There are many iconic tourist routes in Queensland that inspire travellers all year round to load up the truck , the kids , and maybe the husband and head off on a family Road Trip .
Part of our recent trek from the big smoke to the outback saw us traverse just over 700km on the iconic “Real Outback” route – The Matilda Way . This route spans 1812km from Cunnamulla to the Gulf of Carpentaria, ending in Karumba. If you want to experience the history , the hospitality and the vastness of the outback , then welcome to the Matilda Way.
.
Charleville To Winton > 695 km
When you arrive in Charleville , you can feel your adventure starting. The home of the Cosmos Centre , Cobb and Co and bilbies , this town certainly has a lot to offer. With a country pub or two it is certainly a great place visit.
85 Km north and you head into the town of Augathella – Home of the Meat Ants, and the Kenniff Tree. Stop in at the local park to see the giant meat ant and read about the history of these animals. Just a short drive through town and you will find some Aussie Bush Ranger history – at The Kenniff Tree.
A further drive north and you will find yourself in Tambo – The oldest town in the central west. After some pretty tough drought, the town turned its huge wool supplies into the icoic Aussie teddy – The Tambo Teddys, make sure you spend some time to pop into the store, but be sure to watch out for Teddys Crossing.
Continue the journey north another 103 Km is the town of Blackall. With Shearing tales of Jackie Howie, the big ram and the iconic black stump, this is certainly a town worth some time. If you need some food after all that history then head to Barcoo Hotel.
A little further north and the Matilda way will take you through the town of Barcaldine. Rich in history from the Tree of Knowledge to the Great Shearers Strike , Barcaldine is an outback town with a some stories to tell.
From here you will head through Ilfracombe towards Longreach . As you drove through Ilfracombe you will see Machinery Mile , An open air museum of neatly laid out farm machinery and trucks and tractors, certainly worth the time to get out and have a look – The kids will love it .
A short drive later you will find yourself in the bustling western Qld town of Longreach the home of Qantas , Stockman’s hall of Fame and Captain Starlights Lookout . With so many famous places to visit spend some time here to immerse yourself in outback life and soak in all the things this town has to offer.
From here it’s a short drive north to the town of Winton – Where dinosaurs and waltzing matilda are neighbours. It worth spending two days here as there is so much to discover in these two attractions.
We knew that road tripping was the way we loved to travel and spending the day travelling a small section of the ‘Matilda Way’ was an awesome start to our “Week in the Outback “