20 things to do with kids in the Australian Outback

The best memories are created around a campfire; the warmth flickering against your face as you swap stories, or just sit back and take in the sunset and stars.

Get back to basics by setting up camp with your family. Cook a loaf of damper, BBQ a snag or two, boil the billy, toast marshmallows and enjoy some quality family time. It's better than any Netflix show. 

2. Emboss your names in stone at Stonehenge

Forget flying across the world. You can find Stonehenge about 150kms from Longreach.

Close to Thomson River, it's the perfect spot to relax for a few days. Just don't forget to sign the visitor's book, Stonehenge-style, by writing your name in stone directly beside the main road not far from town. It's a tradition started years ago.

3. Test your surf skills

True outback folk know you don’t need an ocean to surf.

Grab your boogie boards, pieces of cardboard or whatever you can get your hands on... why not take the Esky lid for a surf down the Big Red sand dune at Birdsville?  If you've tried sandboarding on our islands, you'll discover there's nothing like the wide Outback landscapes to get the heart pounding. 

4. Kayak at Lara Wetlands

Make a pit-stop to Lara Wetlands on your family Outback road trip between Blackall and Barcaldine. Play in the cool pool of the wetlands, watch for birdlife or hire a kayak to explore more. If you’re having too much fun to continue your road trip, stay overnight in the campgrounds with a view over the water.

5. Experience life on an outback station

Want to experience a slice of life on an outback station? There are plenty of farm stays dotted across the outback to explore, whether your taste is a little luxurious or more basic-to-basics.

Depending where you go, the kids can help round up sheep and learn to crack a whip while mum and dad enjoy country hospitality and delicious home cooking without having to lift a finger. Or, sink into a deep plunge pool and take in the views - there's something for every family out here.  

6. Attend the world's most remote music festival

Red dirt beneath your feet, a blanket of stars above, and Australia's best musical acts out front, playing beneath a towering sand dune. 

Birdsville is Australia’s most iconic outback town and home to one of Queensland’s most epic music festivals. The Big Red Bash has topped the bucket list for many families and travellers, with some of the biggest names in Aussie music taking the stage, from Jimmy Barnes to Missy Higgins and Midnight Oil. It's the perfect excuse to head west.

While you're here you can ride camels, sand board and take in the brightest sunsets you'll ever see. 

7. Explore the dinosaur trail

Step back into a time where dinosaurs roamed through Outback Queensland. 

Our prehistoric history is so rich, we've got a whole trail dedicated to it through the outback towns of Richmond, Hughenden and Winton. Grab the kids, pack the car and head off to uncover, dust off and dig for bones dating back 98 million years. 

Kronosaurus Korner in Richmond has a huge range of marine fossils, plus the best-preserved dinosaur skeletons in the country; while a visit to the Eromanga Natural History Museum is sure to inspire budding archaeologists. 

Dinosaur Stampede at Lark Quarry Conservation Park near Winton is home to the remains of the only known dinosaur stampede in the world. With both pram and wheelchair access, no one has to miss out on this exciting chase.

8. Feel the thunder of a stagecoach ride

On this authentic stagecoach experience you’ll travel in a restored Cobb & Co stagecoach at a leisurely pace through the town. But hang onto your hats, as the pace steps up a notch along the original Longreach-Windorah mail route. 

Throwing up dirt, with the sound of hooves pounding beneath you, it’s the closest you’ll get to feeling like you’re back in the early pioneer days.

When your heartbeat returns to normal, there’s time for photos, a delicious ‘smoko’, and a classic Australian movie in retro cinema seats.

9. Learn from the pioneers of Australian aviation

Whether you're in Longreach for a long weekend or even just a day, a visit to Qantas Founders Museum is one of the top things to do with the kids in the Australian Outback. 

Set in the home of Qantas, it's a spectacular showcase of genuine artefacts and exhibits that tell the story of the Qantas and Australian aviation history. Take a tour, or get hands on with interactive exhibits, or sign up to walk out on the wing of a 747.  

Return in the evening for the spectacular Light & Sound show, which brings the 100 year story of Qantas to life with the mighty Boeing 747 serving as a primary canvas for light projections.  

10. Cruise the river

See the outback fom a different angle, on board a cruise of the Thomson River with Outback Pioneers. It's a unique experience to watch sunset shift colours before you, and then settle in for a stockman's dinner by campfire on the shores. 

11. Uncover rare species and secrets in Charleville

Did you know Charleville is the bilby capital of Australia?

The shows at the Charleville Bilby Experience are a must for any family looking to learn more about Australia's most famous endangered marsupial. While you’re there, book in for the up-close-and-personal encounter (runs April to October) on a guided tour of the marsupial’s home.

Charleville will continue to surprise you at the WWII Secret Base, where you can take a tour to experience what life was like for 3500 United States Army Air Force personnel stationed in Charleville in 1943. A fascinating, but largely unknown, slice of Australian history.

12. Ride the Spirit of the Outback

All aboard the perfect family holiday; an impressive journey through rugged terrain and changing scenery on the Spirit of the Outback.

This traditional train trip offers plenty of time to relax, and if you’re after a bit more privacy, you can now enjoy your own private cabin. The trip is approximately 26 hours and runs between Longreach and Brisbane.

13. Cuddle up to a Tambo Teddy

If the kids thought the bilbies were cute, introduce them to Australia’s most iconic teddy. For every family with younger kids, destination Tambo is a must!

Stitched with love, these teddy bears are created from 100% Australian sheepskin. The kids can watch their new friends come to life in the workshop, each with their own unique number and personality.

14.  Take a dip at the Eulo Mud Baths

After family holidaying your way around Outback Queensland, it’s time to relax your body and mind with nature’s own unique formula. Bathe in a milky grey artesian mud bath drawn fresh from the ancient springs at Eulo Mud Baths. 

The spa has several bathing areas, with the best spot for families being the sunset viewing space with four single tubs available. Mum and dad can soak separately to the kids, guaranteeing a relaxing, muddy good time for all.

15. Stargaze

If you don’t know your Milky Way from your Big Dipper or your Mars from your Mercury, then head to the Cosmos Centre and Observatory in Charleville. The staff will reel off plenty of facts to impress the kids while you immerse yourself in the beauty of the outback’s night sky. You can even view the sun during the day through their special solar scope.

Of course, you can star gaze anywhere in Outback Queensland. Just drive somewhere quiet, bring a blanket, and look up.

16. Canoe Lawn Hill Gorge at Boodjamulla National Park (currently closed)

Proving that the outback is much more than red dirt, this mirage-like national park is an oasis carved with emerald green waterways.

Paddle your way through the still waters of Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park – an ideal way to explore its striking gorges. In fact, let the kids do the hard work while you marvel at the beautiful surroundings of sandstone cliffs, emerald waters and lush vegetation. 

Don’t have a canoe? No problem. Canoes can be hired on an hourly basis from the canoe hire area at the eastern end of the camping area.

17. Dig for opals and fossick for gems

Your kids might just stumble across a small fortune in Outback Queensland, if they dig deep enough.

Welcome to Yowah – population 142, a gem of a town popular with travellers and fossickers alike. Yowah is known for its opal mining and has countless opal fields. It’s also the home of the ‘Yowah Nut’ – a local type of opal distinctive to the area (not for human consumption!).

For a treasure hunt they'll have to work for, discover the pioneer towns of the Sapphire Gemfields. 

18. Step into the world's longest lava tubes

If you're looking for a history lesson that will fascinate, look no further than Undara Volcanic National Park. Home to the oldest standing lava tubes on earth, you can step beneath the surface and into the caves on a guided tour - with rangers also running after-dark tours to meet the national park's nocturnal wildlife. Extend the adventure by staying overnight in the onsite cabins, vintage train carriages and campsites.

19. Catch a movie

Why come all the way to the outback to watch a movie? It's like time travel.  

You can step back in time on a trip through Barcaldine. Just head to the nearby town of Jericho to discover the southern hemisphere’s smallest drive-in theatre. The theatre holds 36 cars plus walk-ins, and with movies showing on the third Saturday of the month - it’s a unique way to entertain the whole family.

Or, pay a visit to Winton's Royal Open-Air Theatre. Built in 1918, it's one of only two open-air theatres still operating in Australia - and home to a beloved annual film festival. There's regular movie screenings and a museum to learn about its history.  

20. Paddle board at Cobbold Gorge

The only thing more mind-bending than the towering red cliffs of Cobbold Gorge is finding out that while this is Queensland's youngest gorge, its development began 1,700 million years ago. 

It's a hidden oasis in the Gulf Savannah, and best explored in an adventurous family weekend escape from Cairns or Townsville. 

Take in the scenery on a local tour, explore the gorge by foot (and above on the new 11m high glass bridge), aboard an electric powered boat, or on a stand-up paddleboard.

Keen to explore more of Outback Queensland? Discover these road trips for a truly unique family adventure.