Outback Queensland
Just like the iconic mullet hairstyle, there’s much more to see out back in rural Queensland, writes andrew woodward.
Just like the iconic mullet hairstyle, there’s much more to see out back in rural Queensland.
In Australia, we’re lucky to have a great big backyard full of big skies, vast and vibrantly coloured landscapes and adventures from camel-riding to stargazing. Spectacular Outback Queensland – a swathe of land that’s bigger than Texas – offers an authentic Australian outback experience that’s hard to beat.
Bilbies and big skies
Australia is home to so many weird and wonderful creatures, but the bilby is definitely one of the cutest. These desert-dwelling marsupials have become increasingly endangered since the introduction of feral predators, but the good folks at the Charleville Bilby Experience are working to change this through breeding and reintroduction programs while also offering a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with a bilby and visit their nocturnal home.
Direct your sightline skyward at Charleville Cosmos Centre & Observatory. Kids big and small will love wandering through the displays and soaking up the guides’ knowledge on star clusters, planets and the Moon, before viewing the incredible beauty of the outback night sky – unaffected by lights and pollution – through the powerful Meade telescopes.
Get a taste of life on a genuine outback working farm less than three hours’ drive away at Bonus Downs Farmstay. The family will love taking part in farm life; from mustering sheep and cattle to watching working dogs in action and learning how to crack a whip, this is a real taste of life on the land.
Outback and about
A visit to Longreach – a 5.5-hour drive from Charleville – and the Qantas Founders Museum is a must. Here, the story of the iconic Australian airline is told through interactive displays and exhibits, and an impressive collection of original aircraft and genuine artefacts are on display. Those with a passion for aviation can add a range of extras to their visit such as a 90-minute Jet Tour, a guided 747 Wing Walk Tour, or a Platinum Package featuring a three-hour guided tour.
Of course, in Outback Queensland they also have different ways of getting around. Outback Pioneers invites you to jump in
a restored Cobb & Co stagecoach for a 45-minute ride, beginning with a leisurely trot through town before amping up the horsepower and hitting a stretch of the original Longreach–windorah mail route at full pelt. The four-hour experience also includes a classic Australian movie in retro cinema seats and a Harry Redford Old Time Tent Show, a tribute to the old-time travelling shows.
Tracks in time
As well as being fun, travelling is an educational experience for kids and adults alike, and Outback Queensland is bound to captivate imaginations big and small. Follow in the path of history with Dinosaur Stampede National Monument through Lark Quarry, three hours outside Winton, which – 95 million years ago – was the site of a stampede of at least 150 small twolegged dinosaurs being chased by a huge meat-eating theropod. While the threat of menacing carnivores has passed, kids will love tracking fossilised dinosaur footprints and getting a hands-on history lesson. A visit to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, just past Winton, afterwards always proves a hit, and the interactive tour is sure to produce some aspiring palaeontologists.
If you’re heading northeast towards Cairns (about an 11-hour drive), take the lessons underground with the Undara Experience, an exploration of an ancient and alluring system of lava tubes left in the wake of a prehistoric volcanic explosion.
Desert and gorge
If you’re looking for an event unlike any other, head to the South Australian border and the small town of Birdsville, a 17-hour drive west of Charleville; its iconic Big Red Bash is the most remote concert on the planet! This family-friendly music festival on the edge of the Simpson Desert is held every July school holidays, attracting thousands of people with its unique atmosphere and big-name performers such as John Farnham, Daryl Braithwaite and Kate Ceberano.
Keep the fun going with a bit of surfing, Outback style. The nearest ocean may be more than 1,500 kilometres away, but grab your boogie board (or improvise with an Esky lid) and head for the 40-metre-high Big Red dune to hang ten in the sand! The top of the huge dune is also a great place to catch a spectacular desert sunset, or to watch your friends and family wiping out below.
If you fancy taking in the picturesque outback scenery at a more relaxed pace, head north to Lawn Hill, about 8.5 hours past Mount Isa. Hire a canoe from Adels Grove Camping Park and paddle through the waters of Lawn Hill Gorge in Boodjamulla National Park. Wind your way along the creek, taking in scenes of cliff faces and natural flora as birdcalls echo through the gorge.
Outback Queensland Report Card
Info outbackqueensland.com.au Getting there Qantas flies from Brisbane to Charleville, Longreach and Mount Isa daily. If you’d rather hit the road, Longreach is a 13-hour drive from Brisbane. qantas.com.au Do charlevillebilbyexperience.com.au cosmoscentre.com qfom.com.au outbackpioneers.com.au australianageofdinosaurs.com dinosaurtrackways.com.au undara.com.au bigredbash.com.au Stay bonusdownsfarmstay.com.au adelsgrove.com.au big4.com.au