12 Day Gateway to the Australian Outback: A Campervan Road Trip

Pick up your campervan from Gold Coast Campervan Hire and head for the township of Toowoomba which sits on the crest of the Great Dividing Range. It is about a 2hr 30min drive along the M1 and Warrego Highway.

Toowoomba is Queensland’s largest inland city and is well known for its beautiful gardens and parks. Even though it is technically a city, it really is a country town at heart.

There are lots of great places to grab some lunch or maybe head to Picnic Point and check out the views of the Great Dividing Range, overlooking the Lockyer Valley and Main Range. There are free barbecues and plenty of trees to find a lovely spot to lay out your picnic blanket and relax.

There are plenty of camping options available in Toowoomba, including the Toowoomba Showgrounds. Make sure you check their website as the grounds are closed at certain times. If you are wanting more amenities, you can try Toowoomba Motor Village, only 3 kilometres south of the city centre. Maybe try Chookhouse Farmstay if you are looking for something a bit different – only 20 minutes south of Toowoomba.

Day 2 – Toowoomba

Set off to the Cobb + Co Museum and take a trip back in time to the era of horse drawn carriages and see how they impacted the development of Queensland. The National Carriage Collection and Factory houses more than 50 horse-drawn vehicles.

Take a tour of the streets of Toowoomba to check out the street art. There are more than 100 large murals around the town, painted by both local and international outdoor artists. Plot your tour with a map of the street art. You are bound to find a lovely little cafe for lunch on your street art tour.

After lunch, head to the Japanese Garden, located on the outskirts of Toowoomba. Set on over three hectares in the University of Southern Queensland, you can stretch your legs and enjoy a peaceful walk around the gardens or relax for a bit and take in the calm ambience and natural beauty of the surroundings. The Gardens are free to visit and there are toilets within the grounds.

Day 3 – Toowoomba to Chinchilla (164 km)

Head off from Toowoomba along the Warrego Highway for 164 km and you will come to the township of Chinchilla a quirky country town in the Western Downs of Queensland

If you time it right, it’s the perfect place for a weekend joining in the fun of the biennial Melon Festival. Held every second February, the next one is scheduled for 2024.

Fun fact – Chinchilla produces about a quarter of Australia’s watermelons! No wonder it’s home to the Big Melon, a 3-metre-high, 9-metre-wide slice of watermelon. Grab a selfie, then check out the rest of the town.

There are a few campgrounds to choose from around town, but if you’re there on a Friday night, it’s hard to go past Charleys Creek Campgrounds.

Previously known as Clover Hill Accommodation & Camping, the campgrounds are set on 35 acres alongside Charleys Creek and are run by Steve and Ursula Keating and their four children. Friday night is ‘Brisket night’ at Charleys Campgrounds. Steve and Ursula breed Wagyu and Angus cattle.

Every Friday, Steve puts a piece of brisket in his massive smoker, lets it cook from around 5am and serves it up with roast veggies, jacket potatoes with sour cream, salad, and homemade gravy from the meat juices. Is your mouth watering yet? It should be!

The family also treats you to a video and slideshow of the family history – how it all began, their passion for perfecting Wagyu beef, farming operations, Stock horse breeding (they have 80) and more.

The children help out with a few jokes along the way, and there’s a communal campfire to warm yourselves by and get to know the other campers afterwards, with a bevvy or two. The sunsets are amazing out here.

The family offers a Tag a Long farm tour, where you can meet their cattle and horses, and learn about sustainable land management.

Or you could take a 2.5-hour tour of the town and local area. It pays to book ahead for any of these activities during busy times.

If you’d rather do things in your own time, you could throw out a line, jump in a kayak and take off down the creek, or just relax and enjoy the serenity by your own campfire.

About Charley’s Creek campgrounds

The campgrounds offer toilets, showers, access to potable water and power hook ups. There’s a camp kitchen and a large communal fire pit, too.

Day 4 Chinchilla to Mitchell (275km)

 Mitchell, gateway to the outback of Queensland

Just 275 kilometres (about three hours’ drive) west of Chinchilla is the small town of Mitchell, the gateway to Queensland’s outback. Set on the Maranoa River, this rural town was named after the explorer Sir Thomas Mitchell who camped beside the river in June 1846 and gave the river its name. He was on an expedition from Sydney to the Gulf of Carpentaria at the time.

There are a couple of places to camp in Mitchell. You can try the free camp just out of town, by Neil Turner Weir, where you’ll find clean toilets, drinking water, picnic tables, and a nice spot to try your luck with a fishing rod. Donations appreciated to keep the free camp going.

Alternatively, the Major Mitchell Caravan Park is just across the river from the town’s artesian spa, an excellent bakery, well-stocked supermarket, and volunteer-run historical museum.

Major Mitchell Caravan Park offers unpowered, powered and ensuite sites. A couple of the ensuite sites are riverside, with their own fire pits. Site 16 has pole position, with a well-maintained ensuite, large drive-through site and fire pit overlooking the river, it’s a great spot to wind down. There’s plenty of firewood available for campers, free of charge, up by the office. If you aren’t lucky enough to grab a site with its own fire pit, there’s a large communal fire pit in the middle of the park. A great place to swap camping/travel stories over a few bevvies.

Day 5 Mitchell

Spa Day

While you’re in Mitchell, check out the Great Artesian Spa. The Spa draws its mineral water from the Great Artesian Basin. There are two pools to choose from – soothe those tired bones and revitalise yourself in the very comfortable, naturally-heated waters of one pool, or chill out in the cooler pool if you prefer. The Spa offers public day passes and there are discounted options for those who choose to stay longer to experience the full benefits of these mineral waters.

If you love a bit of history, the local heritage museum is an interesting place to check out. Booringa Heritage Museum is run by volunteers and is open from 9am to 12pm each day during tourist season. Entry is free, donations gratefully accepted. Set inside and outside a giant tin shed, the museum is bursting with historical memorabilia. Separated into a variety of sections, including a hospital nursery, schoolroom, and woolshed, you’ll learn a lot about the origins of the town and its people. It’s well worth a visit.

Day 6 – 7 Mitchell to Charleville (181 kms)

Grab a coffee and a bite to eat at Mitchell bakery and head west along the A2 to the outback town of Charleville.

Charleville, once home to a secret WW2 US Air Base

There’s plenty to see and do in this country town of around 3300 people, so stay a day (or two if you like). As mentioned in the title, Charleville was home to 3,500 US Air Force personnel during the Second World War. If you’re a history buff, take a tour to find out why they were stationed there and what it was like for those involved.

Star gazers might like to check out the clear outback skies through powerful Meade telescopes at the Charleville Cosmos Centre. Nature lovers can learn more about Australia’s cute nocturnal marsupial, the Bilby, and the successful breeding program being undertaken at the Charleville Bilby Experience. There’s also a Royal Flying Doctor Service Visitor Centre at Charleville Airport, where you can learn about this invaluable outback service and how it came about.

Did you know that it was in Charleville that the famous rainmaking experiment, the Vortex Gun, was carried out in the early 1900s? You can still see two vortex guns at Graham Andrews Parklands and Recreation Complex, along with some information about the experiment. Don’t forget to check out the outstanding artwork of the Charleville Water Tower, located in Parry Street. Painted in 2019, and part of the Silo Art Trail, the feature of the mural are the children of the region. It’s lit up at night-time, so anytime of the day/night is a perfect time to take a look.

Places to stay in Charleville

There are a couple of campgrounds in town, both with powered sites. Bailey Bar Caravan Park is within walking distance to town. The park offers some fun dinnertime activities most nights of the week, including camp ovens, lamb on the spit, hobby horse and yabby races. The Cobb & Co. Caravan Park is also centrally located, with many shady grassed areas suitable for campervans available.

Day 7-9 Charleville to Charlotte Plains Station (222 kms)

A unique, therapeutic experience

Established in the 1860s, Charlotte Plains Station is a working sheep station, producing both wool and meat. Farm tours are available weekly, but the main attractions are the hot Artesian thermal baths and showers that overlook the surrounding pools at the bore head. Relax in an outdoor, warm bath and let the natural minerals in the water work their magic on your tired/aching body. Watch the sun go down with a glass of wine or lie back and gaze at the abundance of stars that grace an outback night sky.

There’s plenty of powered sites available on this working station, so make sure you stop in and treat yourself to an Artesian hot bath experience. For more information visit the Charlotte Plains Outback Station website.

Day 9-10 Charlotte Plains to St George (249 kms)

Queensland’s inland fishing capital

Originally home to the Bigambul people, the town was given its name by the intrepid explorer, Sir Thomas Mitchell.

St. George is located alongside the Balonne River and is the self-proclaimed “inland fishing capital of Queensland”. There are plenty of places to fish for Golden Perch (Yellowbelly) and Murray Cod including Warroo Bridge, Beardmore Dam, Buckinbah Weir, and the Balonne River, itself.

Pop into the St George Heritage Centre along St Georges Terrace, and browse their collection of artefacts, historical information, blacksmith, printing press, old gaol and courthouse. If you’re a wine lover, check out the local winery at Riversands Wines, best known for its fortified wines, in particular Golden Liqueur Muscat and vintage port.

There are 3 caravan parks to choose from for your overnight stay, all located within the town’s boundaries and campervan friendly:

• River Gum Tourist Park, located beside the river.
• Kamarooka Tourist Park, close to town.
• Pelican Rest Tourist Park, located on the way into town with a 12-metre heated therapeutic pool.

Day 10-11 St George to Goondiwindi (200 kms)

Head south-east along Route 85 to the border town of Goondiwindi, affectionately known to many as “Gundy”.

Cotton, art and a cold brew

Goondiwindi is home to Goondiwindi Cotton. Take a tour of the farm and the town to learn about the history of cotton and other farming in the area with Goondiwindi Cotton Farm Tours.

Wander around town and discover street art and sculptures by local and interstate artists. Once you’ve built up a thirst, take your pick from the 12 pubs in town (or crawl them all) to down a cold drink and a meal. The Victoria Hotel on the main street is a classic example of early colonial / Victorian architecture.

There are a couple of places to choose from in Gundy:

• Rivergums Tourist Park, in the heart of town, close to the McIntyre River.
• Goondiwindi Holiday Park (a G’Day Park), with an outdoor heated pool and spa

Day 11-12 Goondiwindi to Killarney (232 kms)

Waterfalls galore

From the border town of Gundy, heady a little north east for a pit stop the ‘Rose and rodeo’ country town of Warwick. Set on the Condamine River, around 40 kilometres from the Border Ranges National Park, Warwick is the administrative centre of the Southern Downs region, boasting some of the state’s finest original sandstone buildings. If you have time, pop into the Visitor Centre at the Town Hall and ask about the City Walk Trail, which will take you past St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Town Hall itself, Warwick Horsepower Place and Warwick Police Station.

From Warwick, it’s a less than 40 kilometres’ drive to Killarney, your base for Queen Mary Falls and other nearby waterfalls. There are two caravan parks in Killarney: Killarney View Cabins and Caravan Park, an award-winning park just 10 kilometres from the Falls, and Killarney Sundown Motel and Caravan Park, close to town and the Falls.

Queen Mary Falls is in Main Range National Park, a part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. Settle in to your campsite, then take a short drive followed by a leisurely 2-kilometre walk along the Queen Mary Falls circuit. The walk starts at the picnic area at the top of the Falls and works its way down to the rainforest at the base. There are toilets (non-flush), free electric barbecues and picnic tables to enjoy an outdoor lunch or afternoon snack when you return from your walk. While you’re in the National Park, check out Dagg’s Falls and Brown’s Falls if you have the time (and the energy).

Day 12 Killarney to Gold Coast (235 kms via National Highway 15)

Take the easy way home, via National Highway 14, the M2, M6 and M1. The drive will take you through and over Cunningham’s Gap, where there are breathtaking views to be had from the top of the Main Range National Park out to the south-east coast of Queensland. If you feel like stretching your legs, and would like to soak up the view for more than a few seconds, stop at The Crest carpark at the top of Cunningham’s Gap and follow the signs for the Rainforest Circuit. The walk is 1.6 kilometres long and features a lookout over the range down to volcanic peaks and Lake Moogerah. There are toilets at the carpark for your convenience.

From there, you’re on the home stretch having learned a lot of central Queensland’s history and natural environment, experienced warm, country-style hospitality, and returning to the Gold Coast feeling relaxed, yet strangely more fit and ready to embark on your next campervan adventure.

Learn more about hiring a campervan for your outback roadie

Does this sound like the adventure of a lifetime? Explore our available campervans that have been fully kitted out to make your outback road trip both unforgettable and comfortable. Bringing your home with you wherever you decide to travel gives you that peace of mind and ultimate freedom to go wherever you want without worrying about accommodation. We can’t wait to hear from you!