OUTBACK - QUEENSLAND



Overlooking Mount Isa from the lookout.

Cattle mustering near Longreach

The famous Birdsville Hotel

Main street of Richmond.


Main towns in this Region


SEE AREA MAP

 The Outback of Queensland is a massive area covering thousands of square kilometres and bordered to the south by the state borders of New South Wales and South Australia, and in the west by the Northern Territory. In the north, the Savannah of the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Highway between Cairns and Camooweal mainly limit the region.
While remote, it holds some of the fascinating things which make Australia so unique. It was here the International airline QANTAS. was founded. It was under a tree at Barcaldine tha Australian Labor Party began. At Longreach a Museum to the Outback Founders of Australia has been established. A memorial to those visionaries like 'Flynn of the Inland' who began the Flying Doctor Service, Eddie Connellan, who kept the mail moving across the Outback during the war, Pastoralists, inventors and many many more. Their stories will all be found here.
This is also the real land of Dorothea McKella's 'My Country'. Here are droughts that can last for years, followed by floods which cover towns and hundreds of square miles of land, only to dissipate and lead to drought again.
It is rich in minerals. Mount Isa has one of the country's oldest mines and nearby Mary Kathleen was one of Australia;s first Uranium mines. Sapphires, opals, gold and silver are mined and ports like Gladstone on the coast handle millions of tons of coal each year.
It is the real Australia and to visit is to understand what makes up the Australian persona. Dozens of pubs are full of these characters and you will enjoy the outback with its dusty streets and verandahed shops. .


Holiday Hints
CLOTHES
Daytime temperatures are hotter than along the coast and can reach well into the 40s in summer. In winter, overnights can drop to zero or below in many places. Casual dress is standard with some more formal clothes for restaurants and hotels. Jeans are popular and it is wise to wear boots. There are snakes if you are bushwalking.

ACCOMMODATION SEARCH
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  • INFORMATION CENTRES:

  • Barcaldine Visitor Information Centre
    Oak St. Barcaldine QLD 4725
    Ph: 07 4651 1724

  • Charleville Visitor Information Centre
    Qantas Dve. Charleville QLD 4470
    Ph: 07 4654 7771

    Longreach Visitor Information Centre
    QANTAS Park, Eagle St. Longreach QLD 4730
    Ph: 07 4658 4150

  • Mt Isa Visitor Information Centre
    'Outback at Isa', 19 Marian St. Mt Isa QLD 4825
    Ph: 07 4749 1555

  • Winton Visitor Information Centre
    50 Elderslie St. Winton QLD 4735
    Ph: 1300 665 115

    HOW TO GET THERE:
    Any highway west of the coastal Bruce Hwy will take you over the ranges into the Outback. The principal routes are via the Warrego Hwy west of Brisbane through Roma, and the Flinders Hwy, west of Townsville. The Barkly Hwy from Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory leads through Camooweal to Mt Isa. The Birdsville Track from South Australia leads to the South West of the region. See maps to plan your trip.


    • PLACES OF INTEREST    :
  • Stockman's Hall of Fame - Longreach
    Out here around the billabongs and under star-studded night skies, bush history slides up close to you, telling tales of bushrangers, shearers, stockmen and drovers. Be inspired by the Australian outback and the stories of the people who shaped our nation.

  • QANTAS Museum - Longreach
    Longreach is also known as the birthplace of Qantas and home to the Qantas Founders Museum where you can tour a fully equipped 747 jumbo jet and see for yourself that the 'black box' flight recorder is not black at all (it's orange!). The children will love climbing down into the computer bay and sitting in the pilot's seat. Step outside onto the wing on a Wing Walking Tour or board a Boeing 707, Qantas's first jet aircraft.

  • Tree of Knowledge - Barcaldine
    The spirit of the outback is alive and well in Barcaldine and there are a host of things to explore. Visit the Australian Workers Heritage Centre that pays tribute to the lives of ordinary men and women who have built our nation.

  • Mines Tour - Mt Isa
    Book an underground tour of one of Australia's largest and oldest mines.

  • Birdsville Pub and Races
    Outside of the first Tuesday in November when the Melbourne Cup is held at Flemington, the Birdsville Races are probably the next best known. Held in the remote outback south west corner of Queensland thousands flock to the tiny town in September each year for a weekend of racing and carousing.
    1,600 km west of Brisbane. This famous race attracts people from all over Australia and the world. Half the fun is just getting there. Make your journey all part of the adventure and stop in Windorah en-route for a bush party complete with unique yabby racing. Be sure to book accommodation for your stay though, or prepare to sleep under the stars. The town books out quickly and it's yet another adventure just finding somewhere to sleep. Greyhound Australia have their own camp 'Tent City', almost as famous as the race itself. You'll find pilots and passengers, that have flown to town, just roll out their swags and sleep under the wing. You've already had the time of your life and the races haven't even started yet.

  • Waltzing Matilda Centre - Winton
    The Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton is a tribute to the song, penned by Australian bush poet A.B. (Banjo) Paterson just outside Winton on Dagworth Station in 1895. Also incorporating the Outback Regional Art Gallery, Qantilda Museum and Home of the Legend, the entire area has been transformed into an intriguing timeline and tribute to the life of a swaggie. Before you leave enjoy a meal in the Coolibah Country Kitchen restaurant overlooking the billabong and take home a souvenir from the Station Store.

  • Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways - 110km south-west of Winton
    A prehistoric journey following in the footsteps of those who roamed this Earth some 95 million years ago.

  • John Flynn Place Museum - Cloncurry
    Learn about the formation of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

  • Cosmos Centre and Observatory - Charleville
    Ever wondered what the Moon, Mars, Venus and the Milky Way actually look like, or secretly want to look into the eyes of the sun? Well, at the Cosmos centre at Charleville you can. Equipped with powerful telescopes, knowledgeable astronomers, and all the gear you'll ever need, the dark setting and outback unpolluted skies create the perfect conditions for star gazing.
    •     © Copyright Peter W. Wilkins