Beautiful Betsy Bomber Crash Site

Kroombit Tops National Park

700m return trip which leads to a crashed 1945 bomber that was not discovered for 49 years after crashing, killing all occupants. Interpretive signage has been erected by Qld NP. Please respect the site, it is the last resting place of many Australian and American Airmen.

Getting there

We drove for about an hour from Calliope along the Tableland Road off the Bruce Highway. 4WD is required.

Route/Trail notes

Easy walk from the car park through the bush - trail is well-defined and leads to the crash site of The Besty, a 1945 bomber aircraft which was hidden by bushland for 49 years before being discovered by a park ranger during a routine burn off. The wreckage has been left where it landed, although all personal effects of those who perished were removed from the site by the US airforce. Eight people, including two Australians flying from Darwin to Sydney, died in the war-time crash. The whole area is a memorial to the airmen who died. There are plaques around the site detailing the ill-fated flight and profiles of the airmen. It's an amazing place to visit, very still, peaceful and reverent.

Permits/Costs

No costs or permits required unless camping at the one of the two camping areas.

GPS Tracks

  • No GPS available for this walk yet.

Comments

Not only a great walk but an awesome ride in on off-road motorbike through cattle properties making the whole trip full of great scenery

J on 11 Jun, 2016

For years we (Gladstone Bushwalking Club Members), had walked & driven past this special place, and never knew it existed. It's a great drive just getting to the start of the walk, so make a day of it, take your time, and enjoy the serenity, and peacefulness of the site. It's been desecrated in the past, so treat it with the respect it deserves please. The following link has lots of info on the crash and Beautiful Betsy's history.
http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/qld89.htm

WoodDuck on Sometime...

Where

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