3 incredible road trips through Country and Outback Queensland

It's no secret that a road trip is one of Outback Queensland's best attractions. But which one to choose? If you want to hit the road and explore the state's diverse landscapes but need help knowing where to start, buckle up for a journey through three of the most captivating journeys Australia has to offer.

Choose the dramatic backdrop and delicious charm of the Granite Belt's wine country, a journey through the rugged soul of the Outback on a drive from Townsville to Brisbane, or an epic adventure around the North West Loop. Each route promises a unique blend of scenery, culture, and life-long memories.

A road trip across Queensland will capture your heart in more ways than one. Let's dive into the details and find out how.

1. Granite Belt road trip

Suggested duration: 3 days for the 642 km (399 miles) drive from Brisbane to Stanthorpe.

What you'll see: wine country charm, rainforest trails, and artisanal food.

Queensland is lauded for its spectacular coast, but its pretty hinterland is full of surprises. Snug under the cooler, western flanks of the Great Dividing Range, this scenic region is Queensland's key wine-growing region and the state's fertile, fresh-produce food bowl: think dairy farms and apple, plum, and peach orchards. The Granite Belt drive is a very manageable road trip through Southern Queensland Country, with even the shortest hike affording dramatic panoramas.

A relaxing drive through the rolling hills of the Darling Downs rewards drivers with picturesque valleys corduroyed by vines, paddock-to-plate dining opportunities, and giant boulder-balancing drama at Girraween National Park. Visit the raceway and sandstone churches at Warwick, known as the "Rose and Rodeo City," and meet the locals at the weekly Granite Belt Farmers Market in Stanthorpe. A word of advice — go hungry!

The best way to sample some of Queensland's unsung wine vintages is at one of the informal and friendly cellar doors in and around Cottonvale, Stanthorpe, and Ballandean. At Ridgemill Estate's award-winning cellar door in Stanthorpe, a tasting experience includes a vineyard tour. Try the estate's Jacques, Saperavi, Tempranillo, Verdelho, Viognier, and Mourvedre labels, tuck into a gourmet platter of local cheeses, and take in pretty-as-a-picture views of the vineyard and Severn Valley.

See the Granite Belt roadtrip route

2. Townsville to Brisbane road trip

Suggested duration: 10 days for the 2,560 km (1,591 miles) drive through Outback Queensland.

What you'll see: jaw-dropping landscapes, breathtaking sunsets, and incredible dinosaur fossils.

Point the hood of your rental car west of Townsville on Queensland's coast and prepare to be wowed. Outback Queensland is big on remote landscapes and open-sky drama, and there's every chance of spotting native wildlife, especially at dawn and dusk. This action-packed drive from Townsville to Brisbane taps into Queensland's rich seam of pioneering history. It brings plenty of opportunities to meet locals who will bring stories and legends to life.

The state grew wealthy on gold, opal, and cattle and on the pioneering spirit of its immigrant settlers who mined and drove mobs of cattle across vast tracts of land. The Royal Flying Doctor Service, Qantas Airlines, and Banjo Patterson's legendary bush poem "Waltzing Matilda" (Australia's unofficial national anthem) all hail from Outback Queensland. The boulder opal was discovered at Quilpie, and there’s a chance to have a go at fossicking both here and at Opalton.

Some of Australia's most impressive dinosaur remains can be seen at the many archeological sites across Outback Queensland. Winton has the largest collection of Australian dinosaur bones at its Australian Age of the Dinosaurs Museum. Kronosaurus Korner in the riverside town of Richmond boasts a staggering array of dinosaur fossils. At Eromanga, there’s the chance to see the 95 million-year-old dinosaur bones of titanosaur sauropods Cooper and George.

A visit to the Qantas Founders Museum in the heritage town of Longreach is a highlight on this road trip through Outback Queensland, and don't miss The Big Rig at Roma for the chance to learn about Queensland's quest for oil.

But nature is the hero here — haloed sunsets, curious wildlife, and far, far horizons.

See the route from Townsville to Brisbane

3. North West Loop

Suggested duration: 12 days for the 2,466 km (1,532 miles) drive from Cairns to Townsville, or vice versa, excludes the 120 km extension from Burketown to Gregory Downs.

What you'll see: geological wonders, the lush beauty of the tropics, and freshwater crocs.

The sheer variety of landscapes and experiences up for grabs in the northern reaches of Outback Queensland is mind-boggling. Feast your eyes on creeks and gorges at Cobbold, spot crocodiles at Karumba, fossick for gems at Quilpie, follow the dinosaur trail at Richmond, and walk in the path of a volcano at Undara National Park.

Don’t skip the wetlands’ cascading waterfalls, towering forests, and swimmable carter lakes in Mareeba and the Atherton Tablelands. A mesmerizing, meandering drive along Gillies Highway is just a taster of what lies in store when you reach the Tablelands. Food and wine tours allow you to taste your way around wineries, tea plantations, and distilleries. If that sounds tame, throw yourself down some rushing rapids in the lush rainforest environs of Barron Gorge.

Fancy stepping out across Australia's first fully glassed bridge? Head to Cobbold Gorge at Forsayth for a peaceful glide through the pinkish-red sandstone gorge in an e-boat. It's a 19-meter (62-foot) drop to the water below on the transparent bridge – the perfect Instagram post.

At Hughendon, say "g'day" to Hughie, the life-size replica of a Muttaburrasaurus, and then take to the air for a bird's-eye view of the White Mountains National Park and sandstone cliffs of Porcupine Creek, dubbed Australia's "Little Grand Canyon."

You'll get so much more from your visit on a heli-flight — the photo opportunities and your pilot's fun and informative commentary is certain to turn this into an experience you'll never forget.

See the route from Cairns to Townsville