Matilda Way

Goodbye New South Wales, hello Queensland! Start your Matilda adventure in Cunnamulla, just 119 kilometres north of the New South Wales border. Just south of Cunnamulla check out the dwarf-like red sand dunes adorned with pines. If the winter rainfalls are sufficient, have the camera at the ready for a landscape ablaze with wildflowers. Cunnamulla is a community who invites you to come along and uncover all the hidden gems on offer. Be immersed in the local culture and history as you explore the heritage trail or visit one of the three station stays in the region. Visit the Cunnamulla Fella Centres Artesian Time Tu el and learn a little about the Great Artesian Basin, an underground water table that sustains life in some of Australia's harshest environments. If nature is your thing, take a walk along the Warrego river walk, stroll around the Cunnamulla Bushlands or spend some time discovering some of the 207 bird species at 'Bowra Sanctuary'. A side trip west along the Bulloo Development Road to the quaint town of Eulo comes highly recommended and then continue North along the Opal Byway and discover Yowah, an opal mining town with plenty to offer.

A bit further up the Matilda Way is Wyandra, 97 kilometres to the north of Cunnamulla. The highway follows the route of the railway and it's the railway system that actually dictated where towns would be created. Wyandra was once a major water stop for steam engines that hauled wool and sheep to the marketplace. Another 100 clicks up the track and you'll get to Charleville. Now, Charleville is a town that is worth some serious attention. It has a history featuring early cameleers, Cobb & Co., Qantas and the USAAF . It has one of Queensland's largest School of Distance Education and is a major home base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, servicing towns as far away as Birdsville in the state's far south-west. Experience the amazing Cosmos Centre, a small observatory that introduces you to the world beyond.

Head north to Augathella or detour through to Quilpie and the Natural Sciences Loop. The Augathella pub is the central social hub and a good place to hear about the exploits of the infamous local bushrangers, the Ke iffs. Home to Australia's Huckleberry Fi - Smiley? you can uncover this little known story while in town. Tambo is 119 kilometres further north and is home to the famous Tambo Teddies, established during the years of low wool prices but still going strong and producing teddies adored by children everywhere, pop in and watch these cuddly creations come to life. Grab a brochure from the Visitor Information Centre and follow the pathways around the oldest town in the west; many of the original buildings are still standing today. At the town's heritage precinct, friendly locals love to chat, while there try your hand at Morse Code messaging. A side trip recommended for four-wheel-drive enthusiasts loops out via the Wilderness Way to Salvator Rosa National Park. Or settle for a stroll along the banks of the Barcoo and do the Coolabah Walk. Just make sure you are back in time for the nightly chicken races at the Royal Carrangarra Hotel.

Blackall is 'home of the original black stump'. Heed not what other states claim, as locals descended from early identities such as Jackie Howe steadfastly stick to the belief that the stump located in Thistle St is the genuine article. In 1892 Jackie set a world record by shearing 321 sheep in seven hours and 40 minutes. He held that record for 58 years and when it was finally broken it was only by a shearer using machine shears, which were unheard of in Jackie's era. It's here that you will again greet the Barcoo River, which flows close to the town. Keep count of how many times you cross the Barcoo on this trip, as local legend has it that after the tenth crossing you're there to stay. A major attraction, the Historic Blackall Woolscour is living history and a direct physical link to Australia's pioneering era. Open all year, the massive steam engine is operated between May and September. Blackall was supposed to have the first artesian bore in the central west, only to be beaten to the punch by Barcaldine, just 109 kilometres further along the Matilda Way.

Barcaldine is an attractive town steeped in history and culture with plenty to see and do - an overnight stay is recommended. The best place to begin is the Visitor Information Centre in The Globe where the friendly staff will tell you all about the town. You can also visit the History Room and the Art Gallery which are located in the building. On Oak Street, the famous Tree of Knowledge celebrates Barcaldine's fighting spirit and co ections to Australia's labour movement. The monument has a cathedral feel and is particularly beautiful at night when lit by special lighting. Packed with local history, the Australian Workers Heritage Centre is well worth a visit. If you're travelling between Barcaldine and Ilfracombe during August to September, spectacular wildflowers (in season) are a must see and the many species of birds will appeal to bird watchers. In Ilfracombe, old tractors, disused farm equipment and historic rural machinery have been neatly laid out, forming an open-air museum known as 'machinery mile'. Wander around town and visit the Wellshot hotel, take a dip in the artesian spa, the corrugated iron Langenbaker Cottage and Post Office, which claims to have been Australia's first motorised mail service.

The bustling town of Longreach came into prominence for visitors in 1988 when the Queen opened the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame. This modern centre is world famous and warrants much more than just a casual glance. The entire history, adventure and essence of the Australian outback is rolled into one huge, diverse and informative display. Adding life to this western Queensland town are a number of other first-class attractions, namely the Qantas Founders Museum, with its own decommissioned Boeing 747 Jet as its centrepiece. The School of Distance Education offers tours of its facility, which provides an education to students within a 1000 kilometre or more radius via satellite internet. The Longreach Pastoral College, the Longreach Power House Museum and the Longreach Arts and Cultural Centre, in the old Ambulance Station, where locals display their arts and crafts, are also worth a visit. Various companies offer regular sunset cruises on the Thomson River, some in historic paddle steamers, with campfire meals and bush poetry thrown in. Hop aboard a Cobb and Co. coach for a tour of the town or head out to a real working sheep and cattle property to get a glimpse into life on the land.

The big skies and wide open spaces around Winton have excited and inspired visitors for years. Banjo Paterson wrote Waltzing Matilda in the neighbourhood back in 1895. The song was performed in public for the first time at Winton's historic North Gregory Hotel and now it is sung wherever Australian's gather to celebrate. The new Waltzing Matilda Centre, is dedicated to the memory of song. Winton is the Dinosaur Capital of Australia and hosts two major dinosaur attractions, the Australian Age of Dinosaurs and the Dinosaur Stampede at Lark Quarry Conservation Park. Both museums offer guided tours and a real dinosaur experiences. Film-makers love the dramatic landscape close to Winton. So many feature films have been produced here the town now hosts a mid-year film festival at the historic open-air Royal Theatre. Qantas was born in Winton when the first general meeting of the airline was held at the Winton Club. Winton's Musical Fence inspired singer/songwriter Gotye to write the songs on his debut album that went on to win three Grammy Awards.

Take a side trip to discover the Combo Waterhole just south of Kynuna where this waterhole is where Banjo Paterson drew inspiration from for the national folk song Waltzing Matilda. Walk the 2.5 kilometre return circuit to the billabong along the Diamantina River and have a picnic 'under the shade of a Coolibah tree'. Head on into Kynuna to a different kind of watering hole, the Blue Heeler Hotel. The pub is the only remaining building to have any association with the great Australian folk song, Waltzing Matilda. It is said that both the swagman and squatter had their last drinks at the hotel. Banjo Paterson also drank at the hotel. Come in for a cold beer and meet the locals! Hitting the road again, it is a short trip to McKinlay where you can test another watering hole, the Walkabout Creek Hotel, the pub made famous by Paul Hogan in his movie 'Crocodile Dundee'. The pub, together with other buildings in the town were featured in this iconic Australian film. Another hours travelling will take you through undulating and open downs country to the town of Cloncurry.

Cloncurry is an interesting outback town and definitely deserves extended time for exploration. Mining has played a key role in the development and growth of the town and a bloke called Ernest Henry is responsible for its very existence. In 1867 he discovered copper and even today copper mining remains a major player in the growth of Cloncurry. A visit to John Fly Place Museum and Art Gallery will provide a history lesson or two. Commemorating Reverend John Fly who developed the Royal Flying Doctor service as a 'mantle of safety' back in 1928. Covering isolated regions the service is still as integral to the outback's survival today as it ever was. While there a must-stop is Cloncurry Unearthed, Visitor Information Centre and Museum. See the water bottle of explorer Robert O'Hara Bourke or learn more about Mary Kathleen (a former Uranium mining town) or wander through the museums' mineral and gem collection, which is ranked as one of the most comprehensive in Australia. Continuing on to Normanton, the vista changes and you'll see taller and taller termite mounds, which is a sure sign you've reached north-west Queensland.

It's a good stretch of road extending the 73 kilometres to Karumba, the only town right on the Gulf of Carpentaria. Although it may seem to have taken so long to get here, it's all to do with the excitement of finally reaching the end of the road and the Gulf of Carpentaria where the 'Outback Meets the Sea'. Its very location makes Karumba an excellent place to get a 'feed' of fresh seafood including excellent prawns, for which the town is noted. Visit the Les Wilson Barramundi Discovery Centre where you will get to hand feed Barramundi. Karumba is relatively flat country, but it's the birdlife that excites. Brolga and Sarus Cranes , are in abundance throughout the winter. If you're in Karumba in August to November keep an eye out for the 'Morning Glory Cloud' a unique cloud formation that sometimes forms in the early morning. There is always the unforgettable sunsets over the ocean that is a must see, either on land or on one of the many sunset cruises that venture out each afternoon. Congratulations for making the full length of the Matilda Way you are here in Karumba enjoy your stay.