A major tourist attraction is the Gemfields area situated in the towns of Sapphire, Rubyvale & Anakie about 35 minutes drive west of Emerald.
Underground tours and fossicking are highlights, with shopping for gems and jewellery available in many unique retail outlets. The Fairbairn Dam & Lake Maraboon is a spectacular man-made lake approx 25 minutes south-west of Emerald. Here you will be amazed at the scenery, the size of the dam wall and the size of the lake (about 4 times the size of Sydney Harbour).

Emerald is an irrigation area and the farms surrounding the town grow cotton, citrus crops, table grapes, mangos, and rockmelons. Cattle and dry crop farming such as wheat and sorghum is done beyond the irrigation scheme. There is a farm tour available showing the cotton and cattle industry.
Coal Mining is a strong industry here with many mining companies using the town of Emerald as a base to service approximately 30 mines in the area. Coal is shipped to sea ports by a large rail network. Some trains can be over one kilometre long.
Emerald has a population of approx 13,000 and is well serviced with 2 shopping centres, cinema, aquatic centre, golf course, sports fields, clubs and horse racecourse. Regular daily flights to Brisbane are available from the modern airport.

The historic Railway station is well worth a look for its unique architecture. Unfortunately many of the older homes have been destroyed by wildfires on three separate occasions. Some fabulous old Queenslander homes still remain close to the CBD.
The Emerald Botanic Gardens on the Nogoa river is a wonderful play area, suitable for picnics, BBQs, walks, running or cycling through many hectares of beautiful gardens. There is even a rose garden and tropical rain forest area.