Unearth dinosaurs on this Outback Queensland family road trip

Begin your journey in Longreach: a must-visit on any Outback Queensland family road trip thanks to its hearty array of activities for young and old. It’s here that you’ll find the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and the Qantas Founders Museum, a duo of institutions which celebrate the Sunshine State’s heritage.

It’s also in Longreach where you’ll be able to jump aboard a replica horse-drawn Cobb & Co. stagecoach and meander the original post route.

After a day’s exploration, tuck in at Kinnon & Co’s Saltbush Retreat - the stylish accommodation option houses its guests in spaces inspired by traditional homestead stables, and boasts a bath terrace on-site for enjoying the sunset.

Day 2: Longreach to Winton (180km)

Rise with the sun so that you can reach Winton mid-morning. Arm yourself with local tips on your arrival with a stop at the Winton Visitor Information Centre on Elderslie Street - it’s here you can grab a map and a ‘what’s on’ brochure for your time in town. You’re also within arm's reach of Amo’s Park and Balamara Bakery, and the famed Musical Fence, all worthy of a pit stop.

Get stuck into your fossil-focused adventure at the museum the Australian Age of Dinosaurs (AAOD), a 30-minute drive from town along the Landsborough Highway. Spend the afternoon trawling the exhibitions, enjoying the guided tours of the fossil preparation laboratory, collection room and Dinosaur Canyon with life-sized replicas. Kids aged 12 or older can also join in, becoming amateur fossil hunters in the three-day prep-a-dino program.

As for where you’ll spend the night, Winton boasts three caravan parks, with a separate free camp area further south in Jundah. Or rest your head indoors, at the Boulder Opal Motor Inn or the art-deco North Gregory Hotel.

Day three: Winton to Lark Quarry Conservation Park (220km return)

Today on your Outback Queensland family road trip, make your way to Lark Quarry Conservation Park, the site of 4000 dinosaur footprints and home of the only known recorded dinosaur stampede from 95 million years ago.

Entry to the park and the two walking tracks is free, but access to Lark Quarry’s dinosaur Trackways is by guided tour only (with a fee). To arrange tours, contact Winton’s Waltzing Matilda Centre. Tours are available at 9.30am, 11.00am, 12.00pm, 1.00pm, 2.00pm and 3.00pm daily.

Choose to return to Winton for the night, or stay in one of the free secluded bush camps en route.

Day 4: Winton to Opalton (125km)

Hit the bitumen with the rising sun and you’ll find yourself in Opalton before lunch. The remote town has become a haven for gem hunting as home to the largest opal fields in the state - here you can spend some time fossicking for your own buried treasure. In the public fossicking fields, keep an eye out for fragments of boulder opal, a unique type of gem which sits attached to ironstone.

But Opalton isn’t just worth a visit on this Outback Queensland family road trip guide because of its gems, but because of its history lessons. It’s a chance to experience the harsh realities and conditions of life lived on the land in this remote region, like those of the miners who came here with the blossoming of its mine back in 1894.

Day 5: Winton to Hughenden (215km)

Bid goodbye to Opalton by jumping aboard the Dinosaur Trail to Hughenden. While it’s a 2.5 hour journey, you can stretch your legs on the way with a stop at Corfield and Stamford. Or head directly for town where Mutt the dinosaur will greet you.

On your arrival to Hughenden, drop by the dino-focused Flinders Discovery Centre. Hughie, a 7-metre statue cast from the bones of a Muttaburrasaurus, is the star attraction here, joined by a handful of other family-friendly dinosaur-focused activities, as well as a kids play area. But your day needn’t be spent completely indoors - you can also choose to get better acquainted with the rugged region with a trip out to its neighbour the 500 million-year-old Porcupine Gorge National Park later on.

Spend the night at the Hughenden Allen Terry Caravan Park, which promises to keep all family members entertained with the adjoining swimming pool and skate park.

Day 6: Hughenden to Richmond (112km)

For parents of smaller children, making Richmond a part of this Outback Queensland family road trip is a non-negotiable. For it’s here that kids of all ages are welcomed to dig for dinosaurs.

On your arrival to town it’s recommended you make way to Kronosaurus Korner for a family-friendly day out, where children can spend hours exploring the museums’ extensive fossil collection, and digging at the fossil hunting site sitting 12 kilometres from town. Dawn or dusk-guided tours with the museum’s paleontologist are also available to enjoy.

After a day in the dirt, cool off with a trip to the water park on Goldring Street which maintains a strong dinosaur theme. The central attraction is within easy reach of a handful of different accommodation options for the night, from motels to Lakeview Caravan Park, sitting metres away from tranquil Lake Fred Tritton.

Where to from here?

• Continue along Overlanders Way for more prehistoric adventures
• Head to Queensland's north for the Savannah Way road trip
• Try your hand at farm life in the Outback