Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 6 . QUEENSLAND & THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
By Train Queensland Rail Traveltrain (& 13 22 32) runs the train Spirit of
the Outback from Brisbane to Longreach via Rockhampton every Tuesday and Saturday,
returning on Thursday and Monday. It’s A$163 (US$106) for a seat from
Brisbane or A$211 to A$315 (US$137–US$205) for a sleeper. Alternatively, you
can join the train at Rockhampton at 4:30am on Wednesday or Sunday. The trip
takes about 24 1 ⁄2 hours from Brisbane, or 13 1 ⁄2 hours from Rockhampton.
By Bus McCafferty’s Coaches (& 13 14 99) and Greyhound Pioneer (& 13
20 30) run between Brisbane and Longreach daily. The trip takes 16 hours and
costs A$112 (US$73).
VISITOR INFORMATION The Longreach Visitor Information Centre is
at Qantas Park, Longreach, QLD 4730 (& 07/4658 3555; fax 07/4658 3733).
Another good source of information is the Outback Queensland Tourism
Authority (& 1800 247 966 in Australia, or 07/3211 4877).
GETTING AROUND Rental-car companies Avis (&13 63 33 in Australia, or
07/4658 1799) and Budget (& 07/4658 2322) both have agents in Longreach.
Several tour companies offer tours in and around Longreach and to other
Central West Outback towns. One of the best is Alan and Sue Smith’s Outback
Aussie Tours (& 1300 787 890 in Australia, or 07/4658 3000; www.
outbackaussietours.com.au), which runs trips taking in Longreach, Ilfracombe,
Winton, and Barcaldine, as well as the Lark Quarry dinosaur site. Longreach
Outback Travel Centre (& 07/4658 1776; www.lotc.com.au) has information
on a variety of tours.
THE TOP ATTRACTIONS
Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame & Outback Heritage Centre
This should be the first stop on any visit to Longreach. I could spend all day at
the Hall of Fame, but try to allow at least 4 hours. A tribute to the pioneers who
developed the Outback, the center honors explorers, stockmen, poets, and artists.
Part museum, part memorial, part interactive display, this world-class attraction
is educational, entertaining, and quite amazing. Exhibits are updated regularly
and give a fascinating insight into the Aboriginal and European history of Australia,
blending modern technology with artifacts and relics of a bygone age.
Ilfracombe Rd., Longreach. (& 07/4658 2166. Fax 07/4658 2495. www.outbackheritage.com.au. A$20
(US$13) adults, A$17 (US$11) seniors, A$10 (US$6.50) children 8–17, A$45 (US$29) family. Daily 9am–5pm
except Christmas.
Longreach School of Distance Education Tours of this unique school system—also
known as the School of the Air—will give you insight into the isolation
of Outback families. You can watch a teacher conducting on-air lessons via
two-way radio to students on far-flung stations. Hundreds of children in western
Queensland take advantage of this form of education.
Sir James Walker Dr., Longreach.& 07/4658 4222. A$3 (US$1.95) adults, A$1 (US65¢) seniors and children.
Guided tours at 9am and 10am on school days only.
Qantas Founders Outback Museum Anyone who’s ever flown on Australia’s
first airline will be interested in this tribute to pioneer aviators. Longreach is the
original home of Qantas, as the airline’s operational base from 1922 to 1934,
when Australia’s first six aircraft were built here. During World War II, Longreach
was used as a base by U.S. Flying Fortress bombers for their Pacific operations.
The original hangar is now complemented by a A$9 million (US$5.8 million)
world-class museum, with the main exhibit a full-size replica of an AVRO 504K,