Queensland Outback Part 2

Longreach - Gateway To the Outback

We decided to pass Barcaldine and tour it on the way back. We went straight to Longreach. It is a town located in Central Western Queensland and is approximately 700 km from the coast, west of Rockhampton. The town lies on the Tropic of Capricorn and its main industries are cattle, sheep, and more recently, tourism. 

Once in town, we stopped and looked for a service agent that might be able to source an irregular problem with the generator.  As expected the town doesn't have anyone that can do the job. So we decided to move on and look for the nearest camp site. After merely 30 minutes searching for the site location (thanks to google map) we located Longreach Waterhole. The camp site is big and has the basic facilities except for fresh water. I reckon its a popular site for when we got there it was nearly full. The site's location is good being only 1km east of the highway and best of all camping is free and the site can accommodate big rigs. You can stay for maximum of of 4 days!


Qantas Founders Museum

Entering the town, a huge Qantas plane was an eyeful. From afar, i was pondering how the town's airport can accommodate a Boeing 747. Longreach does not have Woolworths or Coles but they have a jumbo jet! Well we did find out soon that the plane was actually a decommissioned plane together with a Boeing 707 and are all part of a museum. Longreach is home to Qantas Founders Museum which was built around the original 1922 hangar. Qantas (Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service) apparently was founded in Winton in 1921 before it was moved to Longreach. 




inside the original hangar



old plane engines on display in the old hangar

The museum has thousands of displays which include the original hangar used to make airplanes in 1921. But you should not miss to explore the jumbo jet displayed outside. For $37 per adult you can check out the museum and have a guided tour of 747. So thats exactly what we did.

this orange thing is the 747's "black Box"

We did the Boeing 747 tour which lasted an hour but it all was worth it. We learned that "this plane, VH-EBQ was accepted from Boeing by Qantas on 10th December 1979. During its working life with Qantas it is estimated the aircraft carried over 5.4 million passengers and flew over 82.54 million kilometres - equivalent to more than 2000 trips around the world or ten round trips to the moon or indeed of ten years continuous flying."  Qantas decided it has to retire.



 

how can this plane fly with this heavy huge engine

VH-EBQ is unique having the only surviving Rolls Royce engine powered Boeing 747 SP or 200 series 'Jumbo' remaining. The few Rolls Royce engine aircraft in these series have all been scrapped. The plane landed at Longreach on 16th November 2002." 

wooden propeller from yesteryear





The landing of the Boeing 747 was historical for Longreach for it has opened new doors for the town especially for tourism. The museum is open daily from 9am to 5am except on Christmas day.


Stockman's Hall of Fame

Right across Longreach airport stands the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame. This was an epic tribute to the Outback pioneers. "A whole range of displays and exhibits include a focus on Aboriginal workers’ contribution to the development of Australia’s great pastoral industry and the role women played in developing the Outback. Exhibits includes indigenous heritage, unsung heroes, explorers, wool industry, gold era, transport, drovers, bush communications through to the modern age in the bush of satellite communications, Historical recreations including a Blacksmith’s forge, 1860s settler’s hut, 1920s kitchen and hawker’s wagon." The musuem is huge and has even a gift shop offering Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame clothing, souvenirs and Akubra hats, bookshop specialising in Australian heritage and a Cafeteria. 



a farmer's hut as part of the display





a wool press



Same with the Qantas museum, Stockman's Hall of Fame is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Regular admission is $26 per adult but if you have at least half day, the museum's show and lunch package is perfect. For $46 you can browse the museum, enjoy and outback show and have a yummy steak burger meal after the show at the Cattlemen's Bar and Grill. There are thousands of exhibits on display that anyone can be fascinated about but if you are running out of time just ask a re-entry pass so you can come back the next day. 

a merchant's carriage

The exhibits comprise a combination of objects, images, audiovisual presentations and open displays, which foster the individual interpretation of the fascinating story of outback Australia.

The live outback show was entertaining and i should say the highlight of the day. The set was real outback with a hut and huge windmill around plus the big camel and of course the horseman telling stories on how the outback was then and now (while trying very hard to sell an Akubra hat). He was a good showman but I think he was not a good salesman because he didn't get me to buy one. I was very close to getting one as a souvenir but they dont have my size. Anyway, it was fun especially the bullock show.