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Outback Queensland

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We invite you to be mesmerised and inspired by Outback Queensland, where the land and the people tell Australia's story. Experience a road trip, take a train or fly over our wide-open lands, once part of a prehistoric inland sea. From red deserts to luscious waterholes, the Outback is waiting to be discovered.

The natural unspoilt wonders and inspirational museums and monuments here are more than just tourist attractions. See Australia’s story through the eyes of the stockmen, explorers and aviation pioneers who paved the way for a thriving modern Australia. The history you remember from your school books will come to life before your eyes!

Whether you choose to tag along on a tour or be your own travel guide, there is plenty to see and do. Don’t forget to add some of Outback Queensland’s signature events to your itinerary, where you'll have the adventure of a lifetime with your family and friends. If exploring the great outdoors and reconnecting with this ancient country and its people are what you’re looking for; then Outback Queensland is for you. Go on, get out there! 

Find out more about Outback Queensland

Begin your Journey with Queensland Explore Centres 

There are a number of Queensland Explore Centres throughout Outback Queensland that are the experts in their region. 

Barcaldine Bedourie Biloela Birdsville Boulia Charleville Cloncurry Cunnamulla Hughenden Injune Julia Creek Longreach Mitchell Mount Isa Quilpie Richmond Roma St. George Thargomindah Winton

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A Taste of the Queensland Outback: A 10-Day Road Trip

Updated August 2023

Despite the barrenness and heat, I’m fascinated by Australia’s interior.

Vast open spaces, apparent emptiness (which isn’t empty at all), sunburnt, dark red soil that is so uniquely Australian, and life far removed from what 95% of Australians know (paywall-restricted).

Australia’s outback is hot, harsh and tough beyond measure.

I’m fascinated by what it takes to live in such inhospitable conditions and admittedly, I know I could never live there myself. The long, hot summers would simply kill me. But in winter, it’s a different story and that’s when I get my chance to go out west.

Living on the east coast, you’re never far from people. Out west, you’re almost always far from people.

After a week, you’ll forget that traffic lights exist but take every opportunity to fill up with fuel. You’ll see more road kill than you have in a long time but soon you don’t even notice the carcasses on the road anymore. Your mobile phone stops working, so you simply turn it off and forget you own one.

Out here, life is slower and that forces you to slow down.

And winters are just about as perfect as can be.

GETTING A TASTE OF THE QUEENSLAND OUTBACK

The national parks in the Queensland Outback offer plenty of opportunities for camping, exploring, self-guided drives, and short hikes. And then there are the vibrant country towns with their small bakeries, grocery stores, amazing butchers, famous pubs, annual events, local museums, and increasing caravan parks catering to grey nomads.

We usually pop into a bakery or butcher in town when we need to refuel. But for the most part, our town stops tend to be very short and focused on getting supplies. And we don’t really hang around the (in)famous pubs either.

We go out west for the solitude, time away from life on the coast, and to explore a part of Australia we haven’t seen before.

Since the Outback is rather large, and sadly we don’t all have three months to travel across Australia, here’s my suggestion for spending a bit over a week in the Queensland Outback , focusing on three national parks: Idalia , Welford and Currawinya .

HEADING INTO OUTBACK QUEENSLAND: KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Travelling into the Queensland Outback requires a certain amount of preparation .

While most of these places can technically be accessed in a 2WD-vehicle in the dry season, scenic drives within the national parks are usually limited to 4WDs .

With a campervan that has high clearance and careful driving, you could probably manage getting into these three national parks. Just be very mindful of road conditions and that you really don’t want to get stuck out there when it’s even vaguely wet. The scenic drives will be off-limits though.

Ensure you have or know the following:

• Know when to travel: Winter is the best time for outback travel. The days are cooler (mid-20°Cs) with occasionally frosty nights, and relatively little rain. April to September is best (my favourite time is June/July). Temperatures can be very high (40°C+) during summer, and many roads stay impassable long after rain.
• Ensure your vehicle has either a large fuel tank or dual tanks: Distances out here are vast and fuel becomes less and less available. Fill up whenever you can, even if you’re still 3/4 full as fuel stations are known to run out of fuel altogether. Blackall, Windorah, Quilpie, Thargomindah, Eulo will be your best stops for filling up along this loop.
• Carry (more than) sufficient water with you: We took 60L and used water very conservatively (think washing dishes once a day only, etc.). We filled up again in Quilpie (bore water) and used that for all washing and cooking needs from then on. Plan at least 5-7L per person per day.
• Be prepared for flies: We almost went as far as Blackall the year before and experienced virtually no flies. This time, there were flies everywhere. Apparently they weren’t as bad as a few weeks prior but they were sufficiently annoying that I was grateful for my mozzie/fly net, and chose to eat dinner inside the tent a few times.
• Be prepared for mozzies at Currawinya: The mosquitoes were so bad at our first campsite at Currawinya that I wanted to leave that night. It was an onslaught of buzzing insects. The bites didn’t hurt or itch terribly but the buzzing and biting was incessant. Our second site was somewhat better so choose your camping spot wisely. I actually developed Ross River Fever a few weeks (and still have flare-ups years later) later so protect yourself against mozzie bites.
• Pack clothes for cold and hot weather: Based on previous trips into Central Queensland during winter, I was prepared for seriously cold temperatures (scarf, gloves, puffer jacket, etc.). I didn’t need any of these on this trip (first week in July). Instead, I was really hot in my 3/4 leggings, and couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of throwing in a pair of shorts.
• Don’t forget a hat and sunscreen: We had four days of blue skies and sunshine, and I couldn’t have done without my hat. Even in winter, the sun is still strong out here.
• Don’t expect to have mobile coverage: Unless you’re with Telstra (and not just a carrier that uses the Telstra network), you won’t have coverage out here. Beyond the towns, you won’t even have access to emergency signals. Carry a PLB (personal locator beacon) and/or have UHF radio in your car in case of emergency or breakdown.
• Expect dust to get everywhere: The drier it’s been and the hotter the day, the more dust will get kicked up as you drive along these outback roads. Expect the red dust to get into everything and to stick. Protect your electronics by wrapping them up – I’d wrap up my camera in a top when I didn’t have it stored in the bag, just to protect it from the dust as we were driving.

A 10-DAY ITINERARY FOR OUTBACK QUEENSLAND

The problem with exploring Central Queensland is that it’s a long way from the coast. From the Sunshine Coast, you have to drive 1,000km just to get to the start of what’s considered the Queensland Outback. And you haven’t even gone anywhere yet.

But making it this far west is definitely worth it.

Doing this loop around Queensland’s Channel Country will give you a real taste of the outback. The towns become smaller, the roads narrower, the road trains longer, and the dirt increasingly redder.

If you want to get off the beaten path, this loop is for you. You won’t see too many Juicy vans, Britz motorhomes or grey nomads in their caravans beyond the towns leading to Longreach or Birdsville.

You can do this loop in either direction and add on plenty of side trips.

Keep in mind that doing this outback road trip is pretty ambitious , and requires moving every day or every second one. If that’s too intense for you, just take more time and add a few days to the itinerary.

We did this road trip in about 9 days , which was just about perfect for us. We clocked up about 3,800km altogether.

Of the 9 days, we had three travel days : Two days to get to our first stop at Idalia National Park, and one day to drive back home.

We had actually allowed two days to drive back home but we mixed up some directions and ended up driving home from Currawinya in one hit (not recommended unless you love driving long distances).

It was a long night…

DAY 1: SUNSHINE COAST / BRISBANE TO MITCHELL OR MORVEN

The drive out to Mitchell (~600km) or Morven (~700km) from the coast is pretty straightforward, it just takes a fair few hours. We usually like to get going early (6am or earlier) and then stop in Chinchilla for a coffee and a quick break.

Roma is a fairly sizeable country town along the way so if you need supplies, this would be a good place. We’ve been through Roma a few times, and once even stayed in a dodgy motel there, but have never really looked around the town much. I think we’re always in travel mode when we come through Roma.

If you break your journey in Mitchell , have a soak at the Great Artesian Spa . We did this the year before after about a week of hiking and camping in Central Queensland, and boy, was I happy to have a shower and a good long soak in the warm artesian waters!

The bakery in Mitchell is also quite famous, and popping in for a snack helps keep these country towns alive. (The husband has to repeatedly deal with my insistent ‘Let’s go in and buy you a nice treat to eat!’ suggestions since I usually can’t eat any of the treats.) 🙂

CAMPING OPTIONS

• Mitchell: Free camping along the Maranoa River at Neil Turner Weir and the smaller Fisherman’s Rest site – both very popular with caravans
• Morven: Camping at the Morven Recreational Facility ; $5 unpowered site

Both sites are fine for an overnight stop, even with a tent, though the spots at Mitchell are much prettier than Morven. On the other hand, the toilets were much cleaner at Morven when we stayed there.

DAY 2-3: MITCHELL / MORVEN TO IDALIA NATIONAL PARK

The drive from Morven to Idalia National Park takes about 7 hours (add an hour / 100km if coming from Mitchell).

We expected the Isisford-Blackall Road from Blackall to Idalia to be unsealed and slow-going. Good news is that it’s sealed all the way to the turnoff for the Blackall-Emmet Road, which then takes you into Idalia.

We stopped briefly in Blackall for fuel, and then went straight to Idalia, getting there by mid-afternoon.

IDALIA NATIONAL PARK

Idalia National Park is a great spot for a couple of days. Here you get to explore rocky escarpments, gorges and relics of a pastoral past.

We stayed two nights at the basic campground at Monks Tank , which seemed just the right amount of time. If you’re after a bit of downtime, plan an extra day or so.

There are a couple of short hikes at Idalia, one of which we ticked off the same day we arrived after setting up the tent. Wave Rock is best explored in the late afternoon light so off we went that first day.

The next morning we started early to hike the short but difficult Emmet Pocket Walk , which ended up being a completely flat walk with no difficulty – or views! – whatsoever.

The Bullock Gorge Walk is another short hike and definitely worth it as you get great views into the surrounding countryside from the escarpment. There are a few other sights to see, including Rainbow Gorge , but none of them will take much time.

READ MORE: A Guide to Idalia National Park

If you’re lucky, you might even spot an elusive yellow-tailed rock wallaby. The husband glimpsed one off Emmet Pocket Lookout .

• Idalia National Park: Monks Tank Camping Area
• Blackall: Camping along the Barcoo River , just outside of town; $5 unpowered site (popular with caravans)

DAY 4-5: IDALIA NATIONAL PARK TO WELFORD NATIONAL PARK

The drive from Idalia to Welford National Park is roughly 250km so not a big travel day.

Make your way back to the Isisford-Blackall Road, which becomes the Emmet-Yaraka Road at Emmet. This is a gorgeous drive as you pass by range after range.

The road is pretty much sealed all the way to Yaraka. Past the tiny settlement of Yaraka (fuel available), it’s more unsealed than sealed but was still in excellent condition (July 2019).

MOUNT SLOCOMBE

Before you get to Yaraka, definitely take the side trip to Mount Slocombe . You’ll get incredible 360° views from up the top, and there’s a fantastic picnic shelter, toilet and even (tank) water available.

This spot would be amazing for sunrise or sunset, you could see for miles around. Alas, we were there at 10:30am so simply had morning tea and headed off.

From there it’s another 100km to Welford, and though Google Maps suggests it’ll take 3.5 hours to get there, it only took us 2 hours to reach the boundary of the national park. More of the road has probably been sealed by now than what Google thinks but travel in the outback is also unpredictable so be prepared for things to take longer.

WELFORD NATIONAL PARK

Like at Idalia, we camped two nights at Welford National Park but unlike Idalia, Welford doesn’t offer much in terms of developed walking trails. Welford also feels much more desert-like than Idalia, which had a distinct rocky feel to it.

Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service have developed three scenic drives at Welford, with the Mulga Drive ending up being our favourite. It offered varied vegetation, and the red soil looked amazing in the late afternoon light.

The drives do take a few hours to drive so two days would be the absolute minimum you need to spend here if you want to explore all the drives.

READ MORE: A Guide to Welford National Park

The highlights at Welford are, no doubt, glistening clay pans, clear waterholes, and the little red sand dune, perfect for sunset watching.

CAMPING OPTION

• Welford National Park: Little Boomerang Waterhole Camping Area

DAY 6: WELFORD NATIONAL PARK TO KILCOWERA STATION

After Welford, you’ll have another long travel day ahead to get to Kilcowera Station an hour south of Thargomindah (~530km).

We left Welford early and stopped at the much-bigger-than-expected town of Quilpie to refuel and frequent the local bakery. 😉 In fact, I got a gluten-free lemon tart at the local supermarket AND a gluten-free passionfruit cheesecake at the bakery, couldn’t quite believe my luck!

If you need to refill water, there’s (bore) water available at the visitor centre but make sure to choose the tap with the sign on it. Otherwise it’ll be scalding hot as the bore water here comes out hot and has to be cooled down first.

Unlike in the Northern Territory, I didn’t find the bore water here particularly sulphuric or odd-tasting.

7km south of Quilpie is Baldy Rock Lookout from where you can get some nice views (so I’m told, we didn’t quite have the time to explore). If you’re staying in Quilpie for the night, I’d definitely do that. I bet sunset is pretty cool from there.

We left Quilpie around 12pm, and it took us another five hours to get to Kilcowera Station, some 90km past Thargomindah. (We did take a slightly more circuitous route though as we wanted to go through some more station country.)

We saw very few cars or trucks on our way from Quilpie to Kilcowera. This is where things really start feeling remote. As you pass by a few isolated stations, you can’t help but wonder how tough life must be out here.

KILCOWERA STATION

If you’ve never camped on a station, here’s your chance.

Kilcowera Station is a working organic cattle station, and has been in the same family close to 30 years. Toni and Greg have set up their property for campers (and other accommodation in the old shearer’s quarters), and you can either get an unpowered or powered site.

We’d never stayed at a station before, and really enjoyed our little site at the lagoon. Plus, I relished being able to have a shower after a week on the road and tons of red dust in my hair.

The next day, we took our time to do the scenic drive around their property (about 5 hours), and then wished we had booked another night here instead of at Currawinya.

• Kilcowera Station : Powered ($50) and unpowered ($40) sites at a working cattle station
• Currawinya National Park: Various camping areas
• Please note that camping is not permitted along the Bulloo River outside of Thargomindah (there’s  a commercial caravan park in town)

DAY 7-8: KILCOWERA STATION TO CURRAWINYA NATIONAL PARK

Getting from Kilcowera Station to Currawinya National Park won’t take more than a couple of hours (~100km). We ended up rushing a bit as we spent the best part of Day 7 exploring Kilcowera Station, and only left the station around 3pm.

Along the way you could stop at Hungerford. It’s a tiny town with a somewhat crazy-looking pub and gravity-fed fuel available.

CURRAWINYA NATIONAL PARK

Currawinya National Park is almost bordering on NSW, and easily one of Queensland’s largest national parks. It has recently been extended and now encompasses a pretty vast area.

The park is a wetland of international importance, supporting more than 100,000 birds, including migratory ones. Obviously in winter, the waterways are relatively dry so bird watching isn’t necessarily at its prime. Still, you’ll see plenty of birds if you keep your eyes out for them.

Currawinya has two large lakes, one fresh and the other salty, and a myriad of channels, waterholes and rivers cruising through the area. Except for one area, camping is found along the Paroo River (think muddy waters, not clear blue).

But what we found really fascinating are Currawinya’s remnants from pastoral times.

Two huge shearing sheds, including a number of other pastoral outbuildings, give a glimpse into the hard life that once was pulsing out here.

We easily spent two days at Currawinya. Just doing the new River Drive takes a day. 3-4 days would allow a more relaxed way of exploring all that Currawinya has to offer, especially if you’re into poking around relics from the past.

• Currawinya National Park: Various camping spots along the Paroo River

DAY 9-10: CURRAWINYA NATIONAL PARK TO SUNSHINE COAST / BRISBANE

Day 9 and 10 will be travel days again, and marked the end of our Central Queensland Outback road trip.

We spent a leisurely morning exploring yet more historic remnants at Currawinya, and then left the national park around lunch time. Our next stop would be Thrushton National Park near Bollon, and after getting fuel in Cunnamulla, we went on to Bollon.

Cunnamulla looked like a super tidy town, and I spotted some painted silos that I totally forgot to photograph. There were plenty of people getting snacks and food from the local pub so it’d probably make for a nice stop for lunch.

We briefly stopped at the camping area in Bollon, and debated staying the night but then decided to move on to Thrushton National Park.

An hour out of Bollon, we realised that we should have turned off the Balonne Highway before reaching Bollon (onto the Mitchell-Bollon Road) to get to Thrushton, and turning around now would mean a fair detour. By the time we’d get back to Bollon, let alone Thrushton, it’d be dark so we decided to keep going, stop in St. George for a quick bite to eat, and drive home that night.

• Bollon: Free camping along Wallum Creek (popular with caravans); hot showers available along the main road in town
• Thrushton National Park: Thrushton Homestead Camping Area and Thrushton Woolshed Camping Area

In the end, Day 10 was spent at home. First sleeping in, and then cleaning out the car and putting all that camping gear away again.

Driving all the way from Currawinya back to the coast meant a big drive (~1,000km). If we hadn’t dawdled so much in the morning, thinking we were going to Thrushton, we would have left early and got home at a somewhat more reasonable hour. That said, Bollon would make a great stop to break up the trip home.

Queensland is a massive state, and even after a few years living here, we’ve still only see a small part of it.

I love heading into the interior, albeit only during the cooler months. If you’re after solitude, wildlife, red dirt and wide open spaces, southwest Queensland is a great spot.

The three national parks are all very different, and I enjoyed each one for different reasons. Idalia offered gorges, rocky escarpments and walks. Welford had beautiful clay pans, Mulga shrubland and sand dunes. And Currawinya gave us a real insight into the former sheep shearing industry (though interpretation panels were somewhat lacking).

10 days isn’t a heap of time for exploring such a vast area so if you have an extra day or two, you’ll be able to travel a bit slower and have some time to relax. We could have used two nights at Kilcowera Station, and would have liked to stop at Thrushton National Park as well. And now that Currawinya is opened up even further, three nights there would be the minimum.

MORE POSTS ON TRAVELLING IN THE OUTBACK

For more detailed information on what to do at Welford, our second stop on this outback road trip, take a look at my guide to Welford National Park .

Perhaps not technically in the Queensland Outback, Carnarvon National Park is an amazing place to explore. With four different sections accessible, it can be hard to decide what to see. Here’s my guide to Mount Moffatt , or if you want to do some overnight hiking, Carnarvon Gorge is a great destination .

The Northern Territory is another vast area, and one that has a lot of popular spots. Read more about my highlights from our Northern Territory road trip .

Hiking in the Australian Outback can be a very special experience. The Ormiston Pound Hike in the West MacDonnell Ranges is a stunning half-day walk. If you’re keen on long-distance hiking, the Larapinta Trail is a must.

Further Reading...

Doing Some ‘Slow Travel’ in Copenhagen

7 Stunning Inside Passage Destinations

Driving the German Alpine Road But Not Seeing Much

Was für eine schöne Einleitung 🙂 Und vor allem die Bilder von Tag 2 sind richtig beeindruckend. Lustig wie richtig zu sehen ist, dass alles irgendwie so golden und orange und nach Outback aussieht, also allein vom Licht.

Oh, danke schoen! 😀

Ja, alles sehr golden und hell (teilweise sogar sehr grell) im Outback. Am schoensten finde ich immer die rote Erde mit gruenen Straeuchern, Grass oder Baeumen. Da muss es allerdings gut regnen!

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Idalia National Park Camping Guide

Welford national park camping options, queensland & beyond.

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Outback Queensland is a region rich with awe-inspiring landscapes, rugged roads, cultural heritage of our pioneering history, and fair dinkum friendly locals.

The landscape offers a diverse range of wetlands, rocky mountains, desert sand dunes and gushing rivers set between country towns, old fashioned pubs, farms, cattle stations and mining communities.

Today the Queensland Outback is not so isolated. With plenty of sealed roads, extensive day tours, modern facilities and an extensive range of accommodation options you can experience this culturally rich region without having to lead an expedition to do so.

The area is fast becoming a tourist route for local and international visitors, causing a growth of tourist attractions throughout the region. Small rural towns that still maintain that country feel now offer accommodation, tours, dining and information centres for those passing through.

On or off the beaten track, Outback Queensland is a big country to explore that is bound to provide unforgettable holiday experiences. Scroll down or click on the below links to find out more: 

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Our guide to Outback Queensland

• Getting there
• Experiences

Be amazed by the wide open spaces, natural attractions and quirky events in Outback Queensland. In Outback Queensland you can follow in the footsteps of dinosaurs, watch camel racing, meet outback characters and sleep under a blanket of stars.

Outback Queensland is so vast that the region is divided into sub-regions to explore. Pick a region and go east including Biloela, South West including Roma and Charleville, Central West including Longreach and Winton , North West including Mount Isa and Far West including Birdsville.

Outback Queensland is packed with museums, cultural attractions and spectacular natural beauty that all adds up to a memorable holiday. If you ever wanted an excuse to head to the Outback, why not plan your holiday around one of the quirky and iconic events such as the Birdsville Races.

Here’s our pick of the best things to do in Outback Queensland for the ultimate Outback Queensland getaway.

Getting to Outback Queensland

Getting to Outback Queensland is easy, with daily flights from Brisbane to Roma, Charleville, Longreach or Mount Isa. Alternatively, arrive by train, bus or take a road trip exploring Outback towns via well-maintained highways and sealed roads or grab your 4WD and head off-the-beaten track.

Best Things to Do in Outback Queensland

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Birdsville – 10 things to do besides the races

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Discover Dinosaurs

Winton is the dinosaur capital of Australia! Thousands of footprints at Lark Quarry Conservation Park tell of a day 95 million years ago, when a herd of small dinosaurs were chased by a meat-eating theropod, creating a stampede. 12km from Winton is the Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum , which houses the world’s largest Australian dinosaur fossil collection.

Birdsville Races

For the ultimate Outback Queensland experience, add Birdsville Races to your bucket list. Each year, Birdsville’s population swells from 100 to well over 5,000 racegoers in the first week of September for the race dubbed as the Melbourne Cup of the Outback. Expect a wild and wonderful time at Birdsville races and come home with some entertaining yarns.

Outback Queensland Museums

There are plenty of things to see and do in Outback Queensland including the Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach, which charts the evolving story of Australia’s leading airline that began in Outback Queensland in 1920. Also in Longreach, visit the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame showcasing our pioneering history.

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Winton – The Dinosaur Capital of Australia

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Choosing Where to Stay in Outback Queensland

Plan your Outback Queensland road trip with stops in country towns and stay in quintessential Aussie pubs, caravan parks, hotels, motels or even luxury retreats. Outback Queensland has accommodation to suit every style and budget.

Hotels & Retreats

After a long drive, receive a warm Outback welcome at Longreach Motor Inn handy to all Longreach attractions. Stay at Australia’s most iconic pub, The Birdsville Hotel a comfortable spot if you’ve just endured the harshness of the Birdsville Track . If it’s a little luxury you seek, check out Gilberton Outback Retreat for a rustic luxe take on the iconic tin shed with outdoor bath and views of the rugged landscape.

There are plenty of spots for camping and caravanning in Outback Queensland. Birdsville Caravan Park offers campsites along the banks of the billabong, powered sites, serviced units and deluxe self-contained cabins. Lake Callide Retreat offers cabins, camping and caravan sites looking out to Callide Dam and is ideal for families and fishing enthusiasts.

Top Ways to Experience Outback Queensland

Why you need to go to the world’s most remote music festival

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Outback Queensland Tours & Natural Attractions

Is Carnarvon Gorge Queensland’s answer to the Kimberley? The spectacular Carnarvon Gorge is around 30km long and 600m deep and located in Carnarvon National Park, 600km northwest of Brisbane. Check out Carnarvon Gorge including visiting the world’s oldest Aboriginal art plus other gorgeous gorges in Outback Queensland including Cobbold Gorge.

Outback Queensland Festivals & Events

Outback Queensland plays host to some of the most eclectic and exciting festivals and events in Australia including The Big Red Bash, the world’s most remote music festival staged in Birdsville. How about the Boulia Camel Races , the longest camel race in Australia, with camels running a 1500m track in a plume of red dust. Winton’s Way out West Fest is the biggest inland music and cultural festival held in Queensland and supports Outback communities.

Cobbold Gorge: the most gorgeous of the gorges?

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Indigenous dance: Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival

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Other Queensland destinations to explore

• Daintree Rainforest
• Great Barrier Reef
• Sunshine Coast
• The Whitsundays
• Tropical North QLD
• Hamilton Island

Top Deals for Outback QLD

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Outback Queensland Tourism Association Inc.

PO Box 506 Longreach QLD 4730 Phone: 0400 812 350

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Outback Queensland tourism has boomed, but cost-of-living pressures will bite this season

Described as Australia's "mini Grand Canyon", Porcupine Gorge in north-west Queensland is a must-see for travellers on an outback pilgrimage.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, ranger Dean Faulks has never seen the national park so busy.

"We've gone from what we call our regular tourist season, which was booked out for about a month in June, to extend that to booked out fully for about three months now," he said.

"It's not uncommon for us to come here and find all the car parks full and then a few cars stacked up down along the track, which is something we've never seen before."

Outback Queensland experienced its best tourism season on record in 2022 as Australians embraced the idea of holidaying at home.

Caravan sales boomed and travellers flocked to small towns and stunning natural attractions, which were seen as COVID-safe destinations.

"It's more than just the young families, more than just the grey nomads – just people from all classes really getting out and having a look around," Mr Faulks said.

A 40-minute drive down the road in Hughenden, small business owners like Jodie Coward say the influx of travellers has done wonders for the town.

The outback community was shielded from the pain experienced by other parts of the tourism sector during the pandemic.

"Last year, there were two days in the peak where the information centre had 500 visitors a day," Ms Coward said.

"Our total town population is 1,100 people, so on any given day, our population increases by 50 per cent.

"That's crazy. So that's how busy we are."

The tourist season in outback Queensland kicks off in autumn and hits its peak in the winter months.

But after two bumper years, the Outback Queensland Tourism Association has tempered its expectations for the coming season amid the cost-of-living squeeze.

"We don't anticipate that it will be as huge in volume as it's been in the last two years," chief executive Denise Brown said.

"Those interest rates are biting hard, and the cost of living is biting hard on people.

"People are still keen to do things, it's just a matter of they're just a bit more careful with their money."

Ms Brown said the return of cruise holidays, which were put on hold during the pandemic, was also splitting the market.

"Our coach business is down, and that's largely because the cruise market has really given so many different incentives and really cheap rates to go on domestic cruises around Australia," she said.

But Ms Brown said there was still interest from travellers in Victoria and South Australia who were eager to explore the outback.

"We've just done a couple of caravan and camping shows in those states and there's a lot of pent-up demand," she said.

Flinders Shire Mayor Jane McNamara said anticipating tourism numbers was "always a battle".

"Last year, we thought the fuel prices would limit the numbers somewhat," she said.

"I do think that this year with the rising cost-of-living, we will be battling to get those people on the road."

She hopes tourism initiatives, like Hughenden's inaugural Festival of Outback Skies in April, will help attract thousands of visitors to the town.

In Charters Towers, an hour and a half from Townsville, tourist van park owner Brad Chilton is not worried about a dip in trade.

"The last two years have been the best we've ever had, and I think the next year will be a good one as well," he said.

"The main thing to consider is there's a huge number of new RVs out there – people own these caravans and motorhomes, and obviously they're going to use them.

"I think it's here to stay. I really do. I think it's something that people want to do."

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The Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory

Queensland’s outback receives more bang for its buck.

Published Tuesday, 14 July, 2009 at 01:31 PM

Minister for Tourism and Fair Trading The Honourable Peter Lawlor

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Tourism drop 'inevitable': outback tourist boss

The noticeable drop in tourism in western Queensland this year was inevitable, according to Outback Queensland Tourism Association chairman Andrew Martin, who said communities have no choice but to ride the drop out.

Speaking from Blackall last week, his comments reflect the fears of operators that have been wondering when the crowds will arrive since the traditional season began in April.

Among them is Col Mace, who has been the publican at the Eulo Queen Hotel in the state's south west for the past six years.

He said the start of this year's tourist season has been completely different to every other year he's been opening the pub's doors to visitors.

Using one night last week as an example, he went from having 18 powered sites full every night during the COVID lockdown years, to three occupied sites.

"It's about 70 per cent of what we saw last year," he said.

"We were flat out through COVID - people circled round and round the state.

"This year it's quieter in every aspect, and it's not just me saying this."

Further west, Thargomindah mayor John 'Tractor' Ferguson backed Mr Mace up, saying at the most recent South West Regional Organisation of Councils meeting, everyone was saying tourism numbers were down 30 to 40pc on last year's statistics.

While some of that could be attributed to flooding blocking off access to visitors from the south, Cr Ferguson believed changes in finance were having a big impact.

Self-funded retirees who had experienced years of not earning any interest are now earning four per cent and taking the opportunity to go overseas while they could, he said.

"They tell me caravans are coming onto the market a lot now," he said.

Mr Mace attributed the quiet roads and van parks to the financial squeeze.

"Older people have been through this before, and they're tightening their belts," he said. "Plus, a lot are helping their kids so interest rates are hurting them too."

Winton Shire mayor Cathy White confirmed tourism was definitely slower in her tourist hotspot but said numbers seemed to be picking up at last, and Barcoo Shire mayor Sally O'Neill said numbers were likely back to what they were pre-COVID.

"This might be our new normal," she said.

OQTA chairman Andrew Martin said western Queensland tourism had broken all records through the COVID years.

"Cairns was 18 per cent, we were 120," he said. "And we did it for three years straight."

He said it was inevitable that "sooner or later, people were going to succumb to the allure of overseas travel, given that there are some really good deals around".

"Cost of living's got a lot to do with it," he said.

"Given the pressures and $2.50 a litre for fuel here and there, and tyres and buying caravans, the allure of overseas travel - the dollar's not all that competitive but it's cheaper to go overseas than it is to come outback.

"Currently you can fly to Japan and back with about 10 days thrown in, for a couple of thousand dollars each.

"You'd be lucky to get in a caravan and get to Blackall for a couple of thousand dollars each, let alone get home."

Cr Martin joked that there must have been a blizzard in Australia's south in the last week or so, because the numbers of caravanners had just started increasing.

"It is slow and I don't expect that we're going to break any records at all this year, in terms of outback tourism," he said. "(There's) no choice (but to ride it out). I don't think it's going to be a disaster."

Cr Martin also said the tourism body, and operators, had to keep finding new "hooks" for different tourism demographics, or put a new spin on old attractions at the very least.

"It's all about marketing and we need to market the fact that we're a bit different," he said. "We're not the Gold Coast and we're bloody proud of not being the Gold Coast so we need to market it a little differently."

Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.

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