Eromanga & the Back of Beyond Dinosaur Tour
Sunday 18 to Sunday 25 August 2024
8 Days / 7 Nights Double $2995pp / Single $3885
Availability: Yes
Eromanga and Back of Beyond Dinosaur Tour Includes
Roma | Charleville | Quilpie | Eromanga | Cunnamulla | St George
Pickup and return at your home
7 nights’ Accommodation
7 Breakfasts & Dinners; 5 Lunches, 1 Morning Tea
Tours & activities include Great Artesian Basin Spa; Charleville Cosmos Centre; WWII Secret Base; Bilby Experience; Outback Date Farm; Quilpie Military Museum; Toogunna Station; Eromanga Natural History Museum; Cunnamulla Artesian Time Tunnel; Balonne River sunset cruise; & more
Eromanga and Back of Beyond Dinosaur Tour Itinerary
Day 1
Sunday – Pickup/lunch/dinner/accommodation
We collect you from your home bright and early to get the adventure underway, departing the Sunshine Coast at 8am. Our first stop is the historic timber town of Blackbutt, where we take a comfort break and can visit the woodfired bakery for morning tea. Then it’s south past the Bunya Mountains, enjoying a scenic drive on our way to Dalby.
Lunch awaits us at the Urban Paddock, where contemporary dining gives the historic Quambi House a fresh lease on life. Enjoy a delicious meal, then explore the old building, relax on a sunny veranda or browse the gifts, homewares, and fashions in their boutique shop before moving on.
We will stretch our legs in Miles as we pass through, taking a moment to appreciate the contrasting landscapes our day’s journey has included, before heading to Roma for our first night’s accommodation. A warm welcome awaits at the Overlander Homestead Motel, a characterful 4.5-star property with well-appointed rooms and a fantastic restaurant.
Day 2
Monday – Breakfast/spa entry/lunch/dinner/observatory experience/accommodation
Enjoy a hearty breakfast at the Overlander before rejoining the bus for our departure to Roma township. We will explore the iconic town’s main sights before heading further inland.
Our next stop is Mitchell, where we visit the Great Artesian Spa. Get out your swimmers for a dip in natural mineralised water from the Great Artesian Basin, maintained at comfortable temperatures to ease tension and revitalise body and mind. The spa has been designed for easy access, including a choice of pools and a hydro chair for those with restricted mobility, so there’s no excuse not to try out its therapeutic benefits for yourself. After a renewing soak, we enjoy lunch at the spa’s award-winning café.
Back on the road, we travel to Charleville to check into our overnight accommodation, where we will also enjoy our evening meal. But the day is not over yet! Keep your fingers crossed for clear skies for a fascinating evening visit to the Cosmos Centre, where the secrets of this remote ‘dark sky’ will be illuminated for us by expert astronomers.
Day 3
Tuesday – Breakfast/museum entry/bilby talk/morning tea/dinner/accommodation
We breakfast together before setting out to explore the WWII Secret Base, with a tour of its interactive exhibition centre. Discover this fascinating slice of history through architectural remnants, collected artefacts, and the stories of those who lived through wartime here.
Next, learn about life in the present day for one of Australia’s most beloved marsupials, the bilby. Meet these cute critters face-to-face at the Bilby Experience and learn how we can support them. All this before morning tea, which we enjoy fresh from the palm orchard at the Outback Date Farm. Learn how their innovative irrigation is bringing life to remote farmland, and all about the health benefits of this sweet superfood, as told by friendly farmer Mark.
From there we make the run to Quilpie, where you can explore the township with the option of lunch at the Imperial Hotel. Refreshed, we see the sights of Quilpie, including the unique artistry of St Finbarr’s Opal Altar and the perspective from the Quilpie Military Museum.
Back on the road, we head inland to the town farthest from the ocean of any in Australia, Eromanga. The rustic hospitality of Toogunna Plains Station will be our home for the next three nights, so you can settle into your luxury cabin or even go for a bush walk. Tonight, we dine in true country style around the fire pit, catered for by our own personal chef and host Fiona.
Day 4
Wednesday – Breakfast/museum entry/lunch/dinner/accommodation
Wake up to the scent of Fiona’s farm-fresh fare whetting your appetite for breakfast in the back of beyond. The morning sunlight reveals another side of this fourth-generation working sheep station, situated in the dramatic red-earth landscape of the Channel Country. Breathe deep of the country air and get ready for an exciting day ahead.
After breakfast, we head out on our expedition to meet ‘Cooper’, Australia’s largest known dinosaur, at the Eromanga Natural History Museum. Explore the rich exhibits, where the incredible diversity of Outback Australia’s natural history is on display—from fossils the size of a sugar grain to the mightiest dinosaurs Australia has ever seen. Unearth 98 million years of Queensland’s story, including exciting new findings, and digest it all at the 4th Trochanter Café.
Leaving the museum, there will also be time to look around Eromanga township, including the Living History Museum, ‘the furthest pub from the sea’, and a guided town walk. Then it’s back to the ENHM for their signature Dine by Dinosaurs long table 5-course dinner. The fossils might be ancient, but the contemporary dining is vibrantly fresh!
Day 5
Thursday – Breakfast/station tour/lunch/sunset drinks/dinner/accommodation
Today is all about Toogunna Plains Station itself, and the stunning country that surrounds it. After tasting their delicious food and catching glimpses of the working property from our accommodation, today we embark on a guided tour of the station, including insights on local droving history, bush tucker, and more. Enjoy a home-baked “shearers’ smoko” in the workers’ quarters, see the modern property in action, and relax with a long table lunch on the lawn. Our hosts have so much knowledge to share, we can guarantee you’ll learn something new from their characterful hospitality. There’s no better way to encounter the real Channel Country!
We round out the day with a visit to Yambutta, where the rolling red Kyra sandhills provide the perfect spot to view the sunset. Take in the expansive outback skies, with all their iconic colours, while enjoying drinks and nibbles in picture-perfect surrounds. Then it’s back for a warming hotpot dinner before turning in for the night.
Day 6
Friday – Breakfast/lunch/Time Tunnel entry/dinner/accommodation
At last, it’s time to bid farewell to Toogunna and Eromanga, turning back towards the coast. But there is still so much more to see! After breakfast, we return to Quilpie for morning tea before
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visiting an unusual location—a pub without a town. Cobb and Co. once serviced the Toompine township with a regular coach schedule, but all that remains from those early pioneering days is the South Western Hotel (circa 1893). Don’t let its small size fool you—this little gem has all the charisma you can only find at an Outback pub, and it remains a staple in the social lives of families from surrounding stations. Explore the faithfully restored historic building, have a yarn over a cold beer, and browse the displays of opals for sale before a hearty pub lunch.
Moving on, we make tracks along the old Cobb and Co. route to Cunnamulla. You’ll know we’ve arrived when you spot the Cunnamulla Fella, a larger-than-life statue raised in tribute to the Aussie larrikin stockman. Here we delve into history at the Artesian Time Tunnel, which uses an old mine lift to take travellers back in time 100 million years, through geological and ancient changes up to early opal mining and modern water security. With a focus on how underground water sustains life in the Outback, this deep dive is sure to be enlightening.
Dinner tonight is in Cunnamulla at the Club Boutique Hotel, which boasts a large range of craft beer “Cunnamulla Characters” brewed after local figures past and present. This renovated historic establishment is also our home for the night, offering a comfortable Outback oasis to unwind in.
Day 7
Day 8
Saturday – Breakfast/guided tour/sunset cruise/dinner/accommodation
After breakfast we explore Cunnamulla further with the help of a local guide. This town was founded by Cobb and Co. in 1879 and is now the only surviving south-west township along the original couch route—a testament to the locals’ resilience and love for their country and community. We will learn more about all the major sights and talking points before leaving.
Our next stop rests on the banks of peaceful Wallam Creek. Bollon township is famous for emus strolling casually through the streets—so make like the emus and explore! Assemble a picnic to enjoy along the creek-side walkway, dine among historic shearing displays at Deb’s Café, or visit the pub where, as the sign says, “there are no strangers here, just friends you haven’t met yet”. You can also retrace Bollon’s rural history at the Heritage Centre.
There’s a third town to see today; our home for the night, St George. Staying in a classic Aussie hotel—called, aptly enough, The Australian Hotel—with a modern twist inside, we get a feel for town life tonight as well as a comfortable night’s rest. But that’s not all! We end the day with a picturesque sunset cruise on the Balonne River, enjoying the entertaining tales and fascinating insights into the ecology of this inland river system. It’s the perfect way to unwind before dinner.
Sunday – Breakfast/return
It’s the final day of our journey, and time to bid the Outback farewell. Starting early, we take a scenic route through the Western Downs, stopping at Moonie Crossroads for morning tea and a look at the murals depicting the town’s history. This tiny spot is “the oil capital of Queensland”, so there’s more to learn than you’d think!
Then it’s on to Dalby, with time for you to stretch your legs and explore your own choice of lunch options, central sightseeing, and souvenirs.
Sit back and relax on the final leg of our journey—but not before exchanging numbers with your fellow travellers as you all share fantastic memories.
We will arrive back in the Sunshine Coast in the late afternoon and see you safely to your home after your Outback adventure.
Enquire about this tour today!