PHOTO: Crocodile Dundee. TRAVEL + LEISURE
The iconic Australian pub featured in the worldwide hit movie Crocodile Dundee is once again up for sale, and the price tag is considerably lower than the median house prices in 713 Australian suburbs.
Located in McKinlay, in the remote outback of Queensland, Crocodile Dundee’s Walkabout Creek Hotel has been put on the market with a price tag of $1.4 million.
Publican Frank Wust in 2015. Photo: John Andersen
To put it into perspective, you could purchase the Walkabout Creek Hotel six times over and still have money left over compared to buying an average house in Sydney’s affluent suburbs like Tamarama or Vaucluse. This rustic timber hotel, steeped in Australian heritage and established in the early 1900s, is being presented for sale by VZ Real Estate agent Michael Verstandig, acting on behalf of the current owners, Frank and Debra Wust. The listing highlights the unique opportunity to own a piece of Australian cinematic history and a thriving business, all while enjoying the serene countryside and escaping the hustle and bustle of city life.
The hotel now
Situated 104 kilometers southeast of Cloncurry, between Mount Isa and Winton, McKinlay gained fame as the filming location for the 1986 blockbuster Crocodile Dundee, starring Paul Hogan as the charismatic Mick ‘Crocodile’ Dundee and Linda Kozlowski as the American reporter, Sue Charlton. Sue travels to the outback to interview Mick, who claims to have survived a crocodile attack, only to end up with a “love bite.”
The movie was shot in McKinlay and the Northern Territory and remains the most commercially successful Australian film ever, according to the National Film and Sound Archive. The Federal Hotel, originally known as, eventually adopted the name Walkabout Creek Hotel, and ever since, visitors have flocked to McKinlay to enjoy a cold drink and soak in its history.
As of the 2021 Census, McKinlay was home to 836 residents and was historically a pivotal stopover for Cobb & Co coaches. The town boasts Queensland’s tiniest public library and visitor center and is situated 87 kilometers south of the Cannington mine, which supplied silver for the Olympic Games medals in Sydney in 2000, according to Outback Queensland tourism.
The public bar
The Walkabout Creek Hotel is just one part of a broader business that spans three parcels of land in McKinlay. The hotel itself comprises a public bar, pool room, amenities, storage room/office, kitchen, and a veranda. Additionally, there are nine guest rooms, a caravan park, and unpowered camping sites.
The hotel also manages Australia Post’s mail contract and provides alcohol to a local mine. South of the hotel, you’ll find the manager’s residence, nine more guest rooms, and another caravan park. The three land parcels are all freehold and connected to the main power grid, with backup generators and solar panels ensuring reliable electricity supply.
While tourism is the primary income source, the provision of accommodation for workers and meals contributes to revenue throughout the year. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), most McKinlay residents are employed in cattle farming (42.5%), local government (8.5%), and mining (5.6%).
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