The ultimate road trip: 10 unforgettable days in the heart of Outback Queensland
Settling into the heart of Outback is easier than you think. Take this 10-day road trip to discover the best of the west including stunning landscapes, country pubs, artesian springs, prehistoric discoveries and a celebration of Australia’s pioneering history.
Best of all, this journey will see you travel on fully sealed roads – no 4WD required.
Day 1: Brisbane to Roma (about 5.5 hours)
Start your adventure in Roma. Climb the Big Rig’s 40m tower and take in their night show that delves into the region’s rich oil and gas history. Taste a tipple or two at Western Queensland Spirit, Outback Queensland’s first gin distillery. Enjoy a grazing board while you try their award-winning gin.
The WWII Secret Base in Charleville.
Day 2: Roma to Charleville (about 3 hours)
Take in the Roma Saleyards (the biggest cattle yards in the Southern Hemisphere) before you continue your journey to Charleville. Charleville is home to one of World War II’s most intriguing military secrets that’s fascinating to explore. The WWII Secret Base shares the town’s rich wartime history allowing you to learn more about these secrets and see what life was like for American army personnel in 1943.Day 3: Charleville
Start your day with an on-farm experience at Outback Date Farms. Enjoy a delicious morning tea while you take a guided tour and learn more about life on a working date plantation. Stellar views await at Charleville’s Cosmos Centre – their observatory is the prime viewing platform for soaking up Outback’s dark skies. You won’t want to miss the night-time Charleville Bilby Experience too.Day 4: Charleville to Cunnamulla (about 2 hours)
Stop for a snap with the town’s iconic ‘Cunnamulla Fella’, an ode to Slim Dusty’s iconic ballad. Explore the Cunnamulla Art & Sculpture Trail and take in the Cunnamulla All Aboard 3D light and sound show before heading to the Cunnamulla Hot Springs for a luxury artesian bathing experience set against the stunning Warrego River.Day 5: Cunnamulla to Thargomindah (about 2 hours)
Continue your exploration of Outback’s artesian waters with a stop and soak at Eulo’s Artesian Mud Baths – a refreshingly wild but wonderful experience. Continue to Thargomindah where you can explore the town via their Town Walk. This concrete pathway winds along the edge of the Bulloo River and connects the towns attractions including Pelican Point, the Cobb & Co Crossing, the Old Hospital, Hydro Power Plant, Old Jail and Leahy House.Day 6: Thargomindah To Quilpie (about 2 hours)
Continue your journey to Quilpie, one of Outback’s hidden gems. Here you can try your hand at Opal fossicking, fish the Bullooo River, dive into the town’s history with a visit to the Powerhouse Museum, Military History Museum or the tiny but brilliant Railway Museum.Enjoy a bite to eat at the pub before heading out to Toogunna Plains for a totally unique on-farm experience that will see you take in a stunning sunset on sandhills and learn more about day-to-day station life.
Day 7: Toogunna Plains to Eromanga (about 30 minutes)
Prehistoric discoveries await in Eromanga, home to the Eromanga Natural History Museum and Living History Centre. See ‘Cooper’, a 95-million-year-old titanosaur, and go behind the scenes at their fossil lab and learn with it takes to dig up the past in Outback Queensland.Day 8: Eromanga to Windorah (about 2.5 hours)
Flourishing plains, big starry skies and fish filled waterways take centre stage on this leg of your journey. Take the Windorah Nature Drive for a stunning 12km loop that will see you traverse red sandy hills, black soil flats and vast plains of wildflowers. Time your trip for September and you will catch the iconic Windorah International Yabby Races.
The Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame at Longreach.
Day 9: Windorah to Longreach (about 3.5 hours)
Be sure to schedule stops at Jundah and Stonehenge. Jundah has beautiful picnic spots and XXXX Hill near Stonehenge offers sweeping 360-degree views of the Thomson River and Johnstone Ranges. Here a quirky Outback tradition awaits – be sure to sign your name in stone at the Rockside rock art gallery on route to Stonehenge.
Day 10: Longreach
Longreach is the prime location to explore Outback’s pioneering history. From the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame to the Qantas Founders Museum, everywhere you look in Longreach there is a celebration of Australian history.
Be sure to schedule an Outback Pioneers Cobb & Co stagecoach experience into your trip and don’t miss Smithy’s Outback Show for some of the finest camp oven food you’ve ever tasted.
Top tips for this Outback road trip
Extend your say: Winton is just two hours’ drive from Longreach and offers even more unique experiences including the Royal Open-Air Theatre, Waltzing Matilda Centre and Australian Age of Dinosaurs. Red Dirt Tours offers a range of nature-based tours and experiences in Winton so you can park up and let someone else do the driving for you.
Short on time? Fly direct to Longreach and hire a car for an epic six-day adventure throughout Longreach and Winton.
Discover the all-inclusive Unleash Longreach holiday package
Download the Drive Outback Queensland guide
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