Brisbane to Mount Isa road trip: Best stops, distance & driving time

The Brisbane to Mount Isa drive covers a 1,826km distance, with a driving time of 20h3m. Make it a Brisbane to Mount Isa road trip, however, and great stops to add to the itinerary include Roma, Longreach and Winton.

The Brisbane to Mount Isa drive is an epic journey through the Queensland outback. It finishes in one of Australia’s iconic outback towns, although in practice this may be one leg on a longer Brisbane to Darwin road trip.

Mount Isa has a surprising amount to offer visitors, including an eerie uranium mine and ghost town tour, outback scenic flights and sunset drinks overlooking Lake Moondarra.

Brisbane to Mount Isa distance and driving time

The distance from Brisbane to Mount Isa by car is 1,826km. That makes for a driving time of 20 hours and three minutes.

9 brilliant Brisbane experiences to book in advance

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary tickets (or entry plus river cruise combo) – hold a koala and see lots of adorable native wildlife.
Brisbane River cruise – see the key sights and learn about the city on the way.
Story Bridge Adventure Climb – walk along the top of Brisbane’s famous bridge, with 360 degree views.
Combine the Southbank Parklands, City Botanic Gardens and Kangaroo Point Cliffs on a fun Segway tour.
Helicopter flight – see the city from a bird’s eye view.
Kayaking tour – choose the night tour to see the city light up, the day tour to enjoy the sunshine.
XXXX brewery tour – see how Australia’s most famous beer is made.
Guided wine flight tasting – get an Aussie wine introductory course.
See Brisbane’s spooky side on a city centre ghost tour.

But, of course, no-one is going to tackle that in one stint behind the wheel.

Therefore, Australia Travel Questions has put together guides to the different legs of the journey to help you pick out the best stops for a road trip itinerary. You can click through on these below.

Brisbane to Toowoomba.

Charleville to Longreach.

Longreach to Winton.

Winton to Cloncurry.

Cloncurry to Mount Isa.

Best stops between Brisbane and Mount Isa

If picking overnight stops, however, the best bets are Roma, Longreach and Winton.

6 supreme Brisbane day trips that will improve your holiday

Moreton Island day trip – with kayaking, sandboarding and snorkelling or with dolphin-feeding and desert dunes adventure.
Springbrook National Park glowworms and rainforest tour – including Tamborine Skywalk.
Eumundi Markets day trip – Australia’s best markets, plus the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and Noosa.
North Stradbroke Island day tour – with cruise, wildlife spotting and guided walk.
Tamborine Mountain winery tour – with gourmet lunch.
Maialia rainforest walking and wildlife tour – visit lesser-known D’Aguilar National Park.

On the Brisbane to Roma leg of the Brisbane to Mount Isa road trip, Toowoomba is the largest city, with more than its fair share of parks and gardens. The DownsSteam railway museum is also worth a visit.

Top Toowoomba accommodation recommendations

The best Toowoomba accommodation options are:

For central location and undercover parking at a 4.5 star with a pool: Oaks Toowoomba.
For well-equipped apartments: Athena Motel Apartments.
For a holiday park with plenty for the kids: Big4 Toowoomba Garden City.
For a surprisingly good motel at cheapish rates: Applegum Inn.

Continuing through southern Queensland, you can get local history doses at the Pioneer Park Museum in Dalby or the Chinchilla Historical Museum in Chinchilla.