7 day itinerary for the ultimate outback adventure in Longreach, Aramac and Barcaldine

You’ve made it to Longreach! And you’ve got 7 days to explore. Well, you’ve come to the right place as we’ve done all the planning for you. Where to stay, what to eat and all the best things to do in Longreach, Aramac and Barcaldine. So pack your Akubra and let’s go.

Day 1: AM

Starting off where the early pioneers began, when the sound of hooves thundered down bush tracks and clouds of dust filled the air. In an original stagecoach, ride like the wind on the old Longreach-Windorah mail route in Outback Queensland’s earliest form of passenger transport - the Cobb & Co. Learn local history from the old-timers like Harry Redford who carved it, share smoko (morning tea) and settle into the old theatrette for a movie about the bush. This is the only place in Australia where you can gallop in a stagecoach - so hold on to those Akubras.

Day 1: PM

When lunch calls - hit Merino Bakery for a feast of pies, pasties and sausage rolls but don't forget their famous peach blossoms too - its cake dipped in jelly, rolled in coconut and stuffed with cream - you’ll thank us for this delicious tip later. 

Join a sunset cruise on the lifeblood of Longreach, the Thomson River to watch the molten colours of sunset streak across the sky, wildlife foraging at dusk on its banks and as night falls, the outback skies turn into a glittering canopy of stars. Choose from Starlights Cruise Experience on a historic paddle-wheeler, followed by a stockmen’s dinner around the campfire, or the Drover’s Sunset Cruise which includes Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show where you’ll feast on a camp oven-themed dinner and enjoy live music, storytelling and dancing.

Stay

Check in to Saltbush Retreat for an authentic stay in colonial style cabins fitted with luxury decor and mementos from the stables and stockmen of days gone by. And be sure to have a sublime soak in the outdoor clawfoot baths under the stars or on sunrise too.

Equally indulgent, Mitchell Grass Retreat’s glamping experience is just three minutes from town with stunning views over the region's golden grasslands. There’s no roughing it here, canvas clad cabins boast stunning ensuites, air-conditioning and an outdoor deck for basking.

Longreach Motor Inn or Abajaz Motor Inn are also perfect choices, and if you’ve brought your own tiny home on wheels with you, Longreach Tourist Park has powered and unpowered sites and some even have private ensuites.

If you want to try something new, Outback Pioneers' rustic-luxe boutique and heritage-themed accommodation at the Staging Post pays homage to the stagecoach era with rooms resembling luxury stables while studios are set around the courtyard. Coming soon - Outrider Huts, so keep a look out for those.

Day 2: AM

After a hearty breakfast, let your patriotic pride soar at the QANTAS Founders Museum, learning about the daring bush pilots and aeronautical pioneers who took Australia to the world on wings. Allow plenty of time to wander the interpretive exhibits, pore over replica aircraft and see artefacts depicting the history of QANTAS. For an even bigger thrill, take the 747 Wing Walk. Kids will need to be 12 or above to do this one, and anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Choose to have breakfast prior or lunch after at onsite McGinness Restaurant, or wander across the road to the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame for lunch at Garraway’s Coffee House.

Day 2: PM

This afternoon, strum your Aussie heart strings even harder by sharing the rousing role stockmen and women have played in shaping Australia’s bush heritage and history. Starting in the Stockman’s Hall cinema for an immersive 20-minute cinematic experience where you will walk in the shoes of a stockman and afterwards, pop on those Akubra’s and saddle up for the Outback Stockman’s Show for a high energy one-of-a-kind show by ringers and their trusty canine sidekicks.

You’ll have worked up an appetite, so hit the Birdcage Hotel for a cold beer and succulent local steak for dinner. Let the kids loose in the Baby Galah room while you shoot some pool or have gather the family for a boogie on the dance floor beside the locals.

Day 3: AM

Take a leisurely 20-minute drive to Ilfracombe through the golden-hued grasslands of western Queensland. Once a bustling outback town with five hotels, the town serviced the region's sheep and cattle stations including Wellshot Centre, which at the time, had the most sheep of any station in the world. Today, a history of machinery stretching the length of the town known as the “Great Machinery Mile” museum is ideal for a fossick, and afterwards, lunch at the iconic Wellshot Hotel. Donate a note to the ceiling for charity and enjoy the hospitality of an original Queenslander regarded by many as one of Australia’s most authentic outback Aussie pubs. 

Day 3: PM

Drive a further 50 minutes to Barcaldine where you might be surprised to find flourishing gardens and verdant parks have won “Barcy” the moniker of ‘Garden City of the West.’ Go for a swim at Queensland’s only outback beach which can be found at Barcaldine Rec Park before joining a Sunset Tour with Trakker Tours to learn Barcaldine’s story as told by  Yiningai Dreamtime Guides. You’ll watch the sunset from the Globe Tourist Lookout spanning a spectacular 360-degree vista and watch on as the Tree of Knowledge illuminates while discovering its history as the birthing place of the Queensland Labor Party and its symbolic reverence to Australian workers.

Stay

Overnight at one of Barcaldine’s many accommodation options. From the Homestead Caravan Park or Barcaldine Tourist Park to a choice of three charming Motels; the Barcaldine Country Motor Inn - popular for its refreshing pool, the Ironbark Inn Motel with rooms and ensuite cabins or stay at the Landsborough Lodge Motel to dine at the popular Turf N Surf Restaurant. There’s quintessential outback pub accommodation at the Railway Hotel or if you’re travelling as a family, the Union Hotel has spacious family rooms at affordable prices.

For something quaint - the gorgeous two-bedroom Kenilworth Cottage is a dream stay in an original Queensland heritage cottage. Or, head back towards Ilfracombe for a stay at Evanston Station, a working sheep station offering rustic shearing quarters accommodation with shared bathrooms and kitchen facilities.

Day 4: AM

Start the day with a famous pie at Barcaldine Bakery, or try a Brekkie Burger at Satisfaction Bakery before re-joining Trakker Tours for a visit to the Desert Dreamtime Centre. Join a personal tour of the centre with Yiningai woman, creator and visionary Cheryl Thompson where you will learn of the centre's vision for "closing the gap” by offering studies of the arts, culture and tourism to Indigenous students. Cheryl and her daughter Olivia will perform an ochre ceremony to inspire a connection to country and after, weave you on a journey through interpretive sculpture and art, sharing traditional owner perspective, insight and deep cultural knowledge. 

Day 4: PM

For lunch, Cheryl’s Ridgee Didge Cafe serves delicious meals with friendly hospitality. And for the best local brew, Coolamon Coffee is a fair-trade blend made for Barcaldine and is like drinking the essence of the outback in a cup. A range of exquisite local indigenous artworks, bush tucker, medicine and decor are available to buy in-store also.

Return to the Desert Dreaming Centre to join a workshop where you will create your own authentic Yiningai art. From music sticks, boomerang making, bush tucker and dance workshops, your new skill or keepsake will be a meaningful souvenir to take home and treasure.

Afterwards, indulge in a sumptuous bush tucker inspired three-course dinner followed by a mesmerising performance by the Desert Dust Dancers who share Dreamtime stories through dance, song and music. 

Day 5

Trackers Tours have an option for you to join either the Aramac and Lake Dunn Sculpture Trail Tour or step back in time on the Dinosaur Dreaming Trail today. If sculpture is your preference, travel with them on a 200km tour looping Aramac, Lake Dunn and Jericho to admire the largest permanent outdoor sculpture exhibition in the world. The works of prolific artist Melinda Rogers, view 40 pieces on the tour travelling through spectacular Desert Chanel Country.

If a walk with giants is more your style, the Dinosaur Dreaming Trail includes a visit the Muttaburrasaurus Interpretive Centre, where you’ll learn about the second most completed skeleton - Muttaburrasaurus Langdoni, found in this region by a local grazier. Visit the remnants of the outbacks' ancient inland Eromanga Sea and afterwards, visit the fascinating Dr Arratta Museum to learn about the role medicine has played throughout the ages. You’ll have the chance to lunch at the iconic outback pub - the Wellshot Hotel and walk the famous Machinery Mile.

We suggest checking in to Shandonvale Station tonight for a stay on a working sheep station.

Day 6

Awake to the sounds and smells of the Aussie outback. Accommodation is the rustic yet supremely comfortable 100-year-old shearing quarters refurbished with downy queen-sized beds, a self-contained kitchen, a gorgeous 19th-century wood stove and an indulgent claw foot bath to soak in or relax with a coldie in the treetop artesian spa.

Join in fishing, canoeing, rifle range shooting, mustering and looking after the station's loveable pets including donkeys, horses, dogs, emus, pigs, emus and goats, or just kick back and relax overlooking the clay pans of Aramac Creek where you’ll spot plenty of wildlife. Later, gather around the campfire to share stories with other travellers under a canopy of a trillion stars. And enjoy delicious organic food prepared especially for hungry guests in Shandonvale’s unique paddock to plate style.

Day 7

Your journey may be over, but the memories of this ultimate outback trip will remain with you forever. Our options include return to Longreach or heading back to Brisbane on one of Queensland’s most spectacular outback drives.