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  2. Explore Queensland
  3. Outback Queensland
  4. Things to do in Outback Queensland
  5. Drives
Queensland contains some of the most accessible Outback experiences Australia has to offer. We’re talking about the real deal – the true blue, fair dinkum, Aussie way to go bush. You don’t need to be an expert off-roader to explore the legendary Queensland Outback and get a taste for life on the land. 

Hit the road and witness endless blue skies, burnt orange sunsets and rich red deserts as you cruise the Matilda Highway from the New South Wales border all the way to the Gulf of Carpentaria, passing through Charleville, Longreach and Winton. 

If you have little ones in tow, you might prefer a shorter jaunt starting in Brisbane and venturing to the gateway to the west, aka Charleville, before trying your hand at station life in Cunnamulla and your luck at black opal mining in Lightening Ridge. Make one last stop in Goondiwindi before lopping back to the big city.

Dreaming of the ultimate 4WD adventure? Make your way from Brisbane to Birdsville. This route is packed full of opportunities to go off road, visit historic sites, stopover in outback National Parks, and soak in the eye-wateringly vast region.

Follow in the footsteps of dinosaurs on the Channel Country Explorer drive or Ancient Outback tours through Mt Isa.

Combine country and coast on a self-guided drive from white sandy beaches to the red dust of the desert. Try the Overlanders Way, Central Queensland Outback Driveor Warrego Way.

Queensland’s Outback is connected by both sealed roads and dirt tracks. Before you head off, don’t forget to brush up on the basics for a safe and successful Australian road trip.
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Wallumbilla

Wallumbilla, Maranoa Area
Wallumbilla is situated five hours travel from Brisbane, just east of Roma and has a population of approximately 320 residents. If you stop for freshly baked scones with jam and cream at Wallumbilla's Calico Cottage and Visitor Information Centre, you're sure to meet a local who will happily give you the rundown on what to see and do in town.

Goovigen

Goovigen, Banana Area
Goovigen is a small rural village in the region’s northern farming heartland. A short distance north-west of Jambin off the Burnett Highway, fewer than 300 people live in the town. The streets of Goovigen are as neat as a pin and the heritage buildings have been either restored to their former glory or updated for present needs.

Baralaba

Baralaba, Banana Area
Old fashioned values and friendly townsfolk are the hallmarks of Baralaba. Those traits and a stubborn streak for sticking around. More than a century of economic upheaval has threatened the town on many an occasion, but Baralaba locals are a stoic lot.

Cunnamulla

Cunnamulla, Paroo Area
Cunnamulla locals reckon that in their town, the handshake's stronger and the smile lasts longer. Perhaps that's why Slim Dusty's 'Cunnamulla fella' has become the epitome of bush folk and the bronze statue of him in the main street immortalises the larrikin in all Australians as he sits on his swag enjoying the moment.

Julia Creek

Julia Creek, McKinlay Area
Julia Creek is proudly situated on the Overlander's Way, the main travelling route from Townsville that runs all the way to Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory. Approximately 650 kilometres west of Townsville and 250 kilometres east of Mount Isa, Julia Creek lies in the heart of North Outback Queensland.

Winton

Winton, Winton Area
"Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong..." You'll be forgiven for relentlessly whistling this famous tune while you're in Winton, as it's the very home of Banjo Patterson's 'Waltzing Matilda'. Reputedly inspired by an 1894 shearer's suicide at the nearby Combo Waterhole and first performed in Winton's North Gregory Hotel on 6th April 1895, you can learn all about Banjo and the adopted national anthem at the Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton.

Iningai Nature Reserve

Longreach, Longreach Area
Free Entry
Iningai Nature Reserve is named after the Inangai, the traditional owners who lived along the Thomson River prior to European settlement. It is currently a reserve and the town common. You'll find bushwalking tracks leading from just south of town where car parking is available.

Lily Lagoon

Longreach, Longreach Area
Free Entry
Lily Lagoon is a temporary waterhole fed by the Thomson system usually after good floods. The lilies are from the Hymphea genus of water lilies and are unique to the Thomson River system, being found only around Longreach.

John Egan Pioneer Track

Stonehenge, Barcoo Area
Free Entry
The John Egan Pioneer Track highlights the ecological and cultural values of the Stonehenge town reserve. The track passes through downs country, scenic hill view country, spectacular erosions and rocky outcrops, natural springs and waterfalls (in wet seasons).

Callide Dam

Dumgree, Banana Area
Free Entry
Callide Dam is located 12 kilometres from Biloela via sealed road and approximately 90 kilometres south-west of Gladstone via the Dawson Highway. While compact, the lake provides visitors with rewarding fishing - especially for golden perch (yellowbelly) and barramundi.
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