stop whenever and wherever you want. You won't regret it. If you don't have your own car with you during your vacation, you can always rent one.

For the freedom and flexibility to explore Far North Queensland at your own pace, please visit our CAR HIRE page. Simply fill out our obligation free enquiry form, and we will get back to you - usually the next working day - with the best deal on a a rental car, four wheel drive or campervan to suit your needs.

Greyhound Buses stop at Ayr, Home Hill and Bowen on their route from Cairns to Brisbane. These buses also stop at Mission Beach, Townsville and Airlie Beach among other North Queensland's towns along the way. A Greyhound 'bus pass' will give you the flexibilty to stop off at interesting destinations along the way.

Premier / Pioneer Motor Service also run a bus service from Brisbane to Cairns and viceversa. The buses stop at Proserpine, Airlie Beach, Bowen, Home Hill, Ayr, Townsville, Ingham, Cardwell, Tully, Mission Beach, Innisfail and Gordonvale.

The Tilt Train stops at the cities of Ayr, Home Hill and Bowen on its way to Brisbane from Cairns. The train leaves Cairns at 8:15am every Sunday and Wednesday, and gets to Home Hill at 4:03pm.
The Queenslander and the Sunlander travel from Cairns to Brisbane and return. Althought none of them stops at any of the city on the Burdekin area, they do stop at Cairns and Townsville. It is then easy to travel to Bowen from any of these destinations.