Townsville to Brisbane road trip: An Outback adventure

You don't have to travel far from Queensland's coastal city of Townsville to inhale the state's intoxicating Outback air. Point the hood west and, as red dust flecks the windshield, you'll start to understand what it means to be a Queenslander.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders have inhabited the state for millennia. Settlers brought a pioneering spirit: cattle musterers, miners, and gold panners who paved the way for future generations. The Flying Doctors, Qantas Airlines, and Banjo Patterson's legendary bush poem "Waltzing Matilda" all hail from Queensland's Outback. And let's not forget its earliest inhabitants — dinosaurs who left their mark, sometimes literally, at several impressive archeological sites. You'll discover all of this and more as your four wheels carry you to the most diverse and fascinating attractions in Outback Queensland.

An Outback drive from Townsville to Brisbane allows you to immerse yourself in Australia's star-spangled, open-sky drama while dipping into its cultural heritage and experiencing its warm hospitality. It features prominently two of the region's top drives: the Overlander's Way and the Matilda Way. Don't listen to Google Maps when it tries to give you the quickest route; this is the long way round, switching the coastal highways for the dusty roads of the Outback. Say goodbye to the ocean for a week, start your engine, and unleash your sense of adventure — here are the essential stops on a road trip from Townsville to Brisbane.

Want to know more? Here's a rough map of your route, and some tips for driving through the Outback.

Leaving Townsville

Follow the Overlander's Way west via Charters Towers and Hughenden to Richmond, where you'll pick up Queensland's dinosaur trail.

Townsville to Richmond (497 km/309 miles; 6 hours)

Impressive art and prehistoric fossils

Midway between Townsville and Mt Isa, Richmond is nestled on the Flinders River and is the perfect place for an overnight. Stroll around the town, perhaps calling in at the Bush Tucker Garden, before heading to the town's star attraction: Kronosaurus Korner. This impressive museum houses one of the most extensive collections of marine fossils. A replica of Minmi, considered Australia's best preserved dinosaur skeleton, takes pride of place alongside the Richmond Pliosaur.

Richmond to Winton and its surrounding area (330 km/205 miles; 4 hours)

A national park and an unofficial national anthem

The prehistoric finds continue at the next stop on your Townsville to Brisbane drive, which takes you back to Hughenden and down to Winton. Dinosaur lovers will want to spend a couple of days in here as it's a gateway to several fascinating discoveries, not least the recently unearthed footprints of a hefty, lumbering theropod.

The hardy drovers, shearers, and jackaroos that settled here worked vast areas from cattle stations called homesteads, built with corrugated iron roofs. One of the original sheep stations, Bladensburg, was established in the 1870s and is now open to visitors inside the boundaries of the stunning Bladensburg National Park. Characterized by soaring sandstone ranges, the park's rugged beauty is enhanced by wildlife and native birds — keep your eye peeled for wallaroos and red and eastern grey kangaroos.

Paleontology picks include the fossilized footprints of a dinosaur stampede at Lark Quarry Conservation Park and the Australian Age of the Dinosaurs Museum. This interactive museum has several galleries showcasing life-sized dinosaur exhibits, a fossil preparation laboratory, and the "March of the Titanosaurs" exhibit at a dedicated site called Dinosaur Canyon, reached by shuttle bus.

Prefer gemstones to fossils? About 124 kilometers (77 miles) south of Winton lies the historical town of Opalton, where you can try your hand at fossicking for the prized iridescent gemstone from which it takes its name. Boulder Opal is unique to Queensland and some of the largest opals ever were discovered in Opalton.

Winton to Longreach (155 km/100 miles; 2 hours)

A nod to Outback and aviation pioneers

The largest town in Central Queensland, attractions in Longreach rank among the state's finest. In 1988, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame, which pays tribute to the Outback pioneers and notable stockmen, Australia's answer to cowboys.

Get your bearings in the company of locals by joining an insightful and friendly one-hour tour that visits several places of interest. Or get under the town's skin on a three-day storytelling experience where you can ride a Cobb & Co. stagecoach, explore a family-run sheep and cattle station, and enjoy fabulous Outback sunsets before tucking into a campfire dinner under the stars.

Another must-visit exhibit explores the humble origins of an airline called the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services, which we all know better as Qantas. The service transformed the lives of Queenslanders and all Australians, and a visit to the Qantas Founders Museum is a highlight on the Townsville to Brisbane drive. Historical artifacts and tours of full-scale replica aircraft — including the De Haviland DH-61 Giant Moth, De Haviland DH-50, and Qantas' first aircraft, the Avro 504k Dyak — bring the story to life. You can even walk along the wing of a 747.

Every visitor to Queensland should aim to get airborne, if only to appreciate the vast emptiness of the bush. You can do this by helicopter here, soaring above vast plains and following the winding channels of the Thomson River channel on a scenic flight. Alternatively, hop aboard a restored 1970s heritage train for a journey alongside the Darr River that evokes the romance of rail travel's heyday.

20 minutes from Longreach is Ilfracombe, once one of Australia's largest wool-producing districts and home to one of the world's largest sheep stations. This historic town has an eccentric country pub, The Wellshot Hotel, with stockmen's hats covering the walls. Eat here, but skip breakfast if you plan to order the 500g Big Man's Rump. Be sure to ask the owners about the hat collection and the coins on the ceiling.

Longreach to Eromanga (179 km/111 miles; 5.5 hours)

Australia’s largest dinosaur

What child — or grown-up, for that matter — wouldn't love the chance to meet a pair of titanosaur sauropods nicknamed Cooper and George? In Eromanga, the furthest place from the ocean anywhere in the country, head to the Eromanga Natural History Museum to get close enough to touch the 95 million-year-old bones of Australia's largest dinosaur.

Eromanga to Quilpie (106 km/66 miles; 1.5 hours)

Outback art, breathtaking views, and fossicking

At Eromanga, you’ve reached the turning point on your Townsville to Brisbane adventure. As you head back east towards Brisbane, stopping at tiny Quilpie is worth it. Check out the Outback art at the galleries, watch the locals hook yabbies (crayfish) in the river, and climb to Baldy Top Lookout for breathtaking views. Later, settle down under the stars and be among the first to experience a new animated show that explores Quilpie's indigenous culture and the opal legacy. And if you didn't fossick in Opalton, be sure to put this on the agenda here.

Quilpie to Roma (478 km/297 miles; 5 hours)

Big Ranges and the Big Rig

Roma is the home of the Big Rig and the Queensland bottle tree. Each of the 93 bottle trees on Heroes Avenue is a memorial to a local soldier who lost their life in the First World War. On Tuesdays, you can visit the Saleyards for an authentic Outback experience, where up to 12,000 head of cattle can be sold daily. But if you only do one thing here, visit the Big Rig, where you can learn about the trials and tribulations endured by pioneers trying to strike it rich with Roma oil and meander through ancient river red gums on the Tree Walk.

Roma is also a gateway to the Carnarvon Ranges' rocky outcrops and sandstone gorges. This region is rich in indigenous rock art sites — for the best interpretation, join a tour that will also take you to the Wallaroo cattle station and for lunch in a gorge filled with prehistoric cycads.

Roma to Brisbane (476 km/296 miles; 6 hours)

Goodbye Outback, hello ocean breeze

The Carnarvon Ranges are a fitting finale for this long-way-round trip from Townsville to Brisbane. Say goodbye to the Outback and hello to "Brissie," Queensland's laid-back coastal capital.