How to discover the Far West by air

#OutbackQueensland photo by @wildheartadventures

If captaining a caravan through red dirt isn’t your style, bag a boarding pass and hop on one of Rex Airlines’ big birds into Outback Queensland.

The sunburnt country has never looked better than from the air (seriously, check out these 5 reasons to fly to the Outback), and with someone else piloting this journey, all that’s left for you to do is sit back, relax and enjoy the view.

Make Webjet your new BFF, and follow this how-to guide for flying to the far west of Outback Queensland.

1. Fly somewhere far, fast

#OutbackQueensland photo by @lukeyatesss

Turn a 20 hour road trip into a two hour flight and board the BNE to BVI.

Post-arrival, hit the Birdsville Roadhouse for a cold one with owners Peter and Bronwynne, and then take a trip down memory lane at the Birdsville Working Museum.

A Big Red Sunset Tour will become your very own history lesson as you learn how Birdsville came to be.

Finish off the day with a hearty dinner at the Birdsville Hotel. Coupled with a Birdsville Bakery brekkie the next morning, you’ll be fuelled and ready to take on the Old Birdsville Hospital, Cemetery and Royal Hotel Ruins. For more to do in town, check out this blog.

2. Onwards and upwards, say hey to Quilpie 

#OutbackQueensland photo by @charlotteallen027

Just because you flew in doesn’t mean your feet have to stay on Birdsville ground.

Keep exploring and take to the skies for a short one-hour flight to Quilpie, the Boulder Opal capital of Australia and second step on your Diamantina journey.

Road trip it 7.4km out of town to Baldy Top Lookout, where an easy scramble to the top before sunset will get you front row seats for the candy-coloured sky show over the jewel of the outback.

Try your luck searching for a boulder opal at the free Opal Fossicking area located 2km outside of Quilpie. You never know, you may even strike it rich!

3. Wave hello to Windorah

Whether you’re back on the Milk Run, or got lucky on the opal field and are now chartering your own private jet,  it’s a one hour flight to Windorah.

Windorah is an Aboriginal word meaning “Big Fish”. The clue is in its name with plenty of yellowbelly, catfish and bream hanging around its waterholes. Windorah’s smaller channels are great for catching yabbies – a bush delicacy and animal to race.

In fact, the Windorah International Yabby Races draw a crowd each year for an event where strategy plays no part in picking a winner. To find out more about the event, check out this blog post.

Take in the sunset from the crest of the Red Sandhills with a glass of wine in one hand and your camera in the other.

When the skies have turned dark, enjoy the galactic panorama that plays out in front of you with a starry show to rival the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

4. Head home

#OutbackQueensland photo by @anne_lieschen

From Windorah you can fly back to Brisbane or onwards to Bedourie, Boulia or Mount Isa for more outback adventures.

Have you discovered Outback Queensland by air? Which itinerary did you do?

This blog post was sponsored by REX Airlines