Buckle up for this 2,871 kilometre adventure taking you to all six of the 2023 Outback Queensland Masters tee-off locations. Off the outback ‘greens’, this road trip has got it all including the best outback fishing, dinosaur encounters and opals.
Take a self-drive adventure along the open roads of the outback to the final three locations of the 2023 Outback Queensland Masters. Meet prehistoric marine monsters, watch an outback sunset over the sea and tee off for a Million Dollar Hole-In-One in Mount Isa.
Leave the city behind for an outback road trip taking you to the first three locations of the 2023 Outback Queensland Masters. Find outback stunning scenery, big open skies, rich history and of course, famous outback pubs.
Buckle up for this 2,871 kilometre adventure taking you to all six of the 2023 Outback Queensland Masters tee-off locations. Off the outback ‘greens’, this road trip has got it all including the best outback fishing, dinosaur encounters and opals.
Make your way to St George, arriving the day before the first tee-off of the 2023 Outback Queensland Masters.
Perched on the banks of the mighty Balonne River, St George is a welcoming oasis where the country meets the outback. Here you’ll find tree-lined streets, great coffee, gourmet delis and quality pub food.
As Queensland’s Inland Fishing Capital, throw in a line for your ‘catch of the day’ or take a cruise down the Balonne River at sunset to experience the fresh waterways.
Satisfy your thirst for a good drop in the shady gardens of Riversands Wines, Queensland’s most western vineyard and save time in your schedule to admire the hand-carved emu eggs by a local artisan at the Unique Egg.
Make plans while you’re here for a day trip to Nindigully (45km south-east of St George), home to the rustic Nindigully Pub, Queensland’s oldest pub.
Stay 5 nights
St George Golf Club,
41 Grey Street St George
Saturday 17 June – Sunday 18 June 2023
Hit the road west to Bollon along the Adventure Way, where you’ll see the toil turn redder as you approach this great little western town.
It’s easy to spend an afternoon at the Bollon Heritage Centre, retracing Bollon’s history where even the keenest history buff will be pleasantly surprised by the range of artefacts and stories that narrate the town’s rural history and Aboriginal culture.
The Nullawokka First Nations Gallery in Bollon’s old post office, features works and authentic gifts from local emerging artists. Join a descendant of the local Gwamu/Kooma people for their afternoon two-hour Bollon Cultural Walk to discover bush medicine and historical scar trees.
If you’re looking to take a morning stroll, along the shady creek-side walkway you will be able to spot a koala or admire the Aboriginal dreamtime artwork.
Stay 2 nights
Continuing along the Adventure Way, you’ll know you’ve arrived in Cunnamulla when you spot the bronze statue Cunnamulla Fella. Start your time in Cunnamulla by visiting the Cunnamulla Fella Visitor Centre to find out about the Aussie larrikin.
Journey back 100 million years in the Artesian Time Tunnel to discover the world’s largest underground reservoir and lifeblood of the outback. Make you way to Charlotte Plains Station (40 minutes from Cunnamulla) to get a real feel for the mineral rich waters where you can soak in the serenity at in their outdoor baths or join a station tour.
Cunnamulla brims with natural beauty. To make the most of it, take a wander along the Warrego Riverwalk, DIY picnic or kayak down the tranquil waters while keeping an eye out for the cheeky Cooper Creek Turtle.
Head out to admire the sandhills, some of the best in Australia or take the short drive to the internationally renowned, Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary.
Stay 4 nights
Cunnamulla Golf Club,
Humeburn Road Cunnamulla
Saturday 24 June – Sunday 25 June 2023
The distinctly charming town of Eulo is where you’ll come to find local producers, opal art and artesian mud springs. Trust us, you won’t be leaving empty handed after you meet the local artisans.
No visit to Eulo is complete without embracing artesian mud baths where you can smear the 20,000 year-old-mud’s anti-ageing qualities all over your body while you sit back and relax. Just outside of town you can discover a supergroup of mud mounds and open springs that act as release valves for the Great Artesian Basin.
Visit the Eulo Queen Hotel and sample their signature dish for lunch and take a moment to read some of the local versions of the Eulo Queen story posted on the walls.
Stay 2 nights
Call yourself an explorer? Track west 129km from Eulo to Thargomindah.
Thargomindah was the first town in Australia, and third in the world, to produce hydro-electric power for street lighting.
Take a self-guided walking tour, starting at the Visitor Centre to grab a tour code card and map. Be sure to visit the Old Jail, Artesian Hydro Power Plant and the Old Hospital, made entirely from mud bricks.
If finding historic outback pubs is on your bucket list, add in the Noccundra Pub (130kms west of Thargomindah along the Adventure Way) to your list. The pub was built in 1882 out of sandstone quarried from Mt Pool in New South Wales, and transported by Camel Train.
To continue to Quilpie from Thargomindah, take the Cooper Developmental Road via Eromanga.
Take the short journey to Yowah, a ‘living gallery’ with its distinctive opal galleries dotted around the town.
Continue north to Toompine, the pub with no town. This institution has been standing for more than 120 years and is a great spot to yarn with the locals over a beverage or two.
Arriving Quilpie a further 77 clicks on the odometer north, you’ll find a stunning outback region, home to the exquisite boulder opal.
St Finbarr’s Church is one of the town’s iconic attractions, where its altar is adorned with locally mined Boulder Opal.
Take a late afternoon drive approximately 7.4 kilometres from Quilpie to Baldy Top, a magnificent boulder formation. The relatively easy ten-minute climb to the top will reward you with breathtaking outback panoramic vistas and a sunset show not to miss.
No trip to Quilpie is complete without a visit to the Eromanga Natural History Museum found 106km west of Quilpie along the Cooper Development Road. Meet ‘Cooper’ the 95-98 million-year-old titanosaur and other scientifically significant fossil discoveries including the world’s largest megafauna and an array of microfauna. Take the guided tour through the museum workshop, dinosaur and megafauna laboratories and collection room.
If you want a night at the museum experience, book in at their very own Cooper’s Country Lodge.
Stay 4 nights
Quilpie Golf Club,
Eagle Drive Quilpie
Saturday 1 July – Sunday 2 July 2023
Make your way to Longreach, via Windorah, stopping for a picnic break beside the Cooper Creek, where the Thomson and Barcoo Rivers meet.
Take the Thomson Developmental Road to continue onto the Stonehenge. Here, sign the town’s ‘visitor book’ Stonehenge style by writing your name in stone directly beside the road just outside of the town.
Arriving in Longreach, you’ll come to quickly see why it’s known as the ‘Heart of the Outback’.
Soak up history and heritage with visits to the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Qantas Founders Museum. Hold onto your hat and feel the thrill on a Stagecoach experience as you gallop along the Longreach-Windorah mail route or tour through one of largest classrooms in the world at the School of Distance Education.
Book in advance to spend an evening cruising down the Thomson River on sunset complete with dinner and entertainment, a must-do while in Longreach.
Stay 2 nights
It’s time to make your way north to Australia’s Dinosaur Capital and home of Waltzing Matilda, Winton.
The Australian Age of Dinosaurs, 20 minutes from Winton is where you can find world’s largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils. Join a guided interpretive tour of their Fossil Preparation Laboratory, Collection Room, March of the Titanosaurs Exhibition and Dinosaur Canyon.
The Waltzing Matilda Centre is the first museum in the world to be dedicated to a song, honouring the unofficial anthem penned in 1895. The interactive centre digs deep into the lyrics before taking you on a journey of discovery of the outback and its history. Make a stop in at the North Gregory Hotel in Winton, rumoured to be the location of the first ever performance of Waltzing Matilda.
Stay 2 nights
Make your way from Winton to Richmond, via Hughenden where you can continue uncovering Australia’s prehistoric past.
Hughenden is a small town surrounded by four national parks, mountainous volcanic basalt country, sweeping black soil plains and rich fossil and dinosaur areas. Schedule a stop at the Flinders Discovery Centre and meet ‘Hughie’ the centre’s life-size replica of the first entire dinosaur skeleton found in Australia.
Make the short 115 kilometre trip to Richmond, where the landscape may make it hard to believe that the area was once covered by a vast inland sea teeming with prehistoric reptiles and marine life.
Find your inner-palaeontologist at Kronosaurus Korner, Richmond’s museum and research facility. To search for the hidden ancient treasures yourself, join one of the experts from Kronosaurus Korner in their fossil hunting experiences or go solo local free fossicking fields.
Spend an afternoon by Lake Fred Tritton to unwind or learn about the local history at the Cambridge Downs Heritage Display Centre.
Stay 4 nights
Richmond Golf Club,
Hillier Street Richmond
Saturday 8 July – Sunday 9 July 2023
Trave east to Julia Creek, where you’ll have earnt some well-deserved down time. You won’t regret booking in a stay at the Julia Creek Caravan Park where you can sink into their bubbling warm artesian baths while enjoying a locally crafted cheese platter.
Explore the town on two wheels by grabbing a free cruiser bike from the Caravan Park and stop in at ‘Beneath Creek’ to meet their cute and cheeky nocturnal locals, the Julia Creek Dunnarts.
Stay 2 nights
After some R & R time in Julia Creek, begin your journey north towards Normanton. You won’t miss the town’s famous Purple Pub as you drive into the town’s main street. Call in for a refreshing ale, a meal packed with country hospitality and an obligatory road trip photo.
Keep your camera ready for when you meet Krys the Crocodile, the life-size statue of the 8.63 metre long Savannah King.
If you’re hoping to sneak in time for some birdwatching on this adventure, take your binoculars to the 900-hectare Mutton Hole Wetlands Conservation Park.
Karumba is a scenic 50-minute drive north, where the outback meets the sea.
We hope you’ve got your fishing rod packed; Karumba is one of Queensland’s best fishing spots with some of best wild caught Barramundi in Australia.
Tasting the wild-caught barramundi and local prawns is highly recommended while you’re here, as is watching the sun set over the Gulf with a cold beverage in hand at the Sunset Tavern or Anchorage Bar.
The Barramundi Discovery Centre is the best place to learn about Barramundi providing the history, stories, lifecycle and habits of these fish on their fascinating guided tours, where you can also hand-feed ‘barra’.
Make the most of your time in Karumba by jumping on board for a nature cruise spotting crocs and pulling mud crab pots or a sand island sunset cruise where you can admire the light show while enjoying freshly cooked prawns.
Stay 4 nights
Karumba Golf Club,
Gulf Development Road Karumba
Saturday 15 July – Sunday 16 July
Looking for an outback paradise? It’s called Boodjamulla National Park.
Travel south along the Matilda Way from Karumba before taking the Burketown Road turn off towards Gregory Downs and continuing on to test your four-wheel drive skills to find the orange gorges and green waters of this 28, 200 hectare national park.
Note: The entire 100km from Gregory Downs is unsealed. Although a four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended, this is the only route suitable for conventional vehicles and off-road caravans.
Continue your way south to Cloncurry, a town rich in history and minerals.
Cloncurry was the birthplace of the Royal Flying Doctor’s Service in 1928. Learn the story of its beginnings and the life of its founder at John Flynn Place. Over at the Cloncurry Unearthed Museum, check out the gem and mineral collection and discover more of the local history including displays about the Mary Kathleen Uranium Mine.
Cloncurry’s Water Tank will mesmerise you with the 360-degree mural capturing the towns sunset hues and indigenous community which overlooks the town and Cloncurry River.
Cool off (after all… you are in a town nicknamed ‘The Curry’) at Chinaman Creek Dam, just 5 minutes outside of town, and admire the surrounding red craggy rock formations.
Stay 2 nights
Journey along the Overlander’s Way to your finale destination, Mount Isa, ready for the Million Dollar Hole-In-One finale.
For those with a four-wheel-drive, we suggest a side-trip to the Ballara Mining Heritage Trail or eerie abandoned ghost town of Mary Kathleen, found enroute to Mount Isa.
Once you’ve arrived get your bearings from the city lookout with a 360-degree birds’ eye view.
Play it like a local and head 20 feet underground and dress up in a hard hat and high-vis on the Hard Times Mining Tour. The hands-on experience with an ex-miner will have you learning about the local mining history and drilling with authentic mining machinery.
For those seeking more of Australia’s ancient history on this road trip, the Riversleigh Fossil Centre at Outback at Isa is where you’ll learn about how the fossils are extracted from the World Heritage-listed Riversleigh Fossil Fields.
If there’s a hospital you want to visit while on holiday, it’s the Mount Isa Underground Hospital Museum. Built during WWII, it’s Australia’s only known underground hospital where you can walk the narrow wards which have been left almost completely intact.
If you’re looking to make a splash after the competition wraps up, just 17 kilometres north is Lake Moondarra. Throw in a line at this freshwater fishing gold mine or swim, kayak or pack a picnic to soak up the scenery and spot of the local peacocks.
Stay 4 nights
Mount Isa Golf Club,
2 Powerhouse Rd, Mount Isa
Friday 21 July – 23 July 2023
Make your journey back home or continue your adventure through Outback Queensland.
For more travel itineraries to inspire your Outback Queensland journey click here.
For further travel information including local road conditions, visit a local Outback Queensland Visitor Information Centre.
Take a self-drive adventure along the open roads of the outback to the final three locations of the 2023 Outback Queensland Masters. Meet prehistoric marine monsters, watch an outback sunset over the sea and tee off for a Million Dollar Hole-In-One in Mount Isa.
Leave the beaches behind and start your Outback Queensland Masters adventure by heading west from Townsville along the Overlander’s Way. Pitstop in Charters Towers for a morning break to admire the many grand buildings or check out the view from the Towers Hill Lookout.
Stop in at the Prairie Pub, a bucket list pub (for good reason), 40 kilometres east of Hughenden. This icon serves its meals, cold brews and friendly atmosphere with a side of Australiana artefacts.
Hughenden is a small town surrounded by four national parks, mountainous volcanic basalt country, sweeping black soil plains and rich fossil and dinosaur areas. Schedule a stop at the Flinders Discovery Centre and meet ‘Hughie’ the centre’s life-size replica of the first entire dinosaur skeleton found in Australia.
For your first outback sunset experience of the trip, head 8 kilometres south of the town to take in 360-degree sunset views from atop Mount Walker, 152 metres above Hughenden.
Nature seekers can take a trip to Porcupine Gorge National Park, located 64 kilometres north of the town. Here you will come to find towering sandstone cliffs that have been carved into the landscape over time by the erosion of the surrounding creek creating its beautiful colour. Set foot on the walking trails, take a dip or enjoy the peace and quiet.
Stay 1 night
Make the short 115 kilometre trip to Richmond, where the landscape may make it hard to believe that the area was once covered by a vast inland sea teeming with prehistoric reptiles and marine life.
Find your inner-palaeontologist at Kronosaurus Korner, Richmond’s museum and research facility. To search for the hidden ancient treasures yourself, join one of the experts from Kronosaurus Korner in their fossil hunting experiences or go solo local free fossicking fields.
Spend an afternoon by Lake Fred Tritton to unwind or learn about the local history at the Cambridge Downs Heritage Display Centre.
Stay 4 nights
Richmond Golf Club,
Hillier Street Richmond
Saturday 8 July – Sunday 9 July 2023
Travel east to Julia Creek, where you’ll have earnt some well-deserved down-time. You won’t regret booking in a stay at the Julia Creek Caravan Park where you can sink into their bubbling warm artesian baths while enjoying a locally crafted cheese platter.
Explore the town on two wheels by grabbing a free cruiser bike from the Caravan Park and stop in at ‘Beneath Creek’ to meet their cute and cheeky nocturnal locals, the Julia Creek Dunnarts.
Stay 2 nights
After some R & R time in Julia Creek, begin your journey north towards Normanton. You won’t miss the town’s famous Purple Pub as you drive into the town’s main street. Call in for a refreshing ale, a meal packed with country hospitality and an obligatory road trip photo.
Keep your camera ready for when you meet Krys the Crocodile, the life-size statue of the 8.63 metre long Savannah King.
If you’re hoping to sneak in time for some birdwatching on this adventure, take your binoculars to the 900-hectare Mutton Hole Wetlands Conservation Park.
Karumba is a scenic 50-minute drive north, where the outback meets the sea.
We hope you’ve got your fishing rod packed; Karumba is one of Queensland’s best fishing spots with some of best wild caught Barramundi in Australia.
Tasting the wild-caught barramundi and local prawns is highly recommended while you’re here, as is watching the sun set over the Gulf with a cold beverage in hand at the Sunset Tavern or Anchorage Bar.
The Barramundi Discovery Centre is the best place to learn about Barramundi providing the history, stories, lifecycle and habits of these fish on their fascinating guided tours, where you can also hand-feed ‘barra’.
Make the most of your time in Karumba by jumping on board for a nature cruise spotting crocs and pulling mud crab pots or a sand island sunset cruise where you can admire the light show while enjoying freshly cooked prawns.
Karumba Golf Club,
Gulf Development Road Karumba
Saturday 15 July – Sunday 16 July
Continue your way south to Cloncurry, a town rich in history and minerals.
Cloncurry was the birthplace of the Royal Flying Doctor’s Service in 1928. Learn the story of its beginnings and the life of its founder at John Flynn Place. Over at the Cloncurry Unearthed Museum, check out the gem and mineral collection and discover more of the local history including displays about the Mary Kathleen Uranium Mine.
Cloncurry’s Water Tank will mesmerise you with the 360-degree mural capturing the towns sunset hues and indigenous community which overlooks the town and Cloncurry River.
Cool off (after all… you are in a town nicknamed ‘The Curry’) at Chinaman Creek Dam, just 5 minutes outside of town, and admire the surrounding red craggy rock formations.
Journey along the Overlander’s Way to your finale destination, Mount Isa, ready for the Million Dollar Hole-In-One finale.
For those with a four-wheel-drive, we suggest a side-trip to the Ballara Mining Heritage Trail or eerie abandoned ghost town of Mary Kathleen, found enroute to Mount Isa.
Once you’ve arrived get your bearings from the city lookout with a 360-degree birds’ eye view.
Play it like a local and head 20 feet underground and dress up in a hard hat and high-vis on the Hard Times Mining Tour. The hands-on experience with an ex-miner will have you learning about the local mining history and drilling with authentic mining machinery.
For those seeking more of Australia’s ancient history on this road trip, the Riversleigh Fossil Centre at Outback at Isa is where you’ll learn about how the fossils are extracted from the World Heritage-listed Riversleigh Fossil Fields.
If there’s a hospital you want to visit while on holiday, it’s the Mount Isa Underground Hospital Museum. Built during WWII, it’s Australia’s only known underground hospital where you can walk the narrow wards which have been left almost completely intact.
Stay 4 nights
Mount Isa Golf Club,
2 Powerhouse Rd, Mount Isa
Friday 21 July – 23 July 2023
Leave the city behind for an outback road trip taking you to the first three locations of the 2023 Outback Queensland Masters. Find outback stunning scenery, big open skies, rich history and of course, famous outback pubs.
St George Golf Club,
41 Grey Street St George
Saturday 17 June – Sunday 18 June 2023
Hit the road west to Bollon along the Adventure Way, where you’ll see the toil turn redder as you approach this great little western town.
It’s easy to spend an afternoon at the Bollon Heritage Centre, retracing Bollon’s history where even the keenest history buff will be pleasantly surprised by the range of artefacts and stories that narrate the town’s rural history and Aboriginal culture.
The Nullawokka First Nations Gallery in Bollon’s old post office, features works and authentic gifts from local emerging artists. Join a descendant of the local Gwamu/Kooma people for their afternoon two-hour Bollon Cultural Walk to discover bush medicine and historical scar trees.
If you’re looking to take a morning stroll, along the shady creek-side walkway you will be able to spot a koala or admire the Aboriginal dreamtime artwork.
Stay 2 nights
Continuing along the Adventure Way, you’ll know you’ve arrived in Cunnamulla when you spot the bronze statue Cunnamulla Fella. Start your time in Cunnamulla by visiting the Cunnamulla Fella Visitor Centre to find out about the Aussie larrikin.
Journey back 100 million years in the Artesian Time Tunnel to discover the world’s largest underground reservoir and lifeblood of the outback. Make you way to Charlotte Plains Station (40 minutes from Cunnamulla) to get a real feel for the mineral rich waters where you can soak in the serenity at in their outdoor baths or join a station tour.
Cunnamulla brims with natural beauty. To make the most of it, take a wander along the Warrego Riverwalk, DIY picnic or kayak down the tranquil waters while keeping an eye out for the cheeky Cooper Creek Turtle.
Head out to admire the sandhills, some of the best in Australia or take the short drive to the internationally renowned, Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary.
Cunnamulla Golf Club,
Humeburn Road Cunnamulla
Saturday 24 June – Sunday 25 June 2023
The distinctly charming town of Eulo is where you’ll come to find local producers, opal art and artesian mud springs. Trust us, you won’t be leaving empty handed after you meet the local artisans.
No visit to Eulo is complete without embracing artesian mud baths where you can smear the 20,000 year-old-mud’s anti-ageing qualities all over your body while you sit back and relax. Just outside of town you can discover a supergroup of mud mounds and open springs that act as release valves for the Great Artesian Basin.
Visit the Eulo Queen Hotel and sample their signature dish for lunch and take a moment to read some of the local versions of the Eulo Queen story posted on the walls.
Stay 2 nights
Continue your journey by tracking west to Thargomindah, the first town in Australia (and third in the world) to produce hydro-electric power for street lighting.
Take a self-guided walking tour, starting at the Visitor Centre to grab a tour code card and map. Be sure to visit the Old Jail, Artesian Hydro Power Plant and the Old Hospital, made entirely from mud bricks.
If finding historic outback pubs is on your bucket list, add in the Noccundra Pub (130kms west of Thargomindah along the Adventure Way) to your list. The pub was built in 1882 out of sandstone quarried from Mt Pool in New South Wales, and transported by Camel Train.
Stay 1 night
Follow the Cooper Developmental Road to Eromanga, home to the Eromanga Natural History Museum. Meet ‘Cooper’ the 95-98 million-year-old titanosaur and other scientifically significant fossil discoveries including the world’s largest megafauna and an array of microfauna. Take the guided tour through the museum workshop, dinosaur and megafauna laboratories and collection room.
If you want a night at the museum experience, book in at their very own Cooper’s Country Lodge to stay the night.
Arriving Quilpie, you’ll find a stunning outback region, home to the exquisite boulder opal.
St Finbarr’s Church is one of the town’s iconic attractions, where its altar is adorned with locally mined Boulder Opal.
Take a late afternoon drive approximately 7.4 kilometres from Quilpie to Baldy Top, a magnificent boulder formation. The relatively easy ten-minute climb to the top will reward you with breathtaking outback panoramic vistas and a sunset show not to miss.
Stay 4 nights
Quilpie Golf Club,
Eagle Drive Quilpie
Saturday 1 July – Sunday 2 July 2023
