Melbourne to Townsville road trip: Distance, time & best stops

Melbourne to Townsville road trip: Landsborough Highway stops

From Charleville to Barcaldine, it’s 409km. You’ll join the Landsborough Highway just south of Augathella, which has plenty of murals and a rather puzzling Giant Meat Ant Statue.

If stopping overnight, Augathella accommodation options include the Augathella Palms Motel and Augathella Motel and Caravan Park.

The next town is Tambo, where you can visit the outback teddy-makers at Tambo Teddies. 

Further along in sculpture-packed Blackall, the Blackall Wool Scour is a museum devoted to the local wool industry, and you can swim at the artesian bore-fed Blackall Aquatic Centre.

You’ll finally leave the Landsborough Highway at Barcaldine, where the highlights are the Australian Workers’ Heritage Centre and the Tree of Knowledge. The latter is regarded as the birthplace of the Australian Labor Party.

The reasonably-priced Barcaldine Country Motor Inn will do for accommodation.

Click through to the next section: To Townsville.