Boulia to Longreach road trip: Distance, drive time & fuel stops

The best stop on a Boulia to Longreach road trip is Winton. By car, the distance from Boulia to Longreach is 541km, with a driving time of around 5h53m.

Planning a Boulia to Longreach road trip itinerary

The drive from Boulia to Longreach connects two of the more interesting towns in outback Queensland.

Boulia is famed for the Min Min Light natural phenomenon.

Longreach offers evocative cruises along the Thomson River, adventures on an old-fashioned stagecoach and an outback sheep station experience. To investigate the best Longreach tour and activity options, head this way. To pick the right Longreach accommodation, nosey around here.

This guide should help travellers plan a great Boulia to Longreach road trip itinerary.

Boulia to Longreach distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Boulia to Longreach is 541km. That makes for a driving time of around five hours and 53 minutes.

The best stop to add to a Boulia to Longreach road trip itinerary is Winton.

Boulia to Longreach fuel stops

The only official fuel stops on the Boulia to Longreach driving route are in Winton.

There are no fuel stops between Boulia and Winton, although the Middleton Hotel will often have some petrol in a can in the case of emergencies. It is essential to fill up with fuel in Boulia and, unless you’ve got a very high capacity engine, you’re probably going to need to fill a jerry can, too.

Boulia to Longreach road trip: Boulia to Middleton

The Boulia to Longreach driving route passes through big sky country, with a most of the excitement coming from the occasional mesas that punctuate the landscape. You can also keep your eyes peeled for the Min Min Light. This is a blurry, circular light that gives the appearance of hovering just on the horizon. Nobody quite knows what causes them, but local legend says these lights sometimes follow drivers.

The best single stop on the Boulia to Winton leg of the drive is the Cawnpore Lookout. In the Lilleyvale Hills, this lookout takes in panoramic views of the landscape at its most rugged, with a handy mesa to centre the photo.

It’s a good example of what the Channel Country looks like. Yes, it’s desert, but during a heavy monsoon season in northern Australia, this region floods, with the dry channels becoming impromptu rivers.

Around 51km further on is Middleton, where you’ll find one of the most character-packed and remote outback pubs in Australia. The Middleton Hotel has a rudimentary campground opposite if you need to stay the night.

This is also the last stop of any interest before reaching Winton.

Boulia to Longreach drive: Winton to Longreach

Once in Winton, you can discover the back story of Australia’s favourite poem at the Waltzing Matilda Centre.

The main attraction on the drive from Winton to Longreach is Australian Age of Dinosaurs in Corfield. Just outside Winton, this is a not-for-profit organisation that collects dinosaur fossils. There are plenty such fossils around Winton, with the Winton Formation being one of the world’s most productive fossil sites.

The museum shows off some of these fossils, and explains the unique dinosaur species that once roamed western Queensland. All the real work goes on in the fossil preparation lab, of course.

The best Longreach attractions include the Qantas Founders Museum and the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre. You can also try a Longreach river cruise along the Thomson River.

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