How to do Outback Queensland on a budget

Blanketed in red dirt, sparkling skies, big personality and even bigger landscapes, the magic of the Aussie outback should be experienced at least once – and it’s got plenty of surprises up its sleeve.

While luxurious touches can be found from cattle stations to glamping retreats and heli tours, there are plenty of ways to soak up the spirit of Outback Queensland on a budget, too. Here’s how.

How to get to Outback Queensland on a budget

If you’re planning to explore on a budget, the best option is to self-drive. You’ll have total flexibility on where you go and what you do, and you can bring all your camping gear with you. Cram a few friends in the vehicle and you can even split the cost of food and fuel. The hardest part will be choosing which iconic road trip to take. Not all adventures will need a 4WD (some routes will make it a necessity) but if you haven’t driven in the outback before read up on these tips before you go.

Where to stay in Outback Queensland on a budget

Pitch a tent under a million stars

Open roads and open skies feel endless in Outback Queensland, and if where you rest your head is where you pitch your tent or park your van, you’ll be spoiled for choice in where to stay in Outback Queensland on a budget.

Outside Cunnamulla, family-owned Charlotte Plains Farm Stay is one of the most unique camping spots, where you can explore the historic sheep station and then soak in an outdoor tub, with hot water plucked straight from the earth. Lara Wetlands near Barcaldine is a tranquil spot complete with a thermal pool, kayaking, kids' playground and awesome outback hospitality. Or settle in at Lake Callide Retreat, a short drive from Biloela, where you can fish and relax by the waters of Callide Dam from just $12 per night.  

There’s even camping areas that won’t cost you a cent.  Self-sufficient campers can access dozens of free camp areas across Outback Queensland. Clem Walton Park in Cloncurry is a free waterfront camping area where you can fish for red claw for dinner, or grab some tucker from the food trucks that are regularly parked here. A short hop from Barcaldine – home to the Tree of Knowledge – Lloyd Jones Weir is a tranquil free camping area that’s a favourite with nature photographers and bird watchers. Those on a budget can also free bush camp on the Bullo riverbank at Quilpie, beside the billabong of Georgina River at Camooweal, roll out a swag at Cooper Creek in Windorah, settle by the Burke River near Boulia, and at Birdsville’s Town Common.

Always research what facilities are available and whether it’s suitable for your vehicle and/or rig size before arriving.

Pull into a caravan park

Whether you’re towing a caravan, camper trailer, enjoy cabin-style digs or simple prefer to pitch your tent in the comfort of a caravan park, options abound out west.

For those travelling Overlander’s Way, Cloncurry Caravan Park Oasis is a pet friendly haven with a swimming pool, shady sites and BBQs, and ensuited cabins. Stay among the action at Birdsville Tourist Park which overlooks the billabong and boasts sprawling campgrounds with powered and unpowered sites, along with self-contained cabins. Hughenden Allan Terry Caravan Park is ideally located for dinosaur experiences at Flinders Discovery Centre, while Windorah Caravan Park sits a block from the iconic Western Star Hotel, home to the annual International Yabby Races. And if you’re all about soaking up the peace and natural beauty of the outback, Lara Wetlands is the spot for you – with a hot spring to soak in.

Book a bed on a budget

One thing nearly every outback town has in common? The local pub – and it’s also where you’ll find affordable and comfortable accommodation, hot showers, great food and drink, and plenty of locals eager to spin stories over a schooner or two. Some of them are extra special and brimming with history, like Nindigully Pub or The Birdsville Hotel.

Budget motels are also in abundance and usually offer a few more creature comforts, such as Longreach Motor Inn, Oasis Motor Inn Blackall, Barcaldine Country Motor Inn, and Winton Outback Motel.

These are usually the first to book-out during our unmissable outback events, so plan ahead if your timing your trip for a celebration. Search Outback Queensland accommodation here.

Best things to do in Outback Queensland on a budget

Swap the beauty spa for an outback bath

Beauty treatments go a little differently in the outback: there’s a little more dirt, a lot more nature, and the opportunity to truly sink into relaxation among it all. Making the most of the warm waters of Outback Queensland’s artesian basin, pit stops like Eulo Mud Baths and Mitchell’s Great Artesian Spa are ideal for a soak. Or, book accommodation that comes with its own bathing opportunity, such as Charlotte Plains near Cunnamulla or Julia Creek Caravan Park in North West Queensland, which is home to claw foot bathtubs with the best views in the outback.

Visit the largest cattle saleyard in the Southern Hemisphere

Experience a unique part of outback life at Roma Saleyard, where over 400,000 cattle are bought and sold each year. The interpretive centre is open daily, however the best time to visit is on a Tuesday when the thrill and excitement of the cattle auction can be witnessed. Free guided tours depart each Tuesday at 830am.

Fossick for precious gems

An activity that’s not only cheap, but might even make you money. If you’ve ever dreamed of fossicking for your own opal, make your way to Quilpie where you can fossick for free in the dedicated council area just outside of town. Bring some simple equipment such as shovels and sieves, and try your luck – you might come away with a unique souvenir. 

Delve into Queensland’s dinosaur attractions

Outback Queensland is home to some of Australia’s most significant dinosaur fossils, and there’s many places to get a fascinating glimpse into the time they roamed the earth. If you’re tackling Australia’s Dinosaur Trail, get a discounted pass which will save you big in the long run. The pass includes entry to Kronosaurus Korner (Richmond), Flinders Discovery Centre (Hughenden), Lark Quarry and Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum (Winton). 

Want to get hands on? Unlock your inner-palaeontologist at Richmond’s Fossil Hunting Sites – this land used to be part of the ancient Eromanga Sea and is one of the best places to uncover marine fossils. Permits are required to dig, but you can get them online for as little as $30.

Stargaze where it all shines brighter

With wide open spaces and clear night skies, Outback Queensland presents some of the best stargazing opportunities in the country – and is even home to a designated Dark Sky Sanctuary.

While you’ll be blanketed by stars at your campsite, you can get even better vantage points when you find the higher ground, such as Starlight’s Lookout near Longreach or Baldy Top Lookout at Quilpie. BYO charcuterie and wine and you’ll have your most memorable picnic to date.

Want to take your galaxy peering power to the next level? Charleville Cosmos Centre offers views of the Milky Way through powerful Meade telescopes if you jump on an hour-long Big Sky Observatory evening tour ($35 per adult). If you want to learn all about astronomy by day, visit the state-of-the-art interactive museum which is open daily and free to enter. 

Soak up national park beauty

Things are bigger in Outback Queensland – and that goes for our national parks, too. Most are free to visit, though you’ll have to pay a small fee to access camping areas, and certain areas require permits for recreational vehicles. Hike among the towering sandstone cliffs at Porcupine Gorge or Carnarvon Gorge, explore the natural wonders of our North West region, or tackle intrepid 4WD journeys through the vibrant red sand dunes of Munga-Thirri or Welford National Park’s Desert Drive.

Find silo art in the middle of the outback

Art isn’t just kept in the galleries out here – it adorns massive grain silos across outback and farming communities, adding colour to your road trip. Discover Queensland’s prolific silo art and get ready to add a few detours along the way.  

Visit Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach

Whether you’re an aviation nerd or not, there’s no denying that the founding of Qantas is forever intertwined with the story of the outback – and the Qantas Founders Museum is the best way to learn about its origins. Museum admission ($39 per adult, $30 per child) offers access to the main exhibition hall, displays and replica aircraft along with a children’s trail and activities. You can add on extra experiences, such as a lights show or walking out of the wing of a 747.

Discover more free things to do, and a few more you should splash out on with those savings you’ve made along the way.

Where to eat and drink in Outback Queensland on a budget

Meet at the pub for a blackboard special

Just because you’re thousands of kilometres from the city doesn’t mean you’ll struggle to find a good meal – or a decent cuppa for that matter. What you won’t get? City prices.

There’s plenty of iconic pubs in Outback Queensland, but none so famous as the Walkabout Creek Hotel in McKinlay, which played a starring role in Crocodile Dundee. Grab a meal and a cold beer at true-blue outback pubs like Birdsville Hotel, The Blue Heeler Hotel in Kynuna, Wellshot Hotel in Ilfracombe, and North Gregory Hotel in Winton, where Australia’s unofficial national anthem, Waltzing Matilda, was played in public for the first time on April 6, 1895.

En route to the illustrious Dig Tree or Cameron Corner? Drop in to the Noccundra Hotel on the way, which has been licensed since 1886. Or, catch sunset over the Gulf of Carpentaria at Karumba’s Sunset Tavern with a barra burger in hand.

Taste-test at the local bakery

The humble country bakery is just part of the culture out west. Pretty much every township has one (or more) and you simply can’t go wrong with freshly baked pies, pastries and slices. For some of the most famous bites, try the camel pie at Birdsville Bakery, a peach blossom at Longreach’s Merino Bakery, vanilla slice from Charleville Bakery, or a sausage roll from Schluter’s Bakery in Blackall.

Catch your own dinner

Go fishing and a good meal will be yours for the cost of your bait. Whether you’re casting a line for yellowbelly, cod, catfish, perch or barramundi, fishing is a quintessential part of any Outback Queensland holiday, particularly if you’re camping.

Chat to the locals to find out the best spots, but you can’t go wrong at Lake Moondarra (Mount Isa), the Warrego River (Charleville), The Thomson River (Longreach) or Lake Callide (Biloela). Up north, Karumba is known as one of the best places to fish for barra: river fishing is popular or you can head out into the Gulf on a charter boat.

Ready to plan a trip? Get started here. With the savings you’ve made along the way, you can always splash out on a night or two on an outback station during the trip.