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Lawn Hill (Boojamulla): Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park is one of Queensland's most scenic national parks, featuring spectacular gorge country, sandstone ranges and significant fossils. The Waanyi Aboriginal people have strong cultural ties with the park, while pastoralists of European descent have recent historical connections. The World Heritage-listed Riversleigh fossil site is 55 km south of Lawn Hill Gorge.
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Carisbrooke Station, Winton
The Matilda Way: Stretching from Barringun on the New South Wales border to Normanton in the Gulf of Carpentaria, the Matilda Highway is a place of colourful characters, remarkable history and a changing landscape. Fully sealed, the Matilda Highway is the backbone of the Outback and the access point for many different side trips for you to explore and discover more of Queensland’s Outback. Towns visited on the journey include Charleville, Blackall, Barcaldine, Longreach, Winton and Cloncurry.
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Mount Isa: A city in North-West Queensland, Mount Isa came into existence because of the vast mineral deposits found in the area. Mount Isa Mines is one of the most productive single mines in world history, based on combined production of lead, silver, copper and zinc. For travellers, Mount Isa is an oasis in the outback, a place to use as a base to explore not only the unique countryside around it, but the unique attractions of this outback city.
Birdsville: One of Australia's most famous iconic outback settlements, Birdsville is a 'must visit' destination for the outback traveller. The town's original function was as a 'tariff wall' between Queensland and South Australia. Tolls which had provided the town's income, ceased in 1901 with the formation of the Federation and the town declined.
The town is now a starting point for many people travelling into South Australia along the Birdsville Track which was first developed in the 1880s as one of Australia's first major cattle routes. No trip to Birdsville is complete without marvelling at “Big Red”, the huge red sandhill that marks the eastern boundary of the Desert.
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Qantas Founders Outback Museum
Longreach: If you have ever dreamt of visiting Australia's heartland, there are few places in Australia that can offer everything you are looking for like Longreach. The birthplace of Australia's airline, Qantas, it is the biggest town in Queensland's far west and has much to offer the visitor or traveller seeking a taste of outback Australia, without straying too far from the creature comforts associated with home.
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Winton: An outback town made famous because the song 'Waltzing Matilda' was written there. A centre of an important cattle and sheep raising region, it has been a vital transportation point since early white settlement. The hottest bore in Australia is located on Castle Hill Station 100 km west of Winton. There, the water temperature registers 99 degrees Celsius as it comes to the surface. Winton is also the birthplace of Australia's national airline, Qantas. On 16th November 1920 the Queensland and Northern Territory Air Service was registered as a company with its headquarters in the town.
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| Visiting The Region: The Facts |
Best Time To Go: The temperatures in the outback can climb to the extremes in the summer. Casual light clothes are recommended although temperatures can fall below 5 deg. C at night during winter. The wet season in the northern areas is from November to March. The best time to visit is from April to October when the days are cooler.
Drives
Walks
Railways: Spirit of the Outback
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How to Get There: Outback Queensland is serviced by the Spirit of the Outback train from Brisbane. Numerous highways lead from the coastal communities to the Queensland outback. The most commonly used road from Brisbane is Warrego Highway, via Toowoomba and Dalby. From NSW, follow Leichhardt Highway north through Moree, or Bruxner Highway via Tenterfield.
Travel west on Dawson Highway from Gladstone; west on Capricorn Highway from Rockhampton; south-west on Flinders Highway from Townsville.
There are airports at Longreach, Mount Isa, Charleville, and Birdsville. Rail services also link most of the major towns. Coach services operate to all major Outback centres along the Overlander's Way from Townsville to Mount Isa, and on the Matilda Highway from Cunnamulla to Karumba. Most of Queensland's Outback is accessible by family sedan, and towns are usually no more than two hours apart. However without a 4WD you’ll miss plenty of opportunities to “go bush” and explore spectacular scenery
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