St George to Longreach road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time

The best stops to add to a St George to Longreach road trip itinerary are Mitchell, Blackall and Barcaldine. By car, the distance from St George to Longreach is 822km, with a driving time of around 8h45m.

Planning a St George to Longreach road trip itinerary

A St George to Longreach road trip takes you to arguably the most appealing town in outback Queensland. For most travellers, this will be a leg on a longer road trip. The quickest driving route from Sydney to Darwin passes through this way.

The best Longreach attractions include the Qantas Founders Museum and the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre. You can also try a Longreach river cruise along the Thomson River. To investigate the top Longreach tour and activity options, head this way. To pick the right Longreach accommodation, nosey around here.

There’s plenty to see along the way, though. This expert-researched guide should help you plan your perfect St George to Longreach road trip itinerary.

St George to Longreach distance and driving time

Using the quickest route by car, the distance from St George to Longreach is 822km. That makes for a driving time of around eight hours and 45 minutes.

The best road trip stops to add to a St George to Longreach road trip itinerary include Mitchell, Blackall and Barcaldine.

St George has a golf course and a small airport, but visitors are more likely to be interested in wine-tasting at the Riversands Winery, walking along the banks of the Balonne River or taking a scenic drive through the surrounding cotton fields.

Where to stay in St George

The top St George accommodation choices are:

For a good motel with a pool and gardens: Jacaranda Country Motel.
For great value: Balonne River Motor Inn.
For a four star with restaurant and pool: Riverland Motor Inn.

St George to Longreach road trip: St George to Augathella

It’s a ruthlessly uninteresting 209km from St George to Mitchell along the Mitchell-St George Road You’ll pass the Albany State Forest, but that’s about it.

The highlight of Mitchell is the Great Artesian Spa – an outdoor pool complex. You can also stay overnight at the Mitchell Motel and Cabin Park. Otherwise, continue west along the Warrego Highway.

In Morven, the Warrego Highway meets the Landsborough Highway. The quickest route turns at that junction, but it’s worth continuing west for a short distance to Charleville. Things to do in Charleville include the secret World War II base, the Charleville Cosmos Centre and the Royal Flying Doctor Service Visitor Centre.

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.

If you go straight up the Landsborough Highway instead, you’ll pass through Augathella.

There’s not much to do in Augathella, but there are several impressive murals along the main street. Augathella is also home to one of Australia’s weirdest Big Things – the Giant Meat Ant.

Augathella accommodation possibilities include the Augathella Palms Motel and Augathella Motel and Caravan Park.

St George to Longreach drive: Augathella to Barcaldine

It’s a long, lonely drive from Augathella to Tambo, which offers a bird-watching hide at Tambo Lake. The top attraction in Tambo, however, is Tambo Teddies.

This teddy bear manufacturer started as a way of using excess wool from the local wool industry. It has built up a niche for high quality, woollen cuddly toys.

The next stop on the St George to Longreach drive is Blackall. Attractions here include the Blackall Wool Scour, which acts as a living museum to the wool industry. There are also sculptures and art installations all around a town that bills itself as the Art Capital of the Outback.

The star attraction, however, is the Blackall Aquatic Centre, where the outdoor heated pool is fed by an artesian bore.

The Landsborough Highway swings west at Barcaldine. The top attractions in Barcaldine are the Australian Workers’ Heritage Centre and the Tree of Knowledge, generally accepted as the birthplace of the Australian Labor Party.

Barcaldine accommodation options include the solid Barcaldine Country Motor Inn.

The main street in Barcaldine, Queensland. Photo courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland

St George to Longreach road trip: Barcaldine to Longreach

The final 108km stretch of the St George to Longreach drive is from Barcaldine to Longreach. This follows the Spirit of the Outback train line. The Ilfracombe Machinery and Heritage Museum is the biggest attraction on the route. Which is to say you’re probably best whizzing straight on through to Longreach.

Longreach is arguably the best stop in outback Queensland, however. Here, the Qantas Founders Museum looks at the story of Australia’s oldest airline, while the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre has great evening shows. And a Thomson River cruise is a lovely way to enjoy the sunset.

4 Longreach experiences to book before you arrive

Exploring the Thomson River on a Longreach river cruise

Starlights river cruise – take in sunset along the Thomson River aboard a paddlewheeler.
Cobb & Co stagecoach experience – travel along an outback dirt road pulled by galloping horses.
Wildlife and woolsheds tour on a double decker bus through Nogo Station.
Dinosaur-packed day tour to Winton.