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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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Charleville Cosmos Centre

Charleville, Murweh Area
From AU$12.50 - 175.00
Wow, Ooh, Ahh and Brilliant, are the words you hear as visitors view the incredible beauty of the Milky Way Galaxy through powerful Meade telescopes. Charleville's Cosmos Centre and Observatory is dedicated to ensuring visitors enjoy the wonder of the outback night sky.

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.

Quilpie

Quilpie, Quilpie Area
A stay in Quilpie can be as busy or as relaxing as you wish. Picnic and fish at the Bulloo River or swim a few lazy laps of the pool. Enjoy the native bottlebrush trees and beautiful gardens around the district, and the stunning wildflowers (in season) throughout the surrounding countryside.

Augathella

Augathella, Murweh Area
Augathella, with its fascinating history of bushrangers, bullockies and bullock teams, has some memorable Outback experiences. Don’t just drive through – stop and enjoy Augathella’s colourful history, characters and humour.

Lawn Hill

Lawn Hill, Burke Area
Every year, thousands of visitors are drawn to Lawn Hill National Park to experience the true Outback. Encompassing the spectacular Lawn Hill Gorge with its imposing sandstone cliffs, and cool pristine waterways, the area is most famous for the World Heritage-listed Riversleigh fossil fields.

Bladensburg National Park

Winton, Winton Area
Free Entry
Bladensburg National Park features Mitchell Grass Downs and Channel Country, including unique birdlife, plants and animals. It is home to a wonderful variety of wildlife, including tiny mammals called dunnarts.

Bush Tucker Garden

Richmond, Richmond Area
Free Entry
Wander through the Bush Tucker Garden and be educated on the regions native plants and their traditional purposes. Situated on the banks of Lake Fred Tritton, the garden offers a quiet retreat for bird watching.

Saddliers Waterhole and Hamburg Creek

Morven, Murweh Area
Free Entry
With a population of less than 250, Morven is thought to be named after a mountain and town of the same name in Scotland. Captain T.J. Saddlier and his wife arrived in the area in the 1860s and camped on a deep waterhole of nearby Hamburg Creek.

Torrens Creek

Torrens Creek, Flinders Area
The Torrens Creek, after which this Outback town is named, rises in the Great Dividing range and runs southward to the Thomson River system to eventually run into Lake Eyre. William Landsborough discovered it in 1862 while searching for Burke and Wills.

Cameron Corner

Thargomindah, Bulloo Area
Free Entry
The journey to Cameron Corner is an ideal way to experience the real Outback. This journey will leave you breathless, passing through open gibber plains where you can see for miles to sandy undulating land.
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