Top Towns for 2022: 7 reasons to get to Longreach ASAP

Located on a long reach of the Thomson River, this colourful town is in the heart of the Australian outback. It also came in at no.37 on your list of Top 50 Aussie Towns.

Find the complete list of the Top 50 Aussie Towns here.

There’s a lot of beauty seeping through the somewhat post-apocalyptic outback Queensland landscape of steep stony escarpments and red earth stubbled with native grasses.

The Longreach Region is at the heart of this untouched wilderness and proving more popular than ever thanks to its fascinating heritage, out-of-the-box experiences and charming regional towns.

Pack your Akubra. Here are seven reasons to give Longreach some love.

1. Have a cracking good time at the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame

Celebrate Australia’s ‘land and peoples’ at this fully immersive centre, which pays tribute to Indigenous Australians and early explorers while bringing the stockman’s experience to life. The lively mustering show also includes trick horses and dogs.

2. Geek out at the Qantas Founders Museum

Aviation geeks have Longreach marked on the map thanks to its Qantas Founders Museum, where you can walk on the wing of a passenger jet and test your acrobatic skills in a flight simulator.

Visit The Qantas Founders Museum. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

3. Follow in the path of pioneers during a Cobb & Co Stagecoach experience

Longreach is the only place in Australia where you can gallop in a stagecoach. Do just that along the Longreach to Windora postal route, which thunders along a corrugated dirt road with Kinnon & Co Outback Pioneers.

Gallop in a stagecoach with Kinnon & Co Outback Pioneers. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

4. Visit Iningai Nature Park

The Iningai are the Traditional Custodians of the land, and this nature reserve named in their honour is located on the Longreach Town Common and worth a wander to see local flora and fauna.

5. Stay in a Pioneer Slab Hut

Pour yourself a bath in a freestanding tub under the stars on the outdoor terrace near your heritage-themed Pioneer Slab Hut at The Staging Post, boutique accommodation located in the heritage heart of Longreach.

Stay in a slab hut at The Staging Post.

6. Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show

Enjoy a cruise along the Thomson River onboard the Longreach Explorer before stopping at Sunset Bend, where you will have a front-row seat to see the sky awash in dusk colours. Disembark here to enjoy dinner and a show at Smithy’s Outback Bar under a sky freckled with stars.

Put your trust in Outback Aussie Tours and book Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

7. Enjoy a pie at the Merino Bakery

A stop-off at the Merino Bakery in Longreach is a must to try that quintessential Aussie town staple: the humble meat pie. Our pick? The beef, mashed potato and mushy pea pie.

Don’t fancy a pie? Head to The Branch Cafe for a hefty burger.

Explore more of Longreach in our travel guide or find out which other towns made it into your Top 50.