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Longreach - Queensland
Located 1200 kilometres northwest of Brisbane, Longreach is the largest town in Central Queensland and is known as the Heart of the Outback.
It is a popular outback destination due to its world-class museums, stunning sunsets and unique experiences. Longreach became a town in 1887 and was named after the “long reach” of the Thomson River, on which it is situated.
We spent a week in Longreach, and in this video, we will explore the town and show you highlights from the Cobb & Co Stagecoach Experience, the Stockman’s Hall of Fame, the Drover’s Sunset Cruise and Smithy’s Outback Dinner and Show—as well as the Qantas Museum, the Ilfracombe Rail Excursion and the Powerhouse Museum.
All the streets in Longreach are named after birds, and Eagle Street is the main street running through the town centre. It has a great selection of cafes, hotels, restaurants and shops to browse in.
The Cobb & Co Stagecoach Experience includes a 45-minute ride on the horse-drawn Stagecoach, a delicious outback “Smoko”, a classic Australian bush movie in the old theatre and an Old Time Tent Show. After a leisurely walk around town, it’s time to hang on to your hats as the horses gallop along the bush track. This is the only place in Australia where you can gallop in a stagecoach, and it's a lot of fun!
At the Stockman’s Hall of Fame, the state-of-the-art self-guided audio tour brings the Museum’s themed galleries and exhibits to life. You will learn about the harsh conditions the stockmen endured and other interesting stories about the past. The highlight of our visit was the Outback Stockman's Live Show, where Lachie Cossor entertained us with stories and songs, skilful horse riding, whip cracking and sheep mustering skills.
On the Drover’s Sunset Cruise, we boarded the Longreach Explorer and meandered down the Thompson River. We stopped at Sunset Bend and enjoyed the incredible sunset before returning for Smithy’s Outback Dinner and Show. Back at Smithy’s, we enjoyed a lovely Lamb Hotpot and Crispy Barramundi dinner and dessert under the stars and were entertained by the amusing Owen Blundell.
The Qantas Founders Museum tells the history of Australia's national airline from its early beginnings in Outback Queensland in the 1920s to the present day. It is brought to life through various life-sized exhibits, historical artifacts and interactive displays. We enjoyed the Economy Experience, which includes entry to the Museum’s Main Entrance Hall and the National Heritage Hangar. There is a range of other experiences, including tours of the Airpark, Wing Walks and Luminescent Longreach, the evening light show.
On the Historic Ilfracombe Excursion, operated by Outback Rail Adventure, two beautifully restored Silver Bullet railmotors take us on a leisurely half-day trip from Longreach to Ilfracombe. In Ilfracombe, we have time to explore the Wellshot Centre, the Lynn Cameron Machinery Mile and Langenbaker House before enjoying lunch at the Wellshot Hotel.
At the Powerhouse Museum, we explore the Generating Complex, which houses 10 massive engines that provided power to Longreach between 1921 and 1985. We also wander through Nogo Cottage, which was built in 1918 and depicts how families lived between 1938 and 1950.
Includes Sunset Dinner Cruises, Nogo Station, Stagecoach Experiences, Historic Train Tours and the Winton Discovery Day Tour.
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