2 DAY/1 NIGHT QUILPIE STATIONS & DINOSAURS GETAWAY
DAY 1: Local Favourites and Outback Station Stay
MORNING
Plan for a morning arrival in Quilpie and make your first stop the Quilpie Visitor Information Centre – it’s a very good place to start! There’s plenty of free parking out front, accessible facilities and a welcoming green space with covered seating out back. Inside, you’ll be greeted by enthusiastic locals, keen to help you make the most of your stay. Be sure to allow time to wander the onsite museums and family-friendly art gallery too.
If you’re yearning for a barista coffee with your preferred version of ‘milk’, then you can’t go past ‘the coolest horse float turned coffee van.’ From the Visitor Information Centre, it’s just a 2-minute stroll to the Unstable Coffee Van, open from 5.30am weekdays.
This tiny outback town is bursting at the seams with awesome activities and colourful in-the-know stories. Speaking of colour, there’s plenty under the surface too. Best known as an opal town, Quilpie is the largest producer of the highly prized ‘Boulder Opal’, second only in value to the black opal.
For the ultimate ‘finders keepers’ activity, let the kids loose in the free opal fossicking area just 1.5km from town. You can purchase Fossicking kits from the Visitor Information Centre for under $10. Let the kids know that the most popular colours are blue and green, but red is the most valuable and rarest. While in town, be sure to check out the famous opal altar, created by a local opal miner for St Finbarr’s Church, and let’s just say he didn’t do things by halves!
If you’re keen to try some local fare for lunch, amble down the main street to the Offshears Bakery. Their traditionally made meat pies are legendary. Especially given they are baked by a World Champion Women’s Shearer! Or, if you prefer a traditional pub counter meal, head to the Imperial Hotel.
- Local Tip: To fully appreciate the opal colours, splash some water on them after you find them.
AFTERNOON
Did someone say ‘catch and cook’ was on the menu tonight? Freshwater yabbies are easy to trap (just ask a country kid) and they taste absolutely delicious when cooked over the campfire. Preparation is key, so head on over to Paulsen Bros Friendly Grocer to stock up on BBQ dinner supplies plus a yabby trap from the Quilpie Hardware, essential for catching your entrée!
Just eight minutes down the road, adventure awaits at The Lake, Quilpie. This 2500-acre property is home to Merino sheep, beef cattle, and more recently, Kalahari red goats. The big attraction is most certainly Lake Houdraman, AKA ‘The Lake’, popular for swimming, fishing, BYO kayaking and yabbying. Set up your self-contained campsite on the banks of this gorgeous Lake or move in to one of their self-contained cottages and let the fun begin. Don’t forget to set your yabby trap!
- Local tip: Word on the street says that Yabbies love liver pieces from the local butcher. Grab a Yabbying Fact Sheet from the Visitor Information Centre.
Now, negotiations may be in order here, but Mum may be eyeing off the inviting lakeside bath house with its deep clawfoot baths, steaming with mineralised artesian water. The Pot belly heater will be stoked ready for an indulgent soak, complete with mud face mask and a million-dollar-sunset lake view. BYO towel, drinks, music and nibbles.
EVENING
Head back into town for the start of the Quilpie Night Show screened under the stars on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Virtual host, Q the Curlew is the star of this engaging tell-all story of how Quilpie came to be – the struggles, the triumphs and the multi-generational pioneering dynasties. It’s a great yarn for the whole family in a wonderfully relaxed setting.
Back at your outback station digs, settle in for a tasty BBQ dinner, hopefully with that freshly caught yabby entrée. Then, gather the family around the campfire for stargazing and marshmallow toasting ……letting the dark outback skies work their magic for a blissful night’s rest.
DAY 2: Ancient Landscapes & Dinosaurs
MORNING
Skip the temptation to snooze and you’ll be rewarded with a spectacular sunrise from Baldy Top Lookout. This ancient boulder formation is just 7.4km from town with approximately 2km unsealed. Walk or pushbike around the base then it’s a short climb to the top for stunning 360-degree views. After a hearty brekky cook-up back at the station, join farmer Dan on a morning 4WD tour* of the property to spot his prized Kalahari red goats before check-out. (*subject to availability and advance booking)
Fuel up the car at the Old Empire Café. While there, we recommend you purchase some of their freshly made chicken and salad wraps for the road. They’re a town favourite!
Drive 106km along the fully sealed Diamantina Development Road to Quilpie Shire’s dinosaur town, Eromanga. This is where Cooper, the mega of all Australian dinosaurs once roamed and the Eromanga Natural History Museum has the bones to prove it. Make sure you’ve booked in advance for the 1.00pm Family Fossil Preparation program which includes the popular Australian Dinosaur Giants tour. There’s also a state-of-the-art theatre, Interpretative Corridor, and café with a view. Dino-fans looking to extend their experience should consider the museum’s overnight Dinosaur Insider’s Packages.
As you leave Eromanga, be sure to take a ‘selfie’ at Knot-a-Saurus Park, an impressive sculpture of a Sauropod and her two babies, cleverly created with 100-metre lengths of twisted aluminium.
- Local tip: The Eromanga Royal Hotel, built in 1885 was once a Cobb & Co Staging Post. It’s a top spot for a meal.
AFTERNOON
Given that you are now in the town dubbed ‘furthest from the sea’, some forward planning as to your next destination is needed. To get your bearings, Eromanga is roughly a 3-hour drive south-east along the Natural Science Loop to Thargomindah or 3.5 hours east to Charleville.
Now, if you’ve decided that another night in the Quilpie Shire is an absolute must…and we wholeheartedly agree…then consider the newly opened Toogunna Plains Farmstay. Located 45 minutes’ drive from downtown Quilpie and 25 minutes’ drive from the Eromanga Natural History Museum it’s well placed for a combination station and dinosaur holiday. This 4th generation family-owned sheep and cattle property offers 20 beautifully presented ensuite cabins and family quarters. Guided station tours and an exclusive sunset tour* to nearby rolling red sandhills (super fun for active kids) are just two of the family-friendly activities on offer. Evenings at Toogunna can be spent reconnecting around the communal firepit under a blanket for twinkling stars. (*minimum numbers apply).
Whatever your plans, please be sure to chat to the Quilpie Visitor Information Centre team for local experiences, road conditions and safe driving tips.
Thanks for visiting!
