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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.

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.

Tambo Dam

Tambo, Blackall-Tambo Area
Free Entry
At the town's southern entrance lies the picturesque Tambo Dam and parklands. A habitat for water birds and wildlife, a place for rest and relaxation. Locals and visitors alike enjoy the grassy areas for picnics and make use of the barbecues provided.

Cloncurry

Cloncurry, Cloncurry Area
'The Curry', as Cloncurry is affectionately known by locals, is most famous for being the birthplace of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). Conceived and launched by the Reverend John Flynn in the 1920s, this flying medical service is just as integral to the people of the outback today as it ever was.

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.

Thomson River, Longreach

Longreach, Longreach Area
From AU$3.00 - 15.00
The Thompson River is located approximately four and a half kilometres north west of Longreach along the Landsborough Highway heading to Winton. While offering perfect camping spots along its banks, walking tracks and a 'beach', the river is also home to a number of species of fish, turtles and yabbies.

Welford National Park

Jundah, Barcoo Area
Free Entry
In Welford National Park, wind-blown sand dunes form a dramatic contrast to white-barked ghost gums, golden-green spinifex and delicate wildflowers. The Barcoo River, with its large, permanent waterholes, dissects Mitchell grass plains and arid mulga woodlands.

Jambin

Jambin, Banana Area
A rural hub with a pub to service weary travellers, Jambin is on the Burnett Highway just south of Smoky Creek. Part of the Callide Valley, the town is wedged between the Callide Creek to the west and the highway to the east, making it a picturesque spot to stop.

Caiwarra - Paroo River Fishing Spot

Hungerford, Bulloo Area
Free Entry
The Caiwarra - Paroo River Fishing Spot is located in the Currawinya National Park. You can expect to be able to catch yellowbelly and catfish in this waterhole. Activities available in the area include fishing, camping (fee applies), birdwatching and bushwalking.

Idalia National Park

Blackall, Blackall-Tambo Area
Free Entry
Amid the gorges and rocky formations of the Gowan Range tablelands, Idalia National Park protects extensive mulga woodlands, the Bulloo River's headwaters and threatened wildlife. Seven species of macropods, including yellow-footed rock-wallabies and endangered bridled nailtail wallabies live here.
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