Visit the real Aussie outback
16 Dec 2018
The town of Longreach in Queensland has seen its fair share of hardship recently, but a visit to Australia’s real outback can be a great trip – and help out those in need.
The town of Longreach is considered the “heart of the outback” – a rough and beautiful country that has been forged on the back of farmers, stockmen and shearers. This is what they Americans call Big Sky Country, stunning wide open spaces and unforgettable outback sunsets.
Coming to Longreach is a trip of a lifetime for many – to see, smell and touch the red dust of the outback, ride a Cobb and Co Stagecoach down the old dirt mail track, or cruise the Thomson river on a paddlewheeler.
The worst drought in the last few centuries has rallied the entire nation to support struggling farmers and graziers, from giving millions of dollars in donations to buy stock feed, to supporting Australian supermarkets charging an extra 10c milk levy. But one of the best things you can do is spend some tourist dollars backing our regional heroes. Here are the top things to do in Longreach:
Visit the Outback Pioneers
Outback Pioneers is a family-run tourism business born in 2006 through the devasting effects of drought. Richard Kinnon and his family are graziers who found a way to support their outback stations by offering tourists in Longreach a ride on their Cobb & Co stagecoach.
Richard offers visitors the chance of taking a step back in time and taking a Cobb & Co ride through the harsh Aussie outback, just like the European explorers did hundreds of years ago.
“It’s not only the feeling you get, it’s the seeing, the hearing, the smelling,” Richard says. “We sit on the speed that Cobb & Co used to sit on – a good steady trot – on one of the old mail coach trails that used to lead into town. Then, on the way home, we do what they call in the old days ‘running a storm’ – the pounding hooves, the smell of horse sweat and the dust rolling in – and I can tell you now there is no experience like this.”
The Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame
Marked by the Giant Stockman, the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame is a top family destination. This museum tells the story of the grazing and farming community in the area, while acknowledging the Aboriginal history that stretches of 40,000 years.
Checkout the exhibitions and they take a break in the Wool Bale cafe.
The Qantas Founders Museum
Longreach was integral to the founding of Australia’s national airline, Qantas, and the Qantas Founders Museum tells that pioneering story. At the museum you can tour some of the Boeing 747s that have been part of the Qantas story, checkout the genuine artefacts from the fledgling airline, and get involved with the interactive displays.
There is a story to tell in Longreach – a true Australian history lesson that can be experienced by those who venture over the Great Divide and a message those who visit can take back to the suburbs in Australia.
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