 Name: Matilda Highway
Location: Queensland Australia
1700km long, from Cunnamulla in the south to Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria
What's it like?
The Matilda Highway through Queensland's colourful Outback offers a driving adventure like no other.
Stretching more than 1,700km from Cunnamulla in the south to Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria, the Matilda Highway is custom-made for travellers keen for a taste of the Outback, its unique heritage, legendary hospitality and friendliness.
After all, the harsh beauty of western Queensland formed a unique culture which created a national song, gave birth to an international airline and saw a bitter battle which laid the grass roots for a major political party. It was here imagination and innovation overcame isolation to launch the Australian Royal Flying Doctor Service and School of the Air.
Today, sealed and well sign posted roads, a large range of accommodation options including comfortable air-conditioned motels, pubs, camping, caravan parks and farm stays, comprehensive day tours and modern facilities have made exploring the Outback more comfortable than ever imagined by its early pioneers.
For southern travellers, the Matilda Highway connects with the Kidman Way at the New South Wales border. The towns along the highway offer varied experiences for visitors, and the landscape is as wildly varied as the colourful Outback characters you'll encounter along the way.
There are picturesque billabongs and vast inland river systems, mulga scrubland, undulating plains, rugged gorges and escarpments and many scenic national parks.
Queensland's Heritage Trails Network brings to life stories, legends, evidence of incredible feats, epic events in history, rich landscapes, colourful tales and characters to keep you enthralled in the Outback.
The Queensland Heritage Trails Network links together 43 authentic heritage experiences, including a cluster of attractions along the Matilda Highway.
The network makes it easier for visitors to discover more of Queensland's unique history, culture and natural wonders - and each attraction will enrich your experiences and understanding of Queensland's heritage, people and places. Some attractions are brand new, while others are much-loved attractions like the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame which has been updated and significantly enhanced.
From the south, the first major town along the Matilda Highway is Cunnamulla on the banks of the Warrego River with its wealth of historic sites, including the Post Office (1868), Trappers Inn, the Blacksmith, State School (1885) and Robber's Tree. Fossickers keen to try their luck can detour here for the loop to Eulo, Yowah and Quilpie, home of the boulder opal, rejoining the highway at Charleville.
Visitor information centres are located in each of the major towns, including Charleville at the Royal Flying Doctor Service base. Be sure to visit: the historic Corones Hotel - a majestic remnant of the town's prosperous wool era, the National Parks Research Station - home of the Save the Bilby Fund, and the Charleville Cosmos Centre where you'll find arguably the best star gazing conditions in the Southern Hemisphere.
A couple of hours' drive away is Tambo, (don't forget to take home a teddy) followed by the vibrant Outback township of Blackall, home of the original Black Stump and first artesian bore. Take a dip in the Aquatic Centre's heated artesian spa waters and don't miss a visit to Australia's only remaining steam woolscour, the Blackall Woolscour, which has been lovingly restored as part of the Queensland Heritage Trails Network.
In the pretty town of Barcaldine, a special ghost gum called the Tree of Knowledge marks the site where the shearers met in 1891, laying foundations for the Australian Labor Party. Nearby, the Australian Workers Heritage Centre offers an impressive historical record of the contributions made by men, women and indigenous people to the development of Australia, covering everything from the shearers' strike to women in the war.
Just over an hour away is Longreach, rich in Outback heritage. Major improvements include fascinating redeveloped displays, a restaurant and restoration works on the original sandstone cottage built by RM Williams.
Also part of the trails network is the Qantas Founders Outback Museum at Longreach
Airport. The original 1922 Qantas hangar has been restored, while the architecturally
stunning museum traces the pioneering history of our national airline through
a range of fascinating interactive displays.
Also highly recommended are guided tours of the School of Distance Education, available on schooldays at 9:15am, while on the outskirts of town, talented locals perform bush poetry, songs, skits and yarns at Banjo's Outback Theatre.
The Matilda Highway continues on to Winton, where the Waltzing Matilda Centre plays host to the ghost of Banjo Paterson and the legend surrounding the creation of a national song. Now part of the trails network, the centre has undergone major improvements, including new interactive displays.
A short drive off the Matilda Highway south of Kynuna is the Combo Waterhole Conservation Park, believed to have inspired Banjo Paterson to write Waltzing Matilda. A 40 minute return walk from the car park leads to picturesque waterholes on the Diamantina River, perfect for a picnic.
Further north, the Outback becomes a land of vast plains which stretch to the horizon. Here you'll come across the Walkabout Creek in McKinlay, famous as the pub setting for Paul Hogan's 1986 smash hit movie, Crocodile Dundee. The Walkabout has a caravan park and air-conditioned accommodation.
Cloncurry, where the Royal Flying Doctors Service was launched, is home to the fascinating John Flynn Place which includes the RFDS Museum, as well as an outdoor theatre and art gallery. There's an historic Chinese Cemetery on the western outskirts of town and Burke & Wills Memorial Cairn, 43km west on the banks of the Corella River. From here it's 200km to the Burke & Wills Junction, ideal for a rest stop before continuing onto Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria, the final town on the Matilda Highway.
- By Sue Fuller
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