To truly enjoy the rich variety of activities in Gloucester and surrounds you should start at the Gloucester Visitor Centre. They have a rich and comprehensive collection of simple brochures (mostly folded A4 sheets) which provide details for:
* Gloucester Boomerang Discovery Walk
* Mosaic Walk
* Gloucester - Points of Interest
* Copeland Tops State Conservation Area: Mountain Maid Gold Mine Tour
* Copeland Tops State Conservation Area: Basin Loop Trail
* Copeland Tops State Conservation Area: Hidden Treasure Trail
* Woko National Park
* Barrington Tops National Park - with detailed map
* Barrington Tops - Camping
* Swimming - Gloucester
* Scenic Drives - 1: Buccan Buccans Circuit
* Scenic Drives - 2: Gloucester Tops
* Bicycle Touring and Mountain Biking
* Vineyards Farmgates & Farm Tours
The following details provide an overview of each of these brochures.
1. Gloucester Boomerang Discovery Walk
This is a pleasant walk around the town. It starts at the Visitor Centre, moves down the main street (Church Street), past the town's Hydrotherapy Pool, around to the Minimbah Gardens, past the Human Sundial, through the Camellia Grove and Pioneer Memorial Gardens, across the suspension bridge to the Billabong Park. The walk takes about an hour and is an ideal introduction to the town's parks and attractions.
2. Gloucester Mosaics Walk
This is a fun activity which can be done in a totally arbitrary way or you can get the Mosaic Walk brochure from the Visitor Centre. It is essentially a self-guided walk which includes images of the history of Gloucester through a collection of mosaics which appear on walls and footpaths around town. Beyond the two dimensional images there are also planter boxes and seating covered in mosaics in the Meeting Place and a large mosaic platypus in Billabong Park.
The suggested route, for those who don't want to just mooch and discover, is to start outside the Visitors Centre with the meeting place and the wall mosaics opposite and then follow the pavement mosaics along Church Street heading down to the corner at the Roundabout Inn and then up the street for three blocks. There are mosaics every few metres. The project is local and characterised by anonymity - so don't go looking for examples of works by famous artists. Of particular interest are the six mosaics on the wall opposite the Visitor Centre which depict - dairy, steam (ie transport), gold mining, Captain Thunderbolt, timber and the beautiful clarity of the rivers and the mountains in the area. There are also mosaics of chess and snakes and ladders boards near the Visitor Centre. Playing pieces can be hired from the Visitor Centre.
3. The Homestead
The oldest building in town is known simply as "The homestead" and is located opposite the saleyards, on the western side of The Bucketts Way at the southern end of town. It is a single-storey sandstock brick residence built around 1830 by the Australian Agricultural Company on what was then the main north road.
4. Gloucester Museum
At 12 Church Street the Gloucester Museum is located in the former shire council chambers (1909). The Wunderlich pressed-metal ceilings are of interest and, to the rear of the building, are the police lock-up and an explosives store from the former gold mining town of Copeland. The Gloucester District Historical Society operates the museum which includes a collection of photographic records, memorabilia and archival material. The exhibits date back to 1826 and include a Pioneer’s Gallery, military memorabilia, aboriginal artefacts, gold mining history, geological specimens, heritage domestic items and much more.
It is open Tuesdays and Thursdays 10.30 am - 1.30 pm and Saturdays from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm.
For more information check out http://www.gloucestermuseum.com.au.
Day Trip From Gloucester
Barrington Tops
The Bucketts Way - Scenic Drive 2
Thunderbolts Way
Gloucester Tops
Buccan Buccans Scenic Drive