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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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Barcaldine

Barcaldine, Barcaldine Area
Barcaldine is situated on the junction of the Capricorn and Landsborough Highways and known as the Garden City of the West. Many visitors use Barcaldine as a base from which to explore central west Queensland.

Mitchell

Mitchell, Maranoa Area
Soaking in the soothing mineral springs at Mitchell is just one of the surprises that awaits you in this quaint town on the edge of the outback. Just 87 kilometres west of Roma via the Warrego Highway, Mitchell sits peacefully on the banks of the Maranoa River.

Charters Towers

Charters Towers, Charters Towers Area
Take a step back in time and discover the enchanting town of Charters Towers, just an hour and half west of Townsville. Driving through the streets of Charters Towers is like viewing a living montage of Australian history and heritage.

Longreach

Longreach, Longreach Area
Longreach itself is the quintessential outback metropolis and a tribute to life on the land. See pastoralists wandering the streets in search of saddlery, stock feed and machinery in the large range of stores selling rural items.

Stubby Bend

Tambo, Blackall-Tambo Area
Free Entry
On the banks of the Barcoo River away from the highway noise, Stubby Bend offers fully self-contained travellers a free site for camping. A variety of birds visit the area throughout the day, you can watch the kangaroos grazing in the afternoons, and quite often at night friendly possums will visit your camp site.

Dajarra

Dajarra, Cloncurry Area
Believe it or not Dajarra was once the largest trucking depot in the world. Dajarra is now a quiet, laid back town in the far north of Outback Queensland. The older people of the area who remember Dajarra's heyday say that the area trucked more cattle than Texas in the United States of America.

Camooweal

Camooweal, Mount Isa Area
Camooweal is located on the Queensland-Northern Territory border, 330 kilometres south of Burketown, 188 kilometres from Mount Isa and 440 kilometres from the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory. Camooweal proudly declares itself 'Gateway to the Northern Territory/Queensland'.

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.

Thangool

Thangool, Banana Area
More than 130 years in the making, Thangool first opened to settlers, who tried it as a sheep run in the 1850s. Soon to fail, beef cattle were introduced and later, dairy and cotton took hold. Based on the success of these industries, a make-shift town sprang up.

Lake Murphy Conservation Park

Taroom, Banana Area
Free Entry
Nestled beneath the low Murphy's Range in the central highlands, Lake Murphy remains largely unchanged from the days when Europeans first passed this way. This perched lake is a seasonal refuge for waterbirds and only fills when nearby Robinson Creek overflows.
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