The interior of Queensland seems to echo with stories of the past. In Longreach, stock routes more than 150 years old thread through the town like overlapping veins, and in 1921, it became an early base for Qantas. The story of a small outback airline turned global aviation giant is now preserved at the Qantas Founders Museum. From Longreach, five experiences lead travellers deeper into outback Queensland.

Sunset Rail Tour

In the late afternoon, a restored 2000-class 'silver bullet' train pulls out of Longreach. Through floodplains, gidgee scrub and red mulga, savour canapés as the setting sun casts its last light and retrace the lines that once connected remote stations to town.

Thomson River Cruise

The Thomson River is central to life in Longreach. The town's water supply, and even its name, comes from the river's 'long reach'. Spend a morning cruising aboard the M.V. Longreach Explorer. River red gums line the banks, their scarred trunks a quiet record of much older Indigenous use of the waterway, where bark was once carefully removed to craft canoes and shelters.

Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame

Opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1988, this museum is dedicated to the many faces — explorers, pastoralists, overlanders and Indigenous stock workers — who shaped the Outback. Wander through galleries of archival material and interactive displays at the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame.

Sundowners at Kyra Sandhills

South of Longreach, guests arrive at Toogunna Plains Farmstay and set out to the remoteness of Kyra Sandhills for sunset drinks and canapés. The rippling ochre dunes rise unexpectedly from flat grazing country as the Outback is set aglow by the setting sun. Afterwards, return to the homestead for a two-course dinner under the night sky.

Mitchell Grass Retreat

Mere minutes from town, Mitchell Grass Retreat sets safari-style canvas tents on the open plains. Each has an en suite and a deck facing the Mitchell Grass Downs, an open sweep of treeless country. Spend evenings beside crackling fire pits and mornings on your private deck, where birdsong accompanies a hand-delivered breakfast.

Words by Danielle Cowen