Road trip Brisbane to Birdsville and back in 8 days

Day 1: Brisbane to St George (560 km)

First thing’s first, for any adventure into the outback you need to be prepared. Be sure to pack all the essentials before you leave - and get an early start to make the most of your day.

9AM: Grab morning tea in Toowoomba

Roll into Toowoomba for morning tea where you can take your pick of cafes and pair it with a view at Picnic Point Lookout, a great spot to stretch the legs. 

12PM: Lunch and learn in Goondiwindi

While Toowoomba’s green pastures eased you off city living, Goondiwindi throws you right into rural town life. Home to a cotton industry, a legendary horse called Gunsynd, and a tranquil watering hole, travellers have been passing through this patch of earth for thousands of years. Stop by the Victoria Hotel’s mahogany bar for a pub lunch and stroll around the town centre. Those looking to learn about local life while here should sign up for a guided tour of the town and visit to Goondiwindi Cotton's working cotton farm, Alcheringa. 

4PM: Pit-stop at Nindigully Pub

A few hundred more clicks on the odometer will deliver you to the Nindigully Pub. Built on the banks of the Moonie River, this is the state’s oldest watering hole, quenching thirsts since 1864. Like all good pubs, Nindigully rolls out the welcome mat for everyone who visits - one of the many reasons that a regular flow of locals and tourists make their way to a pub for a town who's population stands at just nine people..

Rooms are available, however late night roll-ins can even camp outside or lay their swag on their verandah free of charge. You might meet a couple of overnighters while you stretch your legs by the river.

5PM: Cruise into St George

Known as a fisherman’s paradise, St George is famous for its daily catch. But when you don’t have the time to wile away in a tinnie, check out the handiwork of Stavros Margaritis. This Greek immigrant carves emu eggs, creating designs by unearthing the different colours in the layers of the shell. His gallery displays over 150 carved eggs, illuminated like desert lanterns, and the man himself is always up for a yarn.

It's just one of the many things that will surprise you here, should you get the chance to stick around and see more for yourself.

Day 2: St George to Cunnamulla (300 km)

9AM: Switch pedal power to paddle power

A full morning of dusty driving leads to Cunnamulla, and with over 1200 residents it'll feel like a big city compared to the rest of this Brisbane to Birdsville itinerary. The drive is a beauty, and from St George to Bollon you’ll see the landscape start to change from dusty green to the bright red earth of the outback.

Pull into Warrego Riverside Tourist Park, where you can rent kayaks and head out on the river for a new perspective - particularly alluring for birdwatchers who can try to spot the 215 native bird species that call this area home.

4PM: Settle in to Charlotte Plains

Cunnamulla has its share of accommodation ranging from caravan parks and campgrounds to motels, but for a unique experience backtrack 40 minutes to Charlotte Plains, a family owned and operated sheep station just outside of town. Set up camp on the unpowered sites or check into the Shearer's style rooms - before the light fades there’s still plenty of time to kick back in the artesian baths. 

Day three: Cunnamulla to Innamincka (614 km)

9AM: Meet the famous mud baths at Eulo

If you didn't get the chance to soak in the surrounds of Charlotte Plains last night, put Eulo on your radar for this morning. 

This tiny township that consists of a pub, general store and petrol station also happens to offer a spa treatment like no other – the Eulo Artesian Mud Baths. Packed with minerals like magnesium, zinc and silica, the 40-million-year-old artesian mud tightens and smooths the skin, leaving you refreshed and ready for another day on the road.

With the new Cunnamulla Hot Springs also set to open in June 2023, Outback Queensland is well and truly transforming into a wellness haven. 

12PM: A quick stop in Thargomindah

Push on another hundred kilometres down the road and you’ll find yourself in Thargomindah. This outback town has a population of just 270, and yet it was one of the earliest adopters of electric street lights after London and Paris. It’s a great spot to refuel, both the car and yourself at the local cafe, Coffee on Dowling.

3PM: Pay a visit to The Dig Tree

Heading 275km west of Thargomindah, you’ll cross briefly into South Australia en route to the Dig Tree. This towering coolibah is one of Australia’s natural icons, the terrain around it as rugged and untouched as the day the explorers Burke and Wills passed it. You can catch a glimpse of what Burke might have looked like in the Face Tree, just 30 metres downstream.

Overnight: Innamincka

With a population in double digits, Innamincka is one of the smallest towns in South Australia, and easily the smallest on the drive to Birdsville. It’s got everything you need from an outback pitstop including a comfy bed, quality pub grub, and a chance to chew the fat with the locals.

Day 4: Innamincka to Birdsville (450 km)

9AM: Take the scenic route

Sandwiched between four deserts and linking South Australia with Queensland, this is your opportunity to tackle one of the country's most iconic offroad routes along Birdsville Track. The track is covered with large pebbles, clouded by dust and dotted with dune crossings. Four-wheel-drive vehicle is vital, desert flags recommended and you’ll want to drive with your lights on just to see through the dust. 

Alternatively, venture along Strezlecki Track to make your way to Birdsville via Cordillo Downs Road. Highlights along the way include  Dripie Creek, Cordillo Downs Historic Woolshed, and Caldelga Ruins.

Either way you go, today's drive will be a true highlight of your road trip.

5PM: Pull up a barstool in Birdsville

Once you roll into town, your first stop has to be the Birdsville Hotel for an icy cold XXXX. If you're arriving for Big Red Bash or Birdsville Races, you'll quickly discover everyone else has the same idea, but that's part of the magic.

At these times, Birdsville brings in extra suppliers to cope with the thousands of who roll up, so they’re more than equipped to handle the influx. As the big day approaches, downtown Birdsville thumps as visitors of all ages fill the main street excitedly and the atmosphere buzzes in anticipation of the festival. 

Outside of events, Birdsville Hotel and Birdsville Tourist Park should be your first stop for where to stay. If you're coming for the Bash or races, be sure to secure your campsite well in advance. The best way to experience the atmosphere of the wild west is alongside your fellow travellers. 

Day 5: Join in the festivities

The Birdsville Cup is the pinnacle of outback racing calendar and the reason so many people make the 2000km pilgrimage to Queensland’s south-west. The track is dry, sun hot and beers cold, perfect race conditions.

A far cry from when the races started in 1882, the Birdsville Races are big business today, with over $200,000 in prize money up for grabs. Unlike other race meets, you’ll find more people entered in the novelty category than best-dressed with a hefty prize going to the wildest clobber. You see, the races is much more than a race. As Big Red Bash is more than a music festival. The fun and sense of community forged here is unmatched. 

Big Red Bash is a three day music festival, so you'll need to dedicate a few extra days camping under the sand dunes for this one. 

Day 6: Explore the sights in Birdsville

There’s no need to rush home once the dust settles from the festival. Take your time to get to know the real Birdsville without the hustle and crowds, from a fair dinkum camel pie at Birdsville Bakery to cooling off in the river or climbing Big Red - the tallest sand dune in the Simpson Desert - for sunset. 

Here's what you should experience while you're in town. 

Day 7: Birdsville to Quilpie (700 km)

It's time to get to know a different side of history here in the outback, one where dinosaurs roamed freely.

Join the exodus of commuters heading back to the coast via Windorah to see why they call this part of Australia channel country.

If you want to break the back of the drive, Quilpie is the best spot to stay overnight on the way home. The Quilpie Motor Inn, Channel Country Tourist Park or Moble Homestead will sort you out with a bed for the night, and in the morning head over to the Eromanga Natural History Museum to learn about the largest dinosaur discovery in Australia. The museum showcases the fossil, natural and cultural heritage of the upper Murray/Darling and Lake Eyre/Cooper basins, and exhibits range from tiny fossils to mighty dinosaurs - and some incredible outdoor sculptures too. 

Day 8: Quilpie to Brisbane (954 km)

Beating a track back from Quilpie, you’ll head through the Maranoa Shire and back into Brisbane. It’s a long drive, so best to break it up with a dip in downtown Mitchell, where you’ll find two pools of artesian water direct from the Great Artesian Basin. It’s guaranteed perfect swimming temperature all year round, and a quick dip will do wonders for the car weary.

If this is the end of the road for you, arrive back in the River City late in the day. Lingering a little longer in our neck of the woods? Discover your place in the cosmos at Charleville, pay a visit to Roma's salesyards, or why not turn left at Charleville and explore more of the outback along Matilda Way. 

Until next time.