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

The best stops on a Boulia to Winton road trip are the Cawnpore Lookout and Middleton Hotel. By car, the distance from Boulia to Winton is 362km, with a driving time of around 3h58m. Beware: there are no fuel stops between Boulia and Winton.

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

Boulia is famed for the Min Min Light natural phenomenon, while Winton offers the Waltzing Matilda Centre and tours to the ancient site of the Dinosaur Stampede.

A Boulia to Winton road trip, however, is something of a hard slog through not exactly action-packed outback.

Boulia to Winton distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Boulia to Winton is 362km. That makes for a driving time of around three hours and 58 minutes.

4 Winton experiences that will make your visit better

Day tour to Carisbrooke Station and the ancient dino footprints of the Dinosaur Stampede.
Sunset tour to the outback rock channels of Rangelands Station.
3/4 day tour to the Dinosaur Stampede and Merton Gorge.
Half day tour to the Age of Dinosaurs Museum – or make your own way and visit the fossil preparation laboratory.

The 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.

Boulia to Winton drive: Cawnpore Lookout in Channel Country

The best single stop on the Boulia to Winton 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.

The Cawnpore Lookout on the drive from Boulia to Winton. Photo courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.

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.

Middleton Hotel on a Boulia to Winton road trip

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.

Fuel stops between Boulia and 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.