Outback Queensland will leave you wanting to return.
Few road trips capture the spirit of inland Australia quite like the route through the heart of Queensland. Stretching 1,040 kilometres from Charleville to Cloncurry, this journey follows the old stock routes and traveller trails across red plains, open downs and cattle country.
Allow at least two weeks to do it justice. Every stop has a story, from Charleville’s starry skies and Blackall’s wool heritage to Longreach’s aviation icons and the quirky towns of Winton and Cloncurry. We’d driven much of it before, but this time we really slowed down, ready to see what the outback would share.
Charleville eased us into outback life. We camped in our Winnebago Jervis at Cobb & Co Caravan Park for a few nights, where friendly hosts made us feel right at home. Charleville wears its history proudly, from the WWII Secret Base and the elegant Hotel Corones, to the charming bilbies with their great survival story, and the serene calm of the Outback Date Farms. Each tells a story of resilience and reinvention. Our favourite evening ended under the stars at the Cosmos Centre, where the Milky Way spread wide above the quiet town.
