Charleville to Townsville road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The distance from Charleville to Townsville is 1,038km, with a driving time of 11h22m. The best road trip stops along the quickest Charleville to Townsville driving route are Barcaldine and Charters Towers.
Planning a Charleville to Townsville road trip itinerary
A Charleville to Townsville road trip connects one of Queensland’s most fascinating outback towns to the largest city in North Queensland.
To find the best Charleville accommodation deals, come this way.
Townsville is where you can take the ferry to gorgeous Magnetic Island, enjoy sunset cruises and visit the Museum of Underwater Art. For more Townsville experiences, explore here. To ferret out the best Townsville accommodation deals, look here.
6 Townsville experiences to book in advance
- Magnetic Island ferry tickets – head over to one of the most beautiful islands in Australia.
- SS Yongala wreck dive – sea how coral and marine life have made the shipwreck home.
- Great Barrier Reef and Museum of Underwater Art cruise – witness the extraordinary underwater art project up close.
- Helicopter ride along the coast – get amazing views from above.
- Sunset sailing cruise – watch the colours over the water, with alcoholic drinks included.
- Jetski tour to Cape Pallarenda – whizz past beaches and giant boulders.
This guide should help you plan your perfect Charleville to Townsville road trip itinerary.
If you need to hire a car, find the best rental deals. And don’t forget to do all your pre-road trip shopping.
Charleville to Townsville distance and driving time
By car along sealed roads, the distance from Charleville to Townsville is 1,038km. Without stopping, that makes for a Cobar to Cunnamulla driving time of around 11 hours and 22 minutes.
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.
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.
Charleville to Townsville drive: Charleville to Barcaldine
The distance from Charleville to Barcaldine is 409km, with a driving time of around four hours and 17 minutes.
The drive quickly meets the Landsborough Highway just south of Augathella. In Augathella, you can admire the murals along the main street and be somewhat puzzled by the Giant Meat Ant Statue.
If planning to stop overnight, Augathella accommodation ideas include the Augathella Palms Motel and Augathella Motel and Caravan Park.
The next town is Tambo, where there’s a bird-watching hide at Tambo Lake, and a surprisingly successful outback teddy-making business.
Tambo Teddies began as a way of using excess wool from the local wool industry.
Charleville to Townsville road trip: Things to do in Blackall, Queensland
You can learn more about that wool industry in the Blackall Wool Scour, a museum devoted to the subject.
There are also are installations and sculptures all around Blackall, which regards itself at the Art Capital of the Outback.
The most tempting attraction, however, is the Blackall Aquatic Centre. Here, the heated outdoor pool is fed by an artesian bore.
You’ll leave the Landsborough Highway at Barcaldine, where the top attractions are the Australian Workers’ Heritage Centre and the Tree of Knowledge. The latter is generally accepted as the birthplace of the Australian Labor Party.
For Barcaldine accommodation, try the solid Barcaldine Country Motor Inn.
Click through for the next section: Barcaldine to Townsville.