Cunnamulla to Charleville: Distance, driving time & road trip stops

The Cunnamulla to Charleville drive in outback Queensland covers a 199km distance in a driving time of around 2h17m. The best road trip stop to add to the itinerary is the Charleville Botanical Reserve.

The drive from Cunnamulla to Charleville in Queensland covers the northern stretch of the Mitchell Highway. It’s most likely to be undertaken as part of a longer road trip. For example, the Cunnamulla to Charleville drive forms part of the quickest route from Canberra to Darwin.

Cunnamulla to Charleville distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Cunnamulla to Charleville is 199km. That should make for a driving time of around two hours and 17 minutes. Alas, there’s not a great deal to divert the attention along the way.

Best Cunnamulla accommodation choices

The best places to stay in Cunnamulla, Queensland, are:

For cheap rooms at the local pub: Cunnamulla Hotel.
For overall quality and – if you want – glamping tents: Club Boutique Cunnamulla.
For family cabins: Cunnamulla Tourist Park.
For a solid hotel with restaurant, bar & free parking: Warrego Hotel Motel.

It’s a fairly monotonous drive alongside a railway line, and the first attraction of any note is just to the south of Charleville.

Cunnamulla to Charleville road trip: Charleville Botanical Reserve

The Charleville Botanical Reserve aims to showcase the region’s vegetation within a 2,000 hectare reserve. Take on the 30km 4WD driving route around the reserve, and you’ll cover spinifex, gidgee swamp, poplar box trees, a sand ridge and mulga forest.

There’s plenty of bird-watching to be had, although the best time to visit the Charleville Botanical Reserve is in spring, when the desert myrtle turns the landscape pink.

Once you’ve arrived, the best things to do in Charleville include exploring the secret World War II air base and learning about the heavens at the Charleville Cosmos Centre and. Other Charleville highlights include the Royal Flying Doctor Service Visitor Centre and Charleville Historic House.