Roma is a vibrant town surrounded by cattle and sheep farms at the crossroads of the Warrego and Carnavon Highways, about 490km west of Brisbane. Most importantly, it's the hub of the Western racing region.

Roma Turf Club holds seven races a year, culminating in the Roma Cup in November. The locals are friendly so you'll soon feel right at home as you watch the horses thunder along the dirt track.

The Bassett Park Race Track is located on the northern edge of townž approximately four kilometres from the town centre. You can camp for free here, as there are sites for everything from motor homes to swags. You can also tuck into the all-important recovery barbecue breakfast in the camping area on Sunday morning after the races.

The town also boasts the Big Rig - a complex featuring two historic oil rigs - as the town's other claim to fame is that it was the site of Australia's early oil and natural gas search in the 1920s. The complex features two historic oil rigs, and an educational museum. For train buffs, there's a miniature steam train.

The nearby Romavilla Winery celebrates grape growing and wine making as Roma's longest established industries. Grapes were first planted in the Roma district around 1857 at Mount Abundance Station, just west of Roma. Since the 1950s, the winery has built a reputation for its luscious fortifieds and sweet white (Sauternes) style.

Two hours north you can discover the rugged sandstone outcrops of Queensland's Central Highlands where Carnarvon Gorge lies. The Gorge is the most visited section of the 298,000-hectare Carnarvon National Park. Carnarvon Gorge boasts some of Australia's best Aboriginal rock art. The gorge is also home to more than 150 birds and native animals and remnant rainforest grows in the sheltered side gorges. It's a good idea to camp at least three nights here so you can explore 21 kilometres of graded tracks where you'll see waterfalls, lookouts and rock art sites. If you're fit, you can also attempt the challenging Battleship Spur bushwalk.

And if all that exertion leaves you in need of a cool down, Chinchilla Weir is eight kilometres south of the town of Chinchilla, in the Western Darling Downs. Here you can fish, bushwalk, camp and water-ski.

When travelling to the Western Downs region, it's also worthwhile taking a trip into the Central Highlands to visit the gem fields. The gem fields have been mined since 1875 when a railway surveyor found red zircons at Retreat Creek and thought they were rubies, which is how the town of Rubyvale earned its name.

At Miners Heritage you can explore the world of sapphires, gem cutting and fossicking by taking a guided manufacturing tour. The mine is located one and a half kilometres from Rubyvale, west of Emerald and is Australia's largest walk-in tourist mine. Miners Heritage has an underground jewellery showroom and gem-cutting exhibition. Renovated from one of the town's original houses built in about 1914, the Rubyvale Gem Gallery houses a spectacular collection of Australian sapphires.

At the end of your journey, make a pit stop at the New Royal Hotel, Rubyvale Tavern. Savour some local fare and show off your gem purchases to some of the pub regulars.

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• Nearest City:Broken Hill
• Distance to Broken Hill:450kms
• Nearest Airport:Broken Hill
• Distance to Broken Hill Airport:450kms

Local Attractions in the Area

• Broken Hill Outback Regions, NSW
• Cameron Corner & the Wild Dog Fence
• Sturt National Park
• Depot Glen
• Fowler's Gap
• Regional Map of Area

Helpful Links for the Area

• Milparinka
• Tibooburra
• Flora & Fauna Outback Country
• White Cliffs Region
• Wanaaring

Seasonal Events

• Tibooburra Gymkhana & Rodeo
• St Pat's Day Races, Broken Hill
• Louth Race Meeting: August
• Cameron Corner Calendar of Events