Queensland Day trips

Making up 65 percent of an already gargantuan region of Australia, Outback Queensland is a sprawling and beautifully rugged destination quite at odds with the balmy, heavily populated coastline to its east. Here, nature rules: vast red plains stretch into the horizon, and the arid savannah gives way to fertile national parks, steep gorges, lush wetlands, and dense forests. The scenery spectacularly transforms as you take the long roads from the beaches of Brisbane and Cairns to the bush. Outback Queensland is serious road trip country.

It's also a region brimming with authentic Aussie culture that goes beyond being the birthplace of Qantas Airlines and the unofficial national anthem, "Waltzing Matilda." Factor in a host of fascinating museums and historical attractions — plus winsome towns like Longreach, Hughenden, and Charleville — and you have a destination packed with unique experiences. The best things to see while you're there? This roundup of brilliant places to visit in Outback Queensland covers them all.

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.