Most people have heard of Longreach, right?
If you are planning a trip to Queensland, head out into our beautiful vast outback regions. The land of endless blue skies, clean fresh air and wide open spaces. Even the night sky will wow you with its beauty, shining in millions of bright stars twinkling above. Glorious sunsets and sunrises coloured by nature’s palette: a photographer’s delight.
Most people have heard of Longreach, right? What comes to mind? Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, QANTAS Museum, Outback Aussie tours, Outback Pioneers, Cobb & Co coach rides or a paddle steamer on the Thomson River? These well known big ticket attractions are certainly unique and excellent but I recommend you take some more time to explore the lesser known. Make sure to plan to stay for at least a week or more to see what’s on offer.
Take a tour at LSODE (Longreach School of Distance Education/School of the Air). This classroom serves students scattered over an area twice the size of Victoria. Families on our remote sheep and cattle stations, some up to 600kms away, tune in daily for lessons. Mum is the teacher (home tutor).
Most people have heard of Longreach, right? What comes to mind? Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, QANTAS Museum, Outback Aussie tours, Outback Pioneers, Cobb & Co coach rides or a paddle steamer on the Thomson River? These well known big ticket attractions are certainly unique and excellent but I recommend you take some more time to explore the lesser known. Make sure to plan to stay for at least a week or more to see what’s on offer.
The hour long tour with guides who relate real life experiences gives you a factual insight into the operations of this unique school. All profits go back to the kids, to fund school camps, musical instruments, sporting equipment etc. If interested, you can book online at lsodetours.com.au.
Another little known gem is the Arts and Craft shop and Gallery, housed in the century old QATB (Ambulance building) at 111 Ibis Street, Longreach. A magnificent heritage listed two-storey building upstairs is now home to local arts and crafts. Including the likes of pottery, patchwork, photography, paintings, lino prints, jewellery, jams and biscuits that are all handmade by local artisans. Run by volunteers, it is open everyday from 1pm-4pm.
Just behind the gallery at 12 Swan Street you will find the Powerhouse and Historical Museum, with many displays of blacksmith artifacts and machinery. Check in at the Visitor Centre for its opening times. I reckon it’s a good place for the fellas to go while the ladies check out the art and crafts.
If you want to expand your horizons, head out to Ilfracombe 27km down the road for breakfast at the Wellshot Hotel. Meet your friendly host Tracey, check out the history on the walls and all the hats and cash on the ceiling. It has great coffee, cold beer and delicious meals. You can walk along the machinery mile, home to relics from the past, look in on the Light Horseman museum or head down a side street to the old Church. The Church houses a range of antiques and old wares, with the original font still in residence and church pews form some shelves for display of goods.
Continue on down to Isisford on the way and stop off at the “12 mile”. Wander into the paddock a few metres to see wonderful examples of old stone pitching forming an “overshot” (dam wall) to store water in the creek. On the outskirts of Isisford you can even take a selfie with the Big Yellowbelly sculpture. This small friendly town offers great campsites on the Barcoo River down by the weir that are only $15 per week with access to hot showers and toilets. Simply register and pay at the Council Office. If you like great fishing, cast your line for yellowbelly, black bream and catfish or trap a few yabbies. Check out the old hospital museum, have a meal and a round of golf at the Club on weekends, see the oldest modern crocodile fossil at the Interpretive Centre and Whitman’s Café. The 98 million Isisfordia duncani was the first crocodilian with a jointed neck enabling it to do the “death roll” with its prey.
Sharing the space with the croc is the Isisford Bulldog fish, a 100 million year old species. A rather scary and gruesome creature with its huge jaws and mouthful of long jagged teeth. A piranha on steroids, if you will. In the park you will find Whitman’s Museum and a display of steam driven machinery from Isis Downs.
Isis Downs was one of the original sheep stations and has a unique semi-circular shearing shed once said to be the largest in Australia. It had the first steam driven shearing gear.
The last weekend in May is the annual Sheep and Wool Show, a great day out not only for sheep and wool, but also the cattle on show, horse events, sheep dog trials, arts and craft competitions, kids events, food and a bar. There’s even live music at night. The last weekend of July is The Fishing Competition, where you’ll find raffles, great prizes, food on site, games and trade stalls. Make sure to put your name down to be in one of the many lucky draws.
Brave the gravel road further onwards to Emmett, a once thriving railway siding. Sadly, the trains no longer go by but the old station houses some relics and history. Head back on the black strip for the journey on to Yaraka, a little town nestled below the outcrops of the Yang Yang range. Yaraka was famously “the end of the line” as it was here the trains finished then returned to Blackall and beyond. Camping is available across from the hall, with a swimming pool and tennis courts for the sports-minded people. Beware the “feathered pedestrians” (family of emus) who are residents and stroll up the road or on occasions enter the pub! In the winter months you may be lucky to catch the gymkhana or annual camp draft events. Set up your RV, pack a picnic lunch and drive up to the top of Mt Slocum (fully sealed road) for 360° views as you enjoy your meal. My tip: it’s a great sunset spot.
Back to Longreach, head in another direction, to Barcaldine and across to Aramac, a sealed narrow road. Aramac has white bulls throughout the town, all with quirky names and you can guess their location. ‘Post A Bull lives near the Post Office, Shop A Bull in front of the store and so on and so forth. The significance of the bulls comes from the Harry Readford story and the legend of “Captain Starlight” and the stolen white bull from nearby Bowen Downs.
From here you can take the sealed road to Lake Dunn, a good camp spot and one half of the Sculpture Trail. Get your map of directions and all the sculptures listed and enjoy this magnificent art made of junk and recycled everyday items. The other half of the sculpture trail is unsealed and completes a loop from Lake Dunn back to Aramac. There’s ample camping for RVs at Lake Dunn or behind the pub in Aramac.
Take a scenic route back to Longreach from Aramac via Muttaburra. There are more sculptures to find, a great museum at the old hospital and the very new Muttaburrasaurus (locally found dinosaur fossil) Centre. You can find a lovely camp spot down by the town dam, which is walking distance to the pub as well as camping by the Thomson or Landsborough Rivers. The road Muttaburra to Longreach is now fully sealed and is quite a pretty scenic drive. With so much to see and do the only question left is “where to first?”
