Queensland’s Outback Heritage & Oasis Gardens

Depart Brisbane this morning for our flight to Longreach. Arrive in Longreach this afternoon in the heart of the Queensland outback. Take an orientation tour before enjoying free time to look around town. Check into your boutique accommodation, inspired by the style of the pioneer era and the stagecoach journeys that linked Longreach with the outside world. Enjoy a special Welcome Dinner tonight.

Stay: Longreach, The Staging Post Stables

• Dinner

On our way to Winton we will be on the lookout for wildflowers blooming after the winter rains. Winton is known as the dinosaur capital of Australia and the birthplace of our national song, Waltzing Matilda. We visit the Age of Dinosaurs Museum, which houses the world's largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils.

Stay: Two Nights: Winton, Winton Opal Motor Inn

• Breakfast
• Dinner

This morning, visit the spectacular Lark Quarry to see the world’s only record of a dinosaur ‘stampede’. The landscape of this region was formed over millions of years, as the ancient rocks known as the Winton Formation have been eroded into a striking landscape of flat-topped hills, gullies, and steep, broken escarpments. This afternoon, visit the Waltzing Matilda Centre, which tells the story of the song, Winton and the outback region. We also see the site of the last Chinese market garden in western Queensland and learn more about how vegetables are grown here. While here, we also see the whimsical musical fence before returning to our hotel. 

• Breakfast
• Dinner

Today we make our way to a working station. Meet the owners and learn about life on the land. We then travel to the town of Barcaldine, known as the ‘Garden City of the West’. It is home to the Tree of Knowledge, the reputed birthplace of the labour movement in Australia. Upon arrival, enjoy an orientation tour of the town, where every street is named after a tree. 

Stay: Two Nights: Barcaldine, Country Motor Inn

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Visit the Australian Workers Heritage Centre, which is spread across two hectares of beautifully landscaped gardens surrounding a tranquil billabong. The centre presents a rich tapestry of exhibits capturing the spirit of our nation's workers. We then visit another beautiful private garden in the area. 

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Depart Barcaldine to Ilfracombe and view the incredible display of machinery along the ‘Miracle Mile of Motors’. Arrive at Darriveen Station, a true outback oasis in the middle of drought-ravaged western Queensland. Over more than 50 years, 300 bougainvilleas have been planted here. Enjoy lunch here before returning to Longreach. Enjoy free time to relax at our boutique accommodation, Saltbush Retreat, which has been created to reflect the unique textures and tones of outback Queensland. This evening, watch the colours of the Outback come to life during a sunset cruise on the Thomson River. Enjoy a camp-oven-themed dinner on the banks of the river and marvel at the stars overhead.  

Stay: Two Nights: Longreach, Saltbush Retreat

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Today we visit the Stockman’s Hall of Fame to learn about our pioneering history, and we see the live show to learn more about the traditional skills of the stockmen. This afternoon we visit Camden Park Station, which once hosted the Queen and Prince Phillip. See the Solar Farm, Historical Shearing Shed and Cattle Yards before enjoying a sunset drink and dinner in the wool shed with the Walker family. 

• Breakfast
• Dinner

This morning, explore the Qantas Founders Museum, which tells the story of Australia’s national airline, from its early days in outback Queensland to the present day. We then return to Longreach Airport for our flight to Brisbane.

• Breakfast