Day 1: Welcome to Emerald, once famous for its reputation as a major sunflower producer, now home to the world’s biggest Van Gogh sunflower painting. Stop for a photo with this superstructure, which stands 25 metres high! Emerald is the gateway to the largest sapphire fields in the Southern Hemisphere, and today you can try your hand at fossicking for your fortune. Rubyvale is your first stop in the Gemfields, and with the digging work already done, buy a bucket of wash to start searching straight away. Book a tag-a-long digging or underground mine tour. Pay a visit to the Australian Miners Historic Museum then take a short drive to the tiny town of Sapphire. If you love a photo opportunity, then ‘The Big Ring’ ‘Big Spanner’ and ‘Big Pick and Shovel’ can all be found in Sapphire, so keep an eye out for these fun icons. In the afternoon, head west on the Capricorn Highway to Alpha, the Gateway to the West. Book a family villa at the Alpha Caravan Park, stretch your legs with a walk around the town’s 26 murals depicting rural life in the Shire and dine with the locals at the Alpha Golf Club.