Heather discovers the stories behind Outback Queensland

Outback Queensland: millions of years beneath my feet

Standing among the crowd at an outback heritage centre in Longreach, I watch a cowboy on his horse. The connection between horse and rider is remarkable. Moments earlier, he demonstrated his skills with a whip, showing just how closely the two work together. Afterwards, still in the saddle, he recites a poem about the 'stockmen' and their horses who went off to the front lines during the First World War. Almost none of those horses ever returned. The crowd falls silent. Everyone listens intently, and I notice tears welling up in the eyes of several visitors. I'm moved too. Suddenly, the history of the people who lived and worked on this land feels much closer.

A woman walking across the red sands of outback Queensland, leavin sandy footprints behind

A cowboy, a poem and the history of Outback Queensland

I spent three weeks travelling through the heart of Queensland. When people think of the Australian Outback, the Red Centre often comes to mind first. But Queensland has its own remote, sparsely populated interior, a part of Australia that many travellers know little about.

Having explored it for myself, I've discovered just how much there is to learn about life in the Outback, the history of its early settlers and the landscapes that have shaped their stories.

A stockman on a horse with a whip, performing for an audience

"The cowboys you meet here aren’t just playing a part. That hat isn’t a costume; this is simply their life."

My job as a Product Manager usually involves visiting accommodation providers and attending meetings, but this time I also had the chance to experience many of the activities for myself, including the performance at the Outback Heritage Centre.

If your itinerary allows, I’d recommend seeing a performance like this at the beginning of your journey through Outback Queensland. Learning about the people and their history has helped me understand the landscape better. When I think back to this part of Australia, I can still picture that cowboy in the saddle.

My journey took me through Longreach, Winton, Roma, Carnarvon Gorge, Charleville, Cunnamulla and Quilpie. Three full weeks, and there was so much to take in!

Heather and a friend standing in front of an oldschool carrier, smiling and wearing a cowboy hat

Above the plains of Channel Country

As I drive, the landscape stretches out beyond the car windows. Kangaroos appear along the roadside, emus cross the open plains, and I regularly hear birds singing as I travel through the countryside. The roads are tarmacked and in good condition, but the distances and open spaces all around me make it clear that I am a long way from the coast.

Around Longreach and Winton, hills with remarkably straight, flat tops rise from the plains. These are known as ‘jump-ups’, and they are around 95 million years old. That figure keeps going round and round in my head. In Europe, I can spend ages admiring a thousand-year-old building; back home in New Zealand, we consider a 150-year-old building historic.

As I look at the rocks around me, I can barely comprehend just how much time has passed here. Millions of years, and I'm standing on them with my own two feet.

View of a million year old 'jump up' rising up between the sandplains of outback queensland

“These jump-ups are 95 million years old. I find it almost impossible to believe that I’m standing on land that’s been around for so long.”

One of these ‘jump-ups’ becomes my vantage point for the night. The Outback Camp, where I’m staying, sits on top of a flat-topped hill, overlooking the surrounding Channel Country.

While exploring the area on foot, I find myself walking through the ‘rifts’, narrow passages between the rock faces. Rugged rock walls tower above me on either side, and I can see how millions of years of erosion have shaped the landscape around me.

Aerial view of a glamping tent, positioned on a jump up, overlooking the sandy plains of outback queensland

“I’ve been walking through the rifts and am now sitting here enjoying the view with a glass of champagne. The sun is setting… wow, what an experience!”

That evening, I’m back on the terrace by my tent, looking out over the landscape below. Narrow gullies weave their way across the plains, filling with water during heavy rain and forming floodplains that stretch into the distance. From up here, I can see just how far this network of waterways reaches across the Channel Country.

As the sun begins to set, the contours of the landscape soften in the evening light. I sit back with a glass of champagne, enjoying the view and taking it all in.

Two people enjoying a glass of champagne on the patio of their glamping tent, overlooking the sandy plains of Outback Queensland

Let the rock faces of Cobbold Gorge speak for themselves

Cobbold Gorge also leaves a lasting impression on me. Here, in the far north of Queensland, I start my day on a stand-up paddleboard, heading out onto the water with a guide as the sun rises. We explore the gorge from the water before continuing on foot.

As we follow the walking trail, I’m amazed by how much our guide knows about the area. He stops regularly to show us different plants and explain how local Aboriginal communities have traditionally used them in everyday life. He points out berries and herbs that I would never have noticed on my own. It makes me realise just how much I would have missed without his knowledge.

A boat driving through the narrow river of Cobbold Gorge, showcasing the beautiful rock walls with distinct erosion patterns

“The best guides here are first and foremost experts in their field, and only then do they become guides so they can share their knowledge.”

As we walk, the group asks questions about the different things we come across, and our guide always takes the time to explain everything in detail. That man knows so much! I love exploring a place with someone who knows it so well and is genuinely enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge.

Eventually, we reach the glass bridge, where I can look straight down into the gorge through the glass beneath my feet. We cross over and follow a circular trail down the other side, where we board an electric boat for a trip through the gorge.

Close up of a guide in Cobbold Gorge, telling a story

In places, the rock faces were so close together that I could almost touch both sides with my arms outstretched. Earlier, I had been looking down into the gorge from the glass bridge. Now, I was travelling through it, close to the water with towering rock walls on either side.

After an experience like this, I had so much to talk about. I’d learnt to recognise plants I would otherwise have walked straight past and discovered how people had traditionally used them. For me, the knowledge a guide shares makes a real difference, and it’s something I pay particular attention to when reviewing excursions for TravelEssence. I want our travel specialists to be able to tell travellers not only who will be guiding them but also what makes that person’s knowledge and experience so valuable.

What will you learn here about plants, bush tucker and life in the Outback?

Leichhardt’s breadfruit

Nonda plum

Find out what the country has to offer

Aerial view of Cobbold Gorge, showcasing the narrow gorge from the sky, following the river deeper into land. Rocks are dotted with native bush

Where a recommendation begins for me

I want to get to know the people our travellers will be staying with. That’s particularly important to me because I’m also a host for TravelEssence. I’ve been welcoming travellers to our own homestay in Taranaki for almost thirteen years. When we took it over, we arrived with our suitcases on a Sunday afternoon. Just an hour later, our first TravelEssence guests were at the door. Perhaps that’s why I tend to see things from two different perspectives.

As a Product Manager, I want to know whether a property is right for our travellers. As a host, I naturally pay attention to the welcome they receive. How are guests greeted? Do the hosts take the time to have a chat? Do they make people feel at home? That’s why we visit new accommodation options and try out excursions ourselves, getting to know the people behind them before deciding whether to recommend them to our travellers.

Heather, a host and a third person posing for a selfie picture with colorful flowers in the background

“Ultimately, what I want for travellers is for them to come back with experiences they simply couldn’t have had at home.”

After three weeks in Outback Queensland, I’ve realised just how much the people I met along the way have shaped my memories of the journey. The cowboy in Longreach brought the history of the stockmen to life. At Cobbold Gorge, my guide pointed out plants I would otherwise have walked straight past. And during my stays at the stations, I heard stories from families who have lived and worked on the same land for generations.

Now, when I think back to Outback Queensland, I don’t just picture the landscape. I remember the people and the stories they shared with me.