Things to do in Longreach, Queensland

The best things to do in Longreach, Queensland are the Qantas Founders Museum and Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame.

Longreach, Queensland, is an outback town on the Tropic of Capricorn. It’s on the Landsborough Highway between Barcaldine and Winton. And, strangely, for a town so remote and relatively small, there are two really good tourist attractions in Longreach.

The two best things to do in Longreach, Queensland, are the Qantas Founders Museum and the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame.

Things to do in Longreach, Queensland: Qantas Founders Museum

Top Longreach attraction, the Qantas Founders Museum, tells the tale of the world’s second oldest airline. It covers the Qantas journey from a small start-up in Winton, servicing outback settlements, to becoming one of the world’s top airlines. The basic entry fee of $30 allows entrance to the museum. But you can also choose to do the Airpark Tour, which takes you inside the DC-3, Boeing 747, Boeing 707 and Super Constellation planes. This costs $67, including museum entrance.

The Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach, Queensland. Photo courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.

The Qantas Founders Museum also offers a Wing Walk tour, which lets you inside the flight deck of the Boeing 747. As the name of the tour suggests, you then go out for a walk along the wings. This tour cost $70, including museum entrance.

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.

Things to do in Longreach, Queensland: Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame

The Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre has two parts to it. The first is a museum about outback life. This delves into the wool industry, droving, outback pubs and bush craft. It also includes sections of Aboriginal Songlines and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Unlike many regional museums in Australia, this one has proper money behind it, and tells stories rather than just sticking old stuff in cabinets.

The second string to the bow at the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre is the Outback Stockman’s Show. This show, held in front of a grandstand, includes performances from working dogs, horsemanship demonstrations and sheep mustering. There are four shows daily, with tickets for both show and museum costing $68.

What to do in Longreach: Outback Pioneers tours

Longreach is also home to tour company Outback Pioneers, which offers a range of experiences in the neighbouring region. These include the Nogo Station Experience, which explains station life, ventures into the shearing sheds and tracks down wildlife such as the wedge-tailed eagles. Outback Pioneers also offers cruises on the Thompson River.

Longreach is a 179km drive from Winton, home of the Waltzing Matilda Centre.

Longreach accommodation picks

Longreach offers a surprisingly interesting range of accommodation. The options particularly worthy of consideration are…

For central location and a pool: Abajaz Motor Inn or Longreach Motor Inn.
For luxury glamping: Mitchell Grass Retreat.
For charm and character: Saltbush Retreat.

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