4WD Dinosaur Adventure Loop Drive Itinerary
From Longreach to Longreach

Day 1: Longreach to Muttaburra

Before departing Longreach and heading off on your 4-day adventure, make a quick visit the legendary Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame. You can see more of Longreach on your return, on day 4 of this tour.

Head east to Barcaldine. Barcaldine's charming facade has earned it the tag of 'Garden City of the West' (all the streets are named after trees) and hides tumultuous tales of a controversial past. In 1891, Barcaldine became the headquarters of the Great Shearers' Strike. One thousand shearers laid down their blades in a defiant protest that reverberated around the nation and resulted in the formation of the Australia Labour Party and a graziers' group which later evolved into the National Party. An enduring symbol of the strike lives on today in the 'Tree of Knowledge', the imposing ghost gum in the town's main street where the strike meetings were held. The town also has a few National Trust-classified buildings, the Historical Folk Museum, the Botanical Walk (9 km south), and the Red Mountain scenic drive 55 km east of town.

Continue on to Aramac and check out the wide streets inspired by the streets of Melbourne, with strangely disproportionate design. By any measure the streets are uncharacteristically wide for such a small settlement. The town was originally called Marathon, but renamed by explorer William Landsborough as an acronym of Queensland Premier Sir Robert Ramsey Mackenzie (RRMac). The town is most famous for the White Bull replica that commemorates Captain Starlight's arrest for cattle-stealing. Visit the Tramway Museum in town, with rail motor and historical exhibits.

When you arrive in Muttaburra, you arrive in the heart of dinosaur country. Muttaburra is one of the world's richest repositories of fossilised dinosaur bones. Formerly part of the great inland sea, this region is alive with fossils from another age. The town is best known for the discovery of fossilised bones in 1963 of a previously unknown dinosaur, the Muttaburrasaurus langdoni, named after the town. The creature is believed to have been 12 metres long, two and a half metres high from the hip and weighed in at 15 tonnes. A full-size replica can be seen in the town. Agate fossicking is also available locally. Overnight in Muttaburra, or bush camp on nearby riverbanks.

Day 2: Muttaburra to Hughenden

Two other very special attractions are found in Muttaburra, the Dr Arratta Memorial Medical Museum, displaying medical history from the turn of the century, and the Cassimatis Store, a tremendous display recognising the contribution of the Cassimatis family, one of many Greek families who took up the challenge to live in the Outback. The Cassimatis Store, originally opened in 1914 has been reopened, after a full renovation in 2001.

Head north to tonight's stop, Hughenden - situated on the banks of Queensland's longest river: the Flinders. Hughenden has many attractions to offer with four National Parks; gemfields, mountainous volcanic basalt country; sweeping black soil plains; and rich fossil and dinosaur areas. Swimming, fishing and birdwatching should be high on your agenda.

Hughenden offers gem fossicking and scenic 4WD tours through magnificent volcanic basalt country. Fossils are to be found in many of the creek beds surrounding the town. Scenic 4WD routes are currently being mapped and identified. These drives offer panoramic views and lookouts and a diverse range of flora, fauna, rocks and soils.

The first Europeans to pass through this area were part of Frederick Walker's 1861 expedition to find the explorers Burke and Wills. Visit the Historic coolibah tree on the east bank of Station Creek, marked by Walker in 1861, and again by Landsborough in 1862 when he too was searching for Burke and Wills. The Flinders Discovery Centre in town includes a 7 metre replica of the Muttaburrasaurus langdoni.

Overnight in Hughenden.

Day 3 & 4: Hughenden to Longreach

Take off early from Hughenden to unsure you have plenty of time to enjoy your destination for today. Rich in history, Winton was originally known as Pelican Waterhole and was first settled in 1875. The town is best known as the place that AB (Banjo) Paterson wrote Waltzing Matilda in 1895, whilst at Dagworth Station outside Winton. The first performance of the ballad was reported to be at Winton's North Gregory Hotel on April 6 of the same year. Winton is recognised as the home of Australian bush poetry, hosting the annual Bronze Swagman Award, one of the country's most prestigious literary awards.

Day trips from Winton take visitors to Opalton, one of the oldest opal fields in Queensland; Combo Waterhole, where the swaggie of Waltzing Matilda fame reputedly met his fate; the vintage sandstone homestead of Old Cork Station; and Lark Quarry Conservation Park (115 km south), where 93 million year-old fossils capture a dinosaur stampede.

Bladensburg National Park, just south of town, offers flat-topped mesas, plateaus and residual sandstone ranges as the scenic backdrop. This large, remote park protects examples of the Mitchell Grass Downs and Channel Country in outback Queensland.

The Waltzing Matilda Centre is also one not to miss. Opening in April 1998 as a permanent memorial to Waltzing Matilda and to capture the spirit of the Australian character epitomised by the song, it includes a display re-creating the ghost of the song narrating the story. Other interactive displays reveal the life of the swagman, provide renditions of the song and illustrate at the essence of the Australian character using a hologram display. The lifestyle of Winton, the birth of QANTAS and home of the first office in1920, and the art of the region are displayed in other areas of the Centre.

Overnight in Winton then head back to Longreach the following morning.