Barcaldine to Emerald road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops

The drive from Barcaldine to Emerald, Queensland, is 309km in distance. The Barcaldine to Emerald driving time for this Capricorn Highway road trip is around 3h19m.

The drive from Barcaldine to Emerald in Queensland is not one that many tourists will undertake. Barcaldine and Emerald are effectively outback settlements. And while they’re important regional hubs for the surrounding mines and agricultural stations, they’re not exactly what people come to Australia for.

Barcaldine to Emerald road trip on the Capricorn Highway

The two towns are well inland from the coast, pretty much on the Tropic of Capricorn. So it should come as no real surprise that the drive from Barcaldine to Emerald is along the Capricorn Highway.

The Capricorn Highway stretches from Rockhampton near the coast to Barcaldine. Here, it meets the Landsborough Highway, which continues to Longreach, Winton and Cloncurry.

You’ll realistically only along this stretch of the Capricorn Highway if you’re driving from the Northern Territory towards Rockhampton. Either that, or you’re taking a road trip through Australian heritage, combining several Queensland outback towns.

To sort out accommodation in Barcaldine, head here. For Emerald accommodation, book here.

Barcaldine to Emerald distance and driving time

The drive from Barcaldine to Emerald is 309km in distance. That makes for a Barcaldine to Emerald driving time of around three hours and 16 minutes.

There’s not an awful lot to see as the Capricorn Highway passes through tiny settlements such as Jericho, Alpha and Willows.

However, if you really want to break the journey, there are a few state forests to investigate as you head east. The Zamia State Forest and Withersfield State Forest only require minor diversions from the Barcaldine to Emerald Drive.

Reasons to visit Barcaldine and Emerald

Things to do in Barcaldine include visiting the Australian Workers’ Heritage Centre, which explores the 1891 Shearers’ Strike and Australian industrial relations since then. There’s also the architecturally striking memorial to the Tree of Knowledge, a tall ghost gum tree where the striking shearers met.

Things to do in Emerald include the Outback Exploratorium, a fun, kid-friendly science museum. You can also go swimming, kayaking and fishing at Lake Maraboon.