Adelaide to Port Douglas road trip: Distance, drive time & stops
Adelaide to Port Douglas drive: Bourke to Cunnamulla section
The next leg is from Bourke to Cunnamulla, which covers a 257km distance along the Mitchell Highway.
There’s not much to keep you interested here. That said, at Barringun just south of the Queensland border, there’s basic accommodation and food at the Bush Tucker Inn and Caravan Park.
Cunnamulla offers sandboarding down the big dunes at the edge of town, a giant water tower mural and lots of kangaroos.
Best Cunnamulla accommodation choices
The best places to stay in Cunnamulla, Queensland, are:
- For cheap rooms at the local pub: Cunnamulla Hotel.
- For overall quality and – if you want – glamping tents: Club Boutique Cunnamulla.
- For family cabins: Cunnamulla Tourist Park.
- For a solid hotel with restaurant, bar & free parking: Warrego Hotel Motel.
Adelaide to Port Douglas via Charleville.
It’s another 199km from Cunnamulla to Charleville, following the railway line. This is one of those stretches where you just hit the accelerator and get it over and done with.
Just south of Charleville, the 2,000 hectare Charleville Botanical Reserve showcases the region’s vegetation. There’s a 30km 4WD driving route around the spinifex, mulga forest and gidgee swamp.
Come in spring, and desert myrtle turns the landscape pink.
The best things to do in Charleville include venturing into the secret World War II air base and exploring the heavens at the Charleville Cosmos Centre and. The Royal Flying Doctor Service Visitor Centre and Charleville Historic House are also worth a look.
Charleville is an ideal spot for an overnight stop on the Adelaide to Port Douglas road trip.
The best accommodation in Charleville
Of the Charleville accommodation options, these are the best bets…
- For heritage and personality: Hotel Corones.
- For best value: Charleville Waltzing Matilda Inn.
- For central location: Rocks Motel.
- For gardens and pool: Mulga Country Motel Inn.
Click through for the next section: Charleville to Barcaldine.