Head Inland to Find the Quieter Side of Queensland

Never been to regional Queensland? You’re missing out!

One day, you could be sitting back and sipping reds in wine country. The next, winding through red dirt roads. After that, who knows? There’s so much variety in the Sunshine State, and while the dry season (May to October) is the best time to travel, the off season also has its perks.

Image Credit: Discovery Resorts - Undara - Jesse Lindemann, Tourism and Events Queensland

If you’ve only ever dabbled in the state's stunning beaches, it’s time to head inland for equally impressive landscapes. Read on for great places to add to your upcoming QLD road trip and where to find the nearest sites and air-conditioned cabins at G’day Parks.

MOUNT ISA

Image Credit: Mount Isa - Sean Gilligan, Tourism and Events Queensland

Mount Isa has the essence of the outback down pat, from its annual August rodeo to arid desert landscapes. Many tourists stop over in this mining town before heading to the Northern Territory, but it’s worth an extended stay. Several key attractions are located in one convenient hub: Outback at Isa. Here, you’ll find the Hard Times Mine Underground Tour, Riversleigh Fossil Discovery Centre, Isa Experience Heritage Display, and the Mount Isa Regional Art Gallery.

Sunset Tourist Park

Sunset Tourist Park is a ten out of ten for friendly hospitality. Book a tranquil powered site, creekside unpowered site, pet-friendly cabin, or spacious villa, situated in the heart of town. You’ll spend loads of time in the swimming pool, plus there’s a camp kitchen, BBQs, playground, kiosk, and laundry.

Discovery Parks - Argylla

On the outskirts of town, Discovery Parks - Argylla offers lush powered and unpowered sites, or open-plan cabins with an outdoor deck. The park has everything you need – BBQs, camp kitchen, laundry, and kiosk – including a refreshing swimming pool beneath the palm trees.

Discovery Parks - Cloncurry

Ninety minutes down the Barkly Highway, Discovery Parks - Cloncurry is a great inland stopover stay on your way to Mount Isa. Camp on a site or check into an ensuite cabin with an outdoor deck to hang out at twilight hour. Caravan park essentials include camp kitchen, BBQ, and laundry facilities, and a pool for when the heat hits.

UNDARA

Image Credit: Discovery Resorts - Undara - Jesse Lindemann, Tourism and Events Queensland

There’s nowhere quite like Undara Volcanic National Park. Home to one of the world’s longest lava tube cave systems, a tour into the depths of these tunnels will blow your mind. Bushwalking and mountain biking trails through the volcanic landscape are also high on the agenda, before kicking back at sunset with a glass of bubbly.

Discovery Resorts - Undara

Image Credit: Discovery Resorts - Undara - Jesse Lindemann, Tourism and Events Queensland

Only open for the dry season, the award-winning Discovery Resorts - Undara is a place you’ll never forget. Their broad accommodation range includes homestead rooms, pioneer huts, and beautifully restored ensuite railway carriages. If you don’t want to leave the outdoors behind for one moment, stay on a site or in the swag tent village. Gather around the campfire, go for a swim, and dine at the on-site bistro. Facilities include a laundry, camp kitchen, and BBQs.

Discovery Parks - Mount Surprise

Whether it’s peak or off season, you’re welcome year-round at Discovery Parks - Mount Surprise. Half an hour from the natural wonders of Undara Volcanic National Park, you’re also on the doorstep of the Savannahlander heritage train and Talaroo Hot Springs. Camp under the trees or relax in a cabin. Chill out in the saltwater pool, play mini golf, and make use of facilities including a kiosk, camp kitchen, BBQs, laundry, and tour desk.

CHARTERS TOWERS

Image Credit: Charters Towers Tourist Park - The Edit Suite, Tourism and Events Queensland

If you don’t want to fully skip the coast, Charters Towers is the dream compromise. Ninety minutes inland from Townsville, hop in the car for a day trip spent by the beach, diving into the Great Barrier Reef, or catching the ferry to Magnetic Island. For a taste of gold rush history, check out the Venus Gold Battery or Butler’s Cottage. Get up close to enormous cattle with Texas Longhorn Tours or enjoy your favourite water activities on the Burdekin River.

Charters Towers Tourist Park

Charters Towers Tourist Park is (pardon the pun) off the charts! Powered caravan and camping sites – including ensuite and drive-through options – cater for nature lovers, or there is a range of comfortable units and deluxe cabins. There’s a swimming pool, kiosk, boat ramp, and tour desk for holiday entertainment, and a laundry, camp kitchen, and BBQs to facilitate an easy Tropical North Queensland stay with unbeatable outback hospitality.

LONGREACH

Image Credit: The Longreach Mural - Reuben Nutt (Wild Place), Tourism and Events Queensland

Smack bang in the middle of the state, Longreach offers unforgettable peeks into Australia’s storied history and the outback Queensland lifestyle. Walk along the wing of a Boeing 747 at the QANTAS Founders Museum, be immersed in the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, or fill your itinerary with experiences at Outback Pioneers.

Longreach Tourist Park

Longreach Tourist Park has a huge variety of sites for all sizes, whether you’re camping in a swag or a motorhome. If you want to overlook the red dirt from your own balcony, go for a cabin. Tuck into your nightly feed at the on-site Woolshed Restaurant, dive into the swimming pool, and use the BBQ, laundry, and camp kitchen facilities. If you’ve got kids along for the ride, there’s a playground to keep them busy.

Outback Pioneers

Outback Pioneers already delivers some of Longreach’s best travel experiences, so keep it going by staying in one of their charming themed rooms kitted out with heritage features. Plus, you get access to shared laundry facilities, the Saddlery games and TV room, and a landscaped courtyard with vintage decor. It's a genuine holiday escape!

EMERALD

Image Credit: The Big Easel - Sean Scott, Tourism and Events Queensland

Emerald is famous for sapphires and sunflowers, with a healthy dose of country charm in the Central Highlands. Go fossicking for blue sparkles in the Sapphire Gemfields, wander through the Emerald Botanic Gardens, enjoy water activities at Lake Maraboon, and stop for a photograph with the enormous sunflowers painting.

Emerald Cabin and Caravan Village

Right next door to the local golf course and a short walk from the botanic gardens, it’s no surprise that Emerald Cabin and Caravan Village is full of greenery. There’s ample room for your caravan, with drive-through powered sites to suit vehicles up to 10 metres, and a range of self-contained cabins. Camp kitchen and laundry facilities will also help ensure your stay is a success.

CHARLEVILLE

Image Credit: Outback Date Farms - Reuben Nutt (Wild Place), Tourism and Events Queensland

No two days are the same in the rural town of Charleville. You could get up close with cute bilbies at the seasonal Charleville Bilby Experience one day, then be amazed by the skies at the Cosmos Centre Observatory the next. Learn about the important work of the Royal Flying Doctor Service at their visitor centre experience or join a tour of Outback Date Farms.

Bailey Bar Caravan Park

From powered sites to ensuite cabins, the spacious and shady grounds of Bailey Bar Caravan Park are near all the local attractions. Buy snacks from the kiosk, get travel tips from the tour desk, cook up a feast in camp kitchen, and sizzle snags on the BBQs.

ROMA

Image Credit: The Big Rig - Global Headquarters, Tourism and Events Queensland

Shake up your getaway in Roma, with fun attractions like the Oil Patch Museum, LifeFlight Roma Visitor Experience Centre, and Roma Bush Gardens. Head to the Southern Hemisphere’s largest cattle sale at the Roma Saleyards, have a drink at Western Queensland Spirit, and finish your day's adventures with a hearty pub steak.

Roma Big Rig Tourist Park

Roma Big Rig Tourist Park lives up to its name. It’s the place to park your caravan, camper trailer, motorhome, or RV in the middle of your journey. Prefer cabins? No stress, they've got everything from studio rooms to self-contained cabins. Splash into the swimming pool, get recommendations from the tour desk, and use handy facilities to enhance your stay.

YARRAMAN

Image Credit: Dusty Hill Winery - Darren Jew, Tourism and Events Queensland

Say ‘yes’ to Yarraman and you'll find a destination full of rolling hills and pine trees. Love nature? Swim beneath a waterfall at Coomba Falls or hike through Yarraman State Forest and The Palms National Park. Pop into cellar doors throughout the South Burnett Wine Region, see Queensland’s longest straight railway tunnel (287 metres long) at Muntapa Railway Tunnel Park, or explore the Yarraman Heritage Museum.

Yarraman Caravan Park and Cabins

Relax to the max at Yarraman Caravan Park and Cabins. Sites come on slab or grass, with ensuite options available, while a premium cabin is perfect for a couple’s stay. The swimming pool will be your first port of call, but you'll also love the wide range of facilities including BBQs, camp kitchen, a tour desk, laundry, playground, and kiosk.

CROWS NEST

Image Credit: Crows Nest National Park - Aaron Spence, Tourism and Events Queensland

Just a short drive from Yarraman, make Crows Nest the next stop on your Queensland road trip or a weekend getaway from Brisbane. Get outdoors at Crows Nest National Park, where you can swim in the Bottlebrush Pool or complete the walking trail to the cascades. Fish and kayak at Lake Perseverance, visit local markets, or immerse yourself in Crows Nest Historical Village with more than 20 beautifully preserved old buildings.

Crows Nest Tourist Park

Make your country escape to the peaceful Crows Nest Tourist Park. Pick your favourite type of site between powered, unpowered, ensuite, or drive-through. As for cabins, there are pet-friendly options, studios, and deluxe cabins. From the pool to the playground, recreation time is sorted, and so are the essentials like camp kitchen, laundry, and BBQs.

STANTHORPE

Image Credit: Southern Queensland Country - Wineries & Granite Belt - Paul Giggle, Tourism and Events Queensland

Stanthorpe is home to some of the state’s best food and wine. Nourish your holiday with local drops from the Granite Belt Wine Country, stop in at Aloomba Lavender Farm, and explore the Stanthorpe Museum. Visit Girraween National Park to get a photo at Balancing Rock, then hike through their beautiful walking tracks.

Stanthorpe Top of the Town Tourist Park

Stanthorpe Top of the Town Tourist Park is your ideal home base in the Granite Belt. Campers have the choice of powered, unpowered, or ensuite sites, and park accommodation includes motel units, snug rooms, cabins, and a cottage. When it’s hot, dive into the pool. On cold nights, cook a BBQ feast and strike up a campfire (and maybe a convo or two with fellow travellers).

GOONDIWINDI

Image Credit: Goondiwindi Art and Sculpture Trail - Sam Thies, Tourism and Events Queensland

Before you cross the border into New South Wales, slow down at the friendly country town of Goondiwindi. Drive along the regional art trail, peruse the botanic gardens, delve into history at the museum, and go fishing on the Macintyre River. Then, before check in, grab a cold drink at the iconic Victoria Hotel.

Goondiwindi Holiday Park

Goondiwindi Holiday Park promises an enjoyable stay. Five minutes north of the city, kick back on a powered or unpowered site or sleep soundly in a Premium Ensuite Cabin. Helpful facilities include a camp kitchen, laundry, and tour desk. Fire up the BBQ, play games in the activity room, or take a dip in the pool and spa.

Goondiwindi Tourist Park

Goondiwindi Tourist Park is only a few minutes’ drive from the town centre. Catch the sunset from your site or the outdoor setting of a deluxe cabin. Make a splash in the swimming pool, browse the kiosk, and find out about local attractions at the tour desk. There are also laundry facilities, BBQs, a camp kitchen, and play equipment for the little ones.

ST GEORGE

Image Credit: Riversands Wines - Jesse Lindemann, Tourism and Events Queensland

It’s time to see what’s on the menu in St George. Spoiler alert: it’s most likely fish. St George is called the ‘Inland Fishing Capital of Queensland’. Spend a day luring murray cod, yellow belly, carp, and blue craw yabby at the Balonne River, Buckinbah Weir, and Beardmore Dam. See local creativity at the nearby silo art and along the St George Mural Trail, or kick back among the vineyards at Riversands Wines.

Pelican Rest Tourist Park

The ultimate R&R awaits at Pelican Rest Tourist Park. Camp on a powered or unpowered site or score a sleek Superior Studio Cabin fitted with ultra-modern features. That sapphire pool will keep drawing you back for one more swim, and at mealtimes, make the most of a pizza oven, BBQs, and camp kitchen. Further great facilities include a tour desk, kiosk, and laundry.

CUNNAMULLA

Image Credit: Cunnamulla Water Tower Art - Jack Harlem (FIRME Agency), Tourism and Events Queensland

Thanks to its spot right on the Warrego River, Cunnamulla is a hotspot for fishing, kayaking, yabbying, swimming, birdwatching, and walking along the river. See the town's famous statue – the Cunnamulla Fella – then spend hours exploring the incredible Currawinya National Park.

Cunnamulla Tourist Park

Every road trip should include a stay in the bush setting of Cunnamulla Tourist Park. If you want to sleep under a canopy of stars on a site or soak up the views from the balcony of a deluxe studio, you're in luck. While you focus on the fun stuff, facilities like a camp kitchen, BBQs, kiosk, and laundry will keep things humming along nicely.

Find out what’s waiting beyond the coast with a road trip to these regional QLD caravan parks

Image Credit: Matilda Way - Sean Scott, Tourism and Events Queensland

Once you’ve covered every corner of this incredible state, don’t worry—with G’day Parks, there are many more hidden gems to be found in regional and coastal locations all over the country!