Queensland’s FAMILY FRIENDLY DRIVES Brisbane – 15 Day Outback Legends
Bulloo River near Thargomindah
Longreach 9 10 HIGHLIGHTS 11 12 Blackall Visit Jondaryan Woolshed
Hear the story of The Cunnamulla Fella Yaraka QUEENSLAND 7 8 Embrace nature at Lake Bindegolly Windorah Meet Australia’s largest dinosaurs 6 15 Quilpie Roma Travel an original Cobb & Co route Charleville Eromanga 13 14 1 Stay in the heart of Channel Country 5 Brisbane 2 3 Brush up on your Australian Bush St George Poetry history 4 Cunnamulla Thargomindah Cuddle a Tambo Teddy
Picnic in Welford National Park
DAY 1: BRISBANE TO ST GEORGE DAY 3: CUNNAMULLA TO Experience top Longreach attractions (APPROX. 534KM / 5HR 37MIN) THARGOMINDAH Follow the Warrego Highway to Toowoomba en (APPROX. 214KM / 2HR 42MIN) Stop by the Tree of Knowledge Memorial route to the oldest and largest operating Woolshed Travel to Eulo – well known for its local honey and Go out past ‘The Black Stump’ in the world at Jondaryan. Download the app and bees wax products. For something different, try a take a self-guided tour of the historic museum traditional mud bath at the Artesian Mud Springs Star gaze at the Cosmos Centre village then try some freshly baked damper from (there are activities for children). the Damper Hut. At Dalby follow the Adventure Way Meet the endangered Bilby Head west from Eulo and take the short drive to the intersection of the Leichhardt and Moonie to Lake Bindegolly National Park which is Catch the Big Rig Night Show in Roma Highways and call into the Moonie Crossroads Hotel a wildlife refuge featuring salt and freshwater for lunch. Continue your drive to St George, and wetlands. The park is home to more than visit The Unique Egg to see intricately carved emu 195 species of birds, 80 other kinds of animals eggs and the artist at work. Late afternoon, board and 300 species of plants. the Sandytown River Cruise and enjoy sunset on the Balonne River before tucking into dinner and bed Thargomindah is home to Australia’s first hydro- ready for the road tomorrow. electric power plant, so take the opportunity to visit their Hydro Power Plant Complex where Overnight St George demonstrations are run between March and October. The Bulloo River Walk and Heritage Walk DAY 2: ST GEORGE TO CUNNAMULLA are great options for those looking to unwind (APPROX. 293KM / 3HR 14MIN) at the end of the day. Thargomindah is perfectly As you travel west along the Adventure Way, see the positioned for day trips to Cameron Corner, changing landscapes from cattle country to sheep Hungerford and Currawinya National Park. country. Call into the tiny town of Bollon and take a Overnight Thargomindah stroll along the 1.2km creek-side walkway and keep an eye out for koalas, echidnas and emus. DAY 4: THARGOMINDAH TO EROMANGA Arrive in Cunnamulla, step back in time in the (APPROX. 319KM / 5HR 56MIN) Artesian Time Tunnel and hear the story of the Take Bundeena Road to begin your journey towards Cunnamulla Fella. Early afternoon head out to the Eromanga, Australia’s furthest town from the sea. natural sand hills for some exciting sandboarding Make a stop at the Noccundra and visit the iconic thrills and spills. Alternatively, you can hire a kayak Windorah Sand Dunes Noccundra Hotel which was established in 1882. for a relaxing paddle on the Warrego River. Across from the pub, the Noccundra Water Hole on Overnight Cunnamulla the Wilson River is a great fishing spot. Noccundra is Eromanga Natural History Museum
a popular stopover for visitors driving to the Burke Late this afternoon, drive approximately 7.4km from Follow the Jundah-Quilpie Road for about 50km and Wills Dig Tree and Cameron Corner. Quilpie to take in a spectacular sunset from Baldy to Welford National Park and Little Boomerang Top, a magnificent boulder formation, millions Waterhole, which offers a bush camp. Keep your Travel along the sealed Eromanga Road and Cooper of years old. The relatively easy ten-minute climb camera ready for a land of contrasts with wide Developmental Road to Eromanga, home of the to the top will reward you with breathtaking coolabah-lined waters, golden-green spinifex, internationally recognised Eromanga Natural History panoramic vistas, the perfect sunset photo stop. Museum. Here you can meet Australia’s largest white-barked ghost gums and red sand dunes. Stay dinosaurs including ‘Cooper’ and ‘George’, who are Overnight Quilpie alert for sightings of the rare yellow-footed rock- in the top 10 largest dinosaurs in the world. The wallabies and mulga parrots too. one hour guided tour is a hands-on tour through DAY 6: QUILPIE TO WINDORAH Head back towards the Yaraka-Retreat Road and the museum workshop, dinosaur and megafauna (APPROX. 247KM / 3HR 20MIN) travel the short distance to the site of Magee’s laboratories and collection room. The museum is 3 Today we travel into the Far West Outback town of Shanty, put on the map by Banjo Paterson’s poem kilometres outside of Eromanga off the sealed Mt. Windorah, in the heart of the Channel Country, with “A Bush Christening”. Margaret Road. It is easy to spend a day or more in a panorama of giant red sand hills. Find your perfect Arriving into the small township of Yaraka for the and around Eromanga, visit the Living History Centre picnic spot beside the Cooper Creek, where the evening, be sure to make it in time for sunset. next to one of Australia’s iconic outback pubs, the Thomson and Barcoo Rivers meet. Visit the restored Nestled between Mesa Hills with a backdrop of Eromanga Royal Hotel est. 1885, Knoto-a-saurus and Slab Hut originally built by the Rabbit Board as a the Yang Yang ranges, the craggy escarpments Opalopolis Park and enjoy a picnic near sand dunes boundary hut. On the edge of town, see five huge and changing colours around sunset are a or on the famous Kyabra waterhole. sun mirrored dishes that provide daytime electricity photographer’s delight. Overnight Eromanga to the town, a first for Queensland. Late afternoon, head to the sand hills for some critter hunting and a Overnight Yaraka DAY 5: EROMANGA TO QUILPIE spectacular Outback sunset. DAY 8: YARAKA TO LONGREACH (APPROX. 106KM / 1HR 16MIN) Overnight Windorah (APPROX. 220KM /2HR 30MIN) This morning, take the fully sealed Cooper Travel to Longreach today with a stop en route in Developmental road and drive 106km to Quilpie. DAY 7: WINDORAH TO YARAKA Isisford and the Outer Barcoo Interpretation Centre On arrival make your first stop the Visitor (APPROX. 244KM / 3HR 45MIN) where you’ll see a replica of the 98 million-year- Information Centre, Museum and Gallery. Relax in Travel the top road through ever-changing old Isisfordia duncani and a 100 million-year-old air-conditioned comfort and access the free WI-FI. landscapes to Jundah then take the Settlers bulldog fish. Quilpie is home to the exquisite Boulder Opal. The Nature Drive along the Thomson River featuring whole family can have a go at uncovering this sign-posted descriptions of native plants. Unique Keep your eyes peeled for the familiar Qantas pretty gemstone at a free fossicking site just two “Welcome Signs” to the town replicate the historic tail as you arrive into Longreach. Join a tour kilometres west of Quilpie otherwise pack a picnic shop front still to be seen in the main street of of the entertaining Jets tour at the Qantas and fish at the Bulloo River or enjoy a swim in the Jundah. The signs tell the story of the town’s early Museum or head to the Australian Stockman’s town pool. years and are linked together by a walking trail. Hall of Fame to learn about our pioneering heroes. While you’re there, check out the has an official name representing a local property. Historical Village, its 30 buildings breathing life times for the Outback Stockman’s Show. Call in and watch a bear being made, take into a bygone era. Love watermelons? Then a stroll along Coolibah Walk or visit the Heritage you’re sure to look forward to visiting Chinchilla, Spend the afternoon exploring around town then Precinct and Grasslands Regional Art Gallery. Australia’s watermelon capital. Every February the get the best seats in the house for your first Outback Enjoy a tasty lunch in one of the friendly town hosts the quirky Chinchilla Melon Festival sunset with the Drover’s Sunset Cruise or the cafes or pubs before travelling the short distance where you can try your hand at melon skiing! Starlight’s Cruise Experience on the Thomson River. to Augathella. Take a break in Dalby’s Thomas Jack Park Overnight Longreach For over a century, Augathella was a main stop for Playground, a lovely shady park with a cute bullock teams and drovers. It was the junction of wooden red play train, wooden fort and a DAY 9: LONGREACH – REST DAY two major tracks, one heading north into central flying fox! Allow plenty of time for the kids Hold on to your hat for the only stagecoach Queensland and the other heading south via to use up that last bit of energy in the park gallop in Australia on the Cobb & Co Stagecoach Charleville into New South Wales. The bullock before your final leg back to Brisbane. Experience – first at a leisurely pace through teams would settle under the majestic local Overnight Roma town and then full-tilt along a stretch of the black butt trees to meet up and rest in between original Longreach-Windorah mail route. their long journeys throughout the Queensland Experience a totally different way of schooling at the Outback. Take time to rest in the shade of these Longreach School of Distance Education operating trees over lunch and breathe in the fresh air. a classroom more than twice the size of Victoria. You have a date with the stars this evening so be You also have the option today of joining a full day sure to arrive in Charleville by late afternoon, well tour to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs and Winton. before the sun starts to set to allow time to check into your accommodation before heading over Overnight Longreach to the Cosmos Centre to view the stars like never before at their observatory. DAY 10: LONGREACH TO BLACKALL (APPROX. 214KM / 2HR 15MIN) Overnight Charleville Back on the road this morning, keep your eyes DAY 13: CHARLEVILLE – REST DAY peeled for the different types of trucks you see. How many road trains and B-Doubles can you count? Known as ‘The Hub’ of the South West, Charleville has a rich history to be shared. Set out eastward on the Matilda Highway to Barcaldine and pay a visit to the site of The Tree Like a good tour? Then this is your town! Take the of Knowledge Memorial where once stood 2-hour ‘Check Out Charleville Tour’ to get the run the ghost gum that was the central meeting down from a local. Maybe you like a good yarn, place for the Shearers’ Strike in 1891. well, the ‘Hotel Corones Stories & Scones Tour’ Tambo Teddies could do the trick. How about the ‘Brolgas, Bustard, Call in to the Information Centre and pick up Beaut Birds and Station Tour’ for a bit of everything? a booklet and map to walk or drive the award winning ‘Between the Bouganvilleas Heritage Trail. A highlight for many visitors to Charleville is the Spend time at the Australian Workers Heritage Meet the Bilby Experience where you get to meet Centre and stop by one of the local pubs to enjoy this delightful marsupial, one of Australia’s most a country tradition of a counter meal lunch before endangered species. You’ll meet the dedicated making the short drive to Blackall this afternoon. volunteers who will share their knowledge and passion for the preservation of the Bilby. Overnight Blackall While in Charleville, don’t miss visiting the Royal DAY 11: BLACKALL – REST DAY Flying Doctor Visitor Centre for an incredible insight into this iconic Outback service, which is still being Wake up in the home of The Black Stump and enjoy delivered to the people of the Outback by the the slow pace of an Outback morning. Or if you Flying Doctor. are feeling energetic, start your day with a swim in the Artesian Spa or perhaps a few laps of Blackall’s Overnight Charleville Olympic size pool. Artesian Spa, Mitchell DAY 14: CHARLEVILLE TO ROMA With a thriving arts and sculpture scene, there’s lots (APPROX. 265KM / 2HR 47MIN) to be viewed while wandering around town today, including the Lost Art Workshop, a community Travel east along the Warrego Highway to Mitchell initiative aimed at keeping alive the lost art of where you can relax in the thermal mineralised leather craft used by traditional drovers around the waters of the Great Artesian Spa. The aquatic campfire. Spend time at Blackall Woolscour – the centre offers two large pools, one warm and one only fully intact steam powered wool washing cool, of natural artesian water – a great spot for the plant in Australia. kids to enjoy. Jackie Howe, Australia’s most famous shearer shore Next head to Roma, often referred to as the a record of 321 sheep in 7 hours 40 minutes in 1892 gateway to the Outback and home to the Southern at nearby Alice Downs Station. Pay a visit to the Hemisphere’s largest saleyards. Time your visit to Universal Garden Centre to learn his story and local arrive in Roma on a Tuesday or Thursday and you town history. can experience the excitement and sounds of a cattle sale and meet some of the local graziers and Overnight Blackall stock agents. Bilby Experience, Charleville DAY 12: BLACKALL TO CHARLEVILLE For a terrific insight into Australia’s Oil and Gas industry, take in The Big Rig’s spectacular night show, (APPROX. 303KM / 2HR 45MIN) an entertaining outdoor sound and light presentation The road today takes you to Australia’s Outback of early 20th century oil and gas exploration. teddy capital of Tambo, home to the Tambo Teddies. Back in 1992 when wool prices crashed Overnight Roma and the area was gripped with drought, the enterprising people of this Outback community DAY 15: ROMA TO BRISBANE came up with the idea of making bears to support (APPROX. 481KM / 5HR 40MIN) the wool industry and create employment. Your last day today is a big drive beginning outbackqueensland.com.au All individually named and numbered, each bear with a stop in Miles with its ‘streetscape’ style (07) 4650 1276