Longreach – Qantas, Stockmen and a Rather Dark Walk Home!
Today was a relatively easy day in the saddle, with only around 180km to cover and Longreach as our destination. After a few longer days on the road, this was practically a rest day! Well, a rest day by touring standards, which still seems to involve plenty of riding, sightseeing and finding things to do.
With a shorter ride on the cards, we had plenty of time to explore two of Longreach’s major attractions: the Qantas Founders Museum and the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre.
First up was the Qantas Founders Museum, which opened in 1996 and tells the story of Qantas, from its humble beginnings in Outback Queensland to the international airline we know today. It’s a world-class, multi-award-winning museum and a fascinating look at how an outback airline grew into one of Australia’s most recognisable brands. Not bad for an operation that started out in the bush!
We also visited the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, which opened in 1988 and has welcomed more than two million visitors from Australia and overseas. The centre celebrates the history of Australia’s stockmen and women, showcasing the tough conditions they endured while working across the vast outback.
It’s a great tribute to the people who helped shape rural Australia. Those early stockmen certainly didn’t have the luxury of air-conditioned cabins, GPS or a quick stop at Maccas when the going got tough!
Our Longreach Accommodation
For our overnight stay, we chose the Albert Park Motel, mainly because of its handy location near both attractions. Being within easy walking distance of the Qantas Founders Museum and the Stockman’s Hall of Fame meant we could leave the bikes parked and give our legs a bit of exercise instead.
Of course, a trip to Longreach wouldn’t be complete without heading into town for a meal and a few cold beverages. The town centre is around 2.5km away, so you can either stretch the legs and walk or do what sensible people sometimes do and grab a taxi.
We opted for the taxi on the way in, enjoyed dinner and a few drinks, then decided we’d walk back to the motel.
Now, walking 2.5km doesn’t sound too difficult, does it? And it wasn’t particularly difficult either, although we did discover one small drawback to our brilliant plan.
It gets rather dark out there at night! 😂
Longreach isn’t exactly overflowing with bright city lights, and our return stroll gave us a fresh appreciation for just how dark the outback can be once the sun disappears. Still, we made it back in one piece, having enjoyed a great day exploring Longreach and its history.
Another day of outback touring done and dusted. Tomorrow, it’s back on the road for more adventures with The Thirsty Tourists!
Because, as we all know, touring is thirsty work! 🍻
