Family Road Trip to Winton

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

Well, school holidays are upon us and we're about to head off on our road trip to Winton. We're renting a small caravan (Jayco Discovery), which should be a breeze to tow behind the Prado. With the 2 weeks that we have the van, we're not going to rush too much. Currently the trip will go something like this

Day 1: Brisbane to Toowoomba - leaving late Sat & staying with Family
Day 2: Twmba to Charleville - Will check out Cosmos Centre
Day 3: Charleville to Blackall - Relax at the end of the day in an artesian heated pool
Day 4: Blackall to Longreach - 2 Nights, QANTAS, Hall of Fame, Paddlewheeler etc...
Day 6: Longreach - Winton - 3 Nts, Outback Festival, Dinosaur Trail, Baldensburg NP
Day 9: Winton to Barcaldine - Chillaxing
Day 10: Barcaldine to Emerald - 2 Nights, Blackdown Tableland NP, Fairbairn Dam
Day 12: Emerald to Carnarvon Gorge - 2 Nights
Day 14: Carnarvon to Roma - Big Rig
Day 15: Roma to Toowoomba - Family visit
Day 16: Twmba to Brisbane - Back to work.

Estimated Km's 3360.

So it should be a good trip. Mr Swan wasn't as generous as I had hoped (bloody FBT), so I wont be getting my Mickey Thompson STZ's before we head off. The tyres on the Prado only have about 7000k's but they're Nankang somethings (were on the Prado when we bought it) and I want to see them gone sooner or later. Hopefully they'll stand up as it's a road trip with little off roading and a 17ft'r caravan in tow. Unfortunately we'll miss out on the GTG, but depending on how things go and how financial we are, we may head up to Noosa for the Finale?

If anyone's got any suggestions of must sees or do's, or things to avoid for this trip, let us know.....

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

When we were in Emerald last year we stumbled upon a place to camp called "mountain high" on the Fairban dam Rd, bush camping only with no facilities but was only $5 a night and we camped by the river and the place to ourselves. The lady that runs it is lovely, a little bit "nutty" but lovely none the less. Could be worth checking out for budget accomodation if you don't need the facilities.

Cheers Andrew

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

Cheers Andrew. I'll do a search...

[Chris220220 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chris220220]

We did the trip through there about 4 years ago now.
In Charleville. Make sure you vist the Billby centre and do the night viewing.
You can do this before the night session at the cosmos centre.

Winton, yes the dinosaur foot prints are a must see. We went around the loop and did some Opal noodling as well.
Barceldine or Blackall I think is the black stump.

Parents just came down from Emerald and said the Saphire searching is a must do.
Buy a bucket or gravel from the local miners rather that go searching yourself unless your there for a few days.

I can ask my parents for other must do's in the area and free camps if you want.

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

Thanks Chris, great info.. My son (8 years old) is a dinosaur nut and loves digging up sh*t to find "treasure" (speaking in a Gollum voice) The Bilby centre sound good too. (I understand the chocolate ones are good eating...)

[120D4D Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 120D4D]

You Queenslanders are so lucky... when I get two weeks off its only 14 days!

Enjoy the trip mate.
Micheal

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

If only we got paid 16 days for 2 weeks work hey?
We've been lucky with the caravan hire place as the hire agreement was for 2 weeks (Saturday to Saturday). Fortunately for us, we're able to pickup the van on the Friday arvo (they want the weekend off), so thats one day of hire scored, and we don't need to return the van untill the following Monday! So yeh, we Qlders are lucky!

[pradogang Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pradogang]

Make sure you book the Cosmos Centre in advance, it is very popular. In Longreach check out the Cobb and Co ride and the sunset cruise on the Thomson River

[Trevc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Trevc]

x 2.

I think the name of the store is Kinnon and Co and book the river boat with them.
They do a great camp oven dinner and bush poetry evening after the cruise.

Trev

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

Make sure you book the Cosmos Centre in advance, it is very popular. In Longreach check out the Cobb and Co ride and the sunset cruise on the Thomson River

Booked in for the Cosmos centre (just). The early session was booked out but we got into the 9:15 session (show goes for about 1.5hrs). I will book in for the cruise tomorrow, Thanks Boys...

[BradLee Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BradLee]

Awesome ...this is the same trip I want to do next year...sans the family visit in toowoomba, and departing from and returning to Hervey Bay....you can have Brissy all to yourself

Can't wait to see your trip report

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

Booked in for the Cosmos centre (just). The early session was booked out but we got into the 9:15 session (show goes for about 1.5hrs). I will book in for the cruise tomorrow, Thanks Boys...

River boat cruise booked today. Picked up the caravan this arvo and ready to load up in the morning and heading off late in the arvo (sons sporting commitments)