5 of the best free family activities in Outback Queensland
5 FREE AND FUN FAMILY ACTIVITIES IN OUTBACK QUEENSLAND
You don’t need a big budget to enjoy awesome family fun in Outback Queensland. There are plenty of free activities to try and with 901,574 square kilometres of backyard and a variety of nature reserves and waterholes to play in – you can enjoy lots of fun and games without paying a thing!
1. SWIM, PLAY AND RELAX AT LAKE FRED TRITTON
Drop into Lake Fred Tritton in Richmond for a day of swimming, walking or fishing. Kids love the playground and waterpark and with ample shaded spaces, extensive lawns and free BBQ facilities the whole family can unwind and relax with a picnic at the water’s edge.
2. FOSSICK FOR GEMS AT QUILPIE
Search for opals for free at the Quilpie Shire Council fossicking area, two kilometres west of Quilpie near the Quilpie Airport. Bring some hand tools, picks, shovels or sieves to dig for the famous Boulder opal, a gem unique to Queensland found in the mining belt stretching from Quilpie in the south west, to Winton to the north. Fossicking is a great activity for kids of all ages – check out our Family Fossicking Adventures to find out where to hunt for a Queensland gem.
3. WILDLIFE SPOTTING
Outback Queensland is a bird lovers paradise and there’s lots of places to spot numerous colourful species. Tambo along the Matilda Way is the place to find waterbirds with black swans, cygnets, pelicans and brolgas among those found at Tambo Dam at different times of the year. Find out where else to find your feathered favourites in Fantastic Birds and Where to Find Them, Part #1 and Part #2!
You’ll see plenty of iconic Australian animals as you drive through Outback Queensland with kangaroos, wallabies and emus easy to see along the way. Cunnamulla, 206km south of Charleville, has the region’s largest population of kangaroos and wallabies while Thargomindah claims to have more kangaroos than human residents! Yaraka located 220km from Longreach is a popular place to find emus.
Camels arrived in Australia in the late 1870s and soon made themselves at home in the desert regions – thousands now roam free so you’re sure to see at least one or two on your travels.
Spotting Wildlife is a great game for the family to play – ask everyone to keep a list and see who can collect the most sightings during your trip!
4. GO (VERY) LARGE ON YOUR INSTAGRAM!
Head to Hughenden to get yourself an Instagram worthy photo with ‘Mutt’, a full-scale replica of a prehistoric Muttaburrasaurus, a herbivore that once flourished on the land where the town sits today. The striking monument is just one of lots of really ‘Big Things in Outback Queensland’ to visit – check out what else to look for on your travels!
5. HAVE A GO AT OUTBACK SURFING
Outback folk know you don’t need an ocean to surf! Grab your boogie boards, pieces of cardboard or whatever you can get your hands on for a thrilling ride down the Windorah Sand Hills, Big Red in Munga-Thirri National Park near Birdsville, or down the natural dunes at Cunnamulla! Stay a while and watch some of the world’s most spectacular sunsets across these unique desert landscapes.
