Roma to Emerald road trip: Distance, time and stops

Top stops on a Roma to Emerald road trip itinerary include Carnarvon Gorge and the Minerva Hills National Park. Without stops, the drive covers a 402km distance in around 4h23m.

The Roma to Emerald drive connects two of the biggest inland towns in Queensland, heading through a rugged, under-explored stretch of country. There are no towns of any real note on the way, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few road trip stops worth exploring.

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Roma to Emerald distance and driving time

The Roma to Emerald drive covers a 402km distance. You should expect a driving time of around four hours and 23 minutes.

Where to stay in Roma, Queensland

Accommodation in Roma, Queensland, costs from $80 a night.
The Best Western Bungil Creek is the best bet for business travellers. The Mandalay Motel has the best central location.
For best overall quality, the winner is arguably the Roma Explorers Inn. And the Roma Motel hits the sweet spot of convenient location, good value for money and a pool.

The first stretch of the Roma to Emerald road trip along the Carnarvon Highway passes through a few sporadic state forests before reaching Injune.

Attractions between Roma and Emerald: Wild Dog Fence in Injune

Here, you can see the Wild Dog Fence – aka the Dingo Fence. This is the longest fence in the world, stretching from Jimbour in south-east Queensland to Nundroo on the Nullarbor Plain. Go to the Womblebank Road 8km north of Injune to see it.

Injune accommodation options include the Injune Motor Inn and Injune Motel. Some travellers choose to stay here as a base for exploring the Carnarvon National Park, even though it’s 140km to the north.

Roma to Emerald road trip stops: Carnarvon Gorge

Nonetheless, Carnarvon Gorge is easily the highlight of a Roma to Emerald road trip. It’s a remarkable place of sandstone walls, Aboriginal art and spectacular walking tracks.

Rolleston, about 106km to the north of Carnarvon Gorge is the other gateway to the national park, and the next village on the Roma to Emerald drive. There’s a general store and caravan park in Rolleston, but not an awful lot else.

This is also where the Carnarvon Highway finishes, merging into the Dawson Highway. Turn west on the Dawson and you very quickly reach the Albinia National Park. This is essentially a preserved wetland, not particularly set up for visitors.

Roma to Emerald drive: Springsure and Minerva Hills National Park

Further along the Dawson Highway, before you reach Springsure, it’s worth pulling over at the Staircase Range Cutting. Here signs explain how the dramatic cutting was made by Chinese labourers using only hand tools.

At Springsure, the Dawson Highway meets the Gregory Highway. Most travellers use it as a fuel stop, but Springsure accommodation is available at the Springsure Overlander Motel and Dooley’s Tavern.

The Minerva Hills National Park is just 4km from Springsure. There are several good lookouts here, and the best walk is the 1.6km return walk to the Skyline Lookout, which has views of the town and Mount Zamia.

Roma to Emerald road trip: Lake Maraboon

On the way into Emerald, you can pull over at Lake Maraboon, the second largest lake in Queensland. Created by Fairbairn Dam, Lake Maraboon is a popular spot for fishing, swimming and picnics.

Lake Maraboon, created by Fairbairn Dam near Emerald, Queensland. Photo courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland/Blink Photography.

Things to do in Emerald once you arrive include pushing lots of buttons at the kid-friendly Outback Exploratorium and admiring the world’s biggest Van Gogh sunflower painting. It’s not, alas, an original.