Sydney to Longreach road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
Sydney to Longreach road trip: Quirindi to Narrabri
After Quirindi, the Kamilaroi Highway weaves through rural landscapes towards Gunnedah, where you can take on the short walks to the Porcupine Lookout and Avards Lookout.
The Gunnedah Rural Museum does the local history thing, and there’s more silo art to admire.
If earmarking Gunnedah as the place to for an overnight stay, accommodation options include the very well-reviewed Gunnedah Lodge Motel and the pool-equipped Gunnedah Motor Inn.
After Gunnedah, continue along the Kamilaroi Highway to Narrabri. On the way, you’ll go through Boggabri, where the Boggabri Historical Museum covers the tale of how much of the town was moved due to flooding.
On the way into Narrabri, the Narrabri Fish Farm at Jacks Creek boasts that it’s the largest hatchery in New South Wales. There’s a daily fish-feeding tour at 10.30am.
Top of the list of things to do in Narrabri is getting a taste of historic prison life at the Narrabri Old Gaol and Museum. And, just west of town, there’s the Australia Telescope Compact Array, where a rather cool-looking series of radio telescopes receive signals from space.
Narrabri accommodation possibilities include the four star Adelong Motel and the well-located Mid Town Inn.
Narrabri to St George
It’s another 100km from Narrabri to Moree, although you may wish to detour to Mount Kaputar National Park for the views and walking trails.
Things to do in Moree include birdwatching at the Waterbird Lagoon bird hide in the Gwydir Wetlands State Conservation Area, visiting the Bank Art Museum and swimming at the Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre.
What’s the best Moree accommodation?
Moree makes a logical overnight stop on many road trips. These are the best accommodation choices.
- For exclusive artesian spa pools: Artesian Spa Motel.
- For great reviews & a restaurant: Albert Motel.
- For solid, well-priced apartments with a pool: Jackaroo Apartments.
The next leg of the Sydney to Longreach road trip takes you out of New South Wales and into Queensland. Specifically, the town of St George
The quickest route is along the Carnarvon Highway, initially heading north-west and crossing the New South Wales/ Queensland border at Mungindi.
The highlight here is the Mungindi Hot Pool, which is fed by an artesian spring and heated to a constant 38 degrees Celsius.
The next town to the north is Thallon, where you can admire the enormous murals painted on the grain silos.
A little further north is Nindigully, home to the legendary Nindigully Pub. This, allegedly, is the oldest pub in Queensland.
Otherwise continue to St George on the Balonne River. 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 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.
Click through for the next section: St George to Barcaldine.