Outback Towns and Drives
Find a Town
Find a drive Itinerary
Brisbane City to Brisbane City
Duration: 9 days / 2149km
Start your journey by heading west to Roma with stops in Toowoomba and Chinchilla on the way. In Roma, check out the Big Rig Night Show telling the story of Australia’s oil an gas exploration. Head off to Mitchell in the morning and cool off with a swim in the Artesian Spa and lunch by the pool. Next up is Charleville where you can get join the Up Close and Personal Bilby Experience and later take a tour of the Outback Night Sky. Head to Quilpie which is home to the Boulder Opal and the whole family can have a go at a free fossicking site. Eromanga is home to the Natural History Museum where you can meet Australia’s giant dinosaurs and go on a guided tour of the workshop. On to Thargomindah where you can visit the iconic Noccunda Hotel and take a walk on the Bulloo River. Head East to Cunnamulla to try out sandboarding on the natural sand hills or go for a sunset kayak on the Warrego River. Your last stop will be St.George where you can learn more about the local cotton industry and end your day with a Sandytown River Cruise at sunset.
Itinerary DAY 1
Brisbane to Roma
Travel Distance:
504km
Point the car west and travel along the Warrego Highway to Queensland's Garden City, Toowoomba. You can stop for morning tea at Picnic Point, best known for its expansive views across the Great Dividing Range, and its themed Magical Witches Forest playground is sure to be a hit with the kids. If time permits, call into the Cobb & Co Museum, before following the tracks of these original people movers to Chinchilla, the Melon Capital of Queensland. Relax on the banks of Charley's Creek with a picnic lunch. Next stop is Roma, home of the 'Big Rig' and the gateway to cattle country. Check-in to your accommodation and get ready for the Big Rig Night Show - a sound and light show spectacular, telling the story of Australia's oil and gas exploration.
DAY 2
Roma to Mitchell
Travel Distance:
89km
Mitchell is situated on the banks on the Maranoa River. The town is named after Sir Thomas Mitchell, explorer and Surveyor General of New South Wales, who explored the area in 1846. See the original courthouse where local bushrangers, the Ke iff Brothers were committed to stand trial then head to Arrest Creek, where they were captured. Cool off with a refreshing swim in the natural artesian water at Mitchell's Artesian Spa. Grab a casual lunch by the pools and explore the town before settling in for the night.
DAY 3
Mitchell to Charleville
Travel Distance:
178km
Drive the short distance to Charleville to join the Up Close and Personal Bilby Experience. Meet this delightful marsupial, also one of Australia's most endangered species. Have a chat with the dedicated volunteers who will share their knowledge and passion for the Bilby preservation. Tonight, an experienced guide will take you on a tour of the Outback Night Sky through powerful Meade Telescopes. See star clusters, planets, nebulae and learn about the Milky Way.
DAY 4
Charleville to Quilpie
Travel Distance:
211km
Today, you'll visit one of the smallest towns in Australia to retain its own postcode. Cooladdi, taking its name from an Aboriginal term for u201cblack ducku201d, was once a home to 270 residents. Now only four remain. Call in to the only business in town, the Fox Trap, a pub, post office, restaurant, motel and service station rolled into one! On arrival in Quilpie, make your first stop the Visitor Information Centre, Museum and Gallery. Relax in air-conditioned comfort and access the free WI-FI. Quilpie is home to the exquisite Boulder Opal. The whole family can have a go at uncovering this pretty gemstone at a free fossicking site just two kilometres west of Quilpie. Late this afternoon, drive approximately 7.4km from Quilpie to take in a spectacular sunset from Baldy Top, a magnificent boulder formation, millions of years old. The relatively easy ten-minute climb to the top will reward you with breathtaking panoramic vistas, the perfect sunset photo stop.
DAY 5
Quilpie to Eromanga
This morning, take the fully sealed Cooper Developmental Road to Eromanga, the furthest town from the sea in Australia. Eromanga is home to the internationally recognised Eromanga Natural History Museum where you can meet Australia's largest dinosaurs including 'Cooper' and 'George', who are in the top 10 largest dinosaurs in the world. The one hour guided tour is a hands-on tour through the museum workshop, dinosaur and megafauna laboratories and collection room. The museum is 3 kilometres outside of Eromanga off the sealed Mt. Margaret Road. It is easy to spend a day or more in and around Eromanga, visit the Living History Centre close to one of Australia's iconic outback pubs, the Eromanga Royal Hotel est. 1885, Knot-a-saurus and Opalopolis Park and enjoy a picnic near the famous Kyabra waterhole.
DAY 6
Eromanga to Thargomindah
Travel Distance:
311km
Take the Cooper Developmental Road and begin your journey towards Thargomindah. Make a stop at Noccundra and visit the iconic Noccundra Hotel which was established in 1882. Across from the pub, the Noccundra Water Hole on the Wilson River is a great fishing spot. Noccundra is a popular stopover for visitors driving to the Burke and Wills Dig Tree and Cameron Corner. Thargomindah is home to Australia's first hydro-electric power plant, so take the opportunity to visit their Hydro Power Plant Complex where demonstrations are run between March and October. The Bulloo River Walk and Heritage Walk are great options for those looking to unwind at the end of the day. Thargomindah is perfectly positioned for day trips to Cameron Corner, Hungerford and Currawinya National Park.
DAY 7
Thargomindah to Cunnamulla
Travel Distance:
214km
Head east from Thargomindah and take the short drive to Lake Bindegolly National Park which is a wildlife refuge featuring salt and freshwater wetlands. The park is home to more than 195 species of birds, 80 other kinds of animals and 300 species of plants. Travel through sheep and cattle grazing land to Eulo well known for its local honey and bees wax products. Whilst walking through this magnificent town, Take a photo with the life-size Diprotodon statue. Fossils of these giant Megafauna have been found in the Eulo area and will go on display in the Eromanga Natural History Museum. Visit the Air Raid Shelter built at Eulo during WW2. Why is it here? Come and find out! Arrive in Cunnamulla early afternoon with time to relax before heading out to the natural sand hills for some exciting sandboarding thrills and spills. Alternatively, you can hire a kayak for a relaxing paddle on the Warrego River.
DAY 8
Cunnamulla to St George
Travel Distance:
108km
As you travel east along the Adventure Way towards St George, call into the tiny town of Bollon. Take a stroll along the 1.2km creek-side walkway and keep an eye out for koalas, echidnas and emus. Drive the short distance to St George, then pack your picnic lunch and follow the Cotton Self Drive Trail to learn more about the local cotton industry. Late afternoon, board the Sandytown River Cruise and enjoy sunset on the Balo e River.
DAY 9
St George to Brisbane
Travel Distance:
534km
Homeward bound, make a morning tea stop at Moonie on the intersection of the Leichhardt and Moonie Highways. At Moonie Crossroads you'll see brilliant murals depicting the history of the town and a giant cod caught in local waters. Visit the Woolshed at Jondaryan, the oldest and largest operating Woolshed in the world. Take a self-guided tour of the historic museum village and enjoy a casual lunch in the Damper Hut. Follow the Warrego Highway, via Toowoomba, returning to Brisbane late afternoon