Outback Qld Road Trip
Sydney to Cairns the long way
Just two weeks to get from Sydney to Cairns via some of the most stunning outback scenery in Australia was a big ask. We could have spent two months and still not seen everything we would have like to. But with the limited time we had available we made some hard calls and narrowed it down to a very busy fortnight of travel. There were some veeeeerrrry long days of driving, dirt roads and corrugations played havoc with my time and distance calculations. Such as it is, here is a list of the places we stayed and stops we made along the way.
Day one | Sydney to Moree
On the way:
Gunnedah Silo Art
Thermal pools at Moree
Stayed: Moree – Gwydir Caravan park $30 for two people on an unpowered site
Kilometres travelled: 601
Read more about Gunnedah Silo Art and Moree
Day two | Moree to Canarvon Gorge
On the way:
Mungindi and the One Ton Post
Thallon Silo Art
Nindigully Pub for lunch
Roma bottle tree
Stayed: Sandstone Park, yes toilets, no showers or power. $105 for three nights.
Kilometres travelled: 700
Read more about The One Ton Post, Thallon Silo and Nindigully Pub
Day three | Overnight hike in Canarvon Gorge
Stayed: Big Bend walk in camping, Canarvon Gorge. $6.85 per person/night
Kilometres travelled: 9 by car and 14km by foot
Read more about Canarvon Gorge
Day four | Hiking back out of Canarvon Gorge
Kilometres travelled: 9 by car and 11km by foot
Day five | Canarvon Gorge to Lara wetlands
On the way: The Big Easel at Emerald
Stayed at: Lara Wetlands. $25 cash for 2 people 1 night. Toilets and showers, thermal pool, free kayaks and bikes.
Kilometres travelled: 565
Read more about Lara Wetlands
Day six | Lara Wetlands to (just outside) Winton
On the way:
The Tree of Knowledge at Barcaldine
Qantas Founders museum at Longreach
Stayed at: A rest spot about 40km before Winton- our first night of free camping.
Kilometres travelled: 289
Read more about Qantas Founder Museum
Day seven | Winton to Mary Kathleen
On the way:
Age of Dinosuars
Selwyn Ranges
Mary Kathleen mine site
Stayed at: Free camp in the Mary Kathleen old town centre, level concrete sites, no facilities
Kilometres travelled: 489
Read more about Age of Dinosaurs and Mary Kathleen
Day eight | Mary Kathleen to Adels Grove
On the way:
Mt Isa for breakfast and photos from the Hilary Street lookout
Riversleigh Fossil Site in the southern part of Boodjamulla National Park.
Stayed at: Adele’s Grove, $88 for 2 people for 2 nights
Kilometres travelled: 375
Read more about Boodjamulla National Park and Adeles Grove
Day nine | Exploring Lawn Hill Gorge
Hiked and kayaked the gorge
Kilometres travelled: 21 (to the National Park and back)
Read more about Lawn Hill Gorge
Day ten | Adels Grove to Croydon
On the way:
Burke and Wills Roadhouse
Normanton for a drink at the Purple Pub and Krys the Croc
Stayed at: Croydon Caravan Park, $33 for a powered site
Kilometres travelled: 580
Day eleven | Croydon to Cobbold Gorge
Relaxed afternoon, bushwalk to lookout and a swim
Stayed at: Cobbold Gorge, $34 for an unpowered site
Kilometres travelled: 222
Read more about Cobbold Gorge
Day twelve | Cobbold Gorge to Undarra Experience
Cobbold Gorge tour in the morning
Stayed at: Undara Experience, $70 for unpowered site for two nights
Kilometres travelled: 233
Read more about Undarra
Day thirteen
‘Wind Tunnel Explorer’ tour
Swim
Kalkani Crater walk
Kilometres travelled: 33 (to crater walk and back)
Day fourteen | Undara to Cairns
Millstream Falls
Yungabunga
Atherton Tablelands
Kilometres travelled: 199 and then 20km on the back of a towtruck
Read more about Atherton Tablelands
