Top Oz Tours offers a great range of Queensland tours and experiences. You can browse the options here.
Tucked away in the far south-west corner of Queensland, Birdsville beckons with the promise of road-based adventure.
Visiting this remote outpost is a rite of passage for the country’s RV fraternity, and many plan the trip years in advance. The town is located in the Diamantina Shire and marks the northern end of the iconic Birdsville Track. First established as a customs point for drovers moving stock between Queensland and South Australia, it’s steeped in pioneering history. Today, Birdsville encapsulates the very essence of outback life.
The Birdsville Track stretches for 514 kilometres from Maree in South Australia, through the Strzelecki Ranges, and up to Birdsville. And whether you’re coming from Maree in the south, Windorah to the east, or Mount Isa up north, this is a road trip like no other. The region is stunning in its arid simplicity, but many of the access routes are unsealed, dusty, and corrugated. And although they’re generally open to most vehicles, caravans, and motor homes, care must always be taken. Always check the conditions with authorities before you set out, as it doesn’t take much rain to dramatically change the integrity of roads or make them impassable.
A further word of caution; take some time before setting out on any outback trip to review all applicable insurance policies — vehicle insurance, caravan insurance, and health cover (including life and funeral insurance) — to ensure you are covered for any eventuality on the road. Read the PDS (product disclosure statement) for each product carefully, and make note of the inclusions and exclusions.
The best time to visit Birdsville is between March and early October, when the weather is relatively mild. From mid October onwards the mercury soars and you’ll likely have the place to yourself (but keep in mind that some attractions and amenities close across summer).
Here’s a checklist of our top ten things to do in Birdsville.
Watch our video of ten top things to do in Birdsville:
10 Top Things to Do in Birdsville, Outback Queensland, Australia | Birdsville Travel Guide
Are you planning a visit to the iconic town of Birdsville in outback Queensland? In this episode of our online travel series we bring you ten amazing things to do in Birdsville, Bedourie, and Betoota, which can all be found in the remote Diamantina Shire.
1. Visit the Wirrarri Visitor Information Centre
On arrival in town, drop by the Wirrarri Visitor Information Centre — located just off the main drag. It provides information on road conditions, accommodation, and attractions, and watching the 50-minute introductory video (which is shown in a comfortable theatrette) is time well spent. The centre also incorporates a small museum and art gallery, and you’ll walk away with knowledge of the region’s Indigenous cultural heritage. You may end up spending longer here than you anticipate, however, a cold beer awaits!
2. Enjoy a coldie at the Birdsville Hotel
What better way to relax and recover after a dusty road trip, than with an ice-cold brew at the historic Birdsville Hotel. This low-rise pub with a wrap-around awning was built in 1884 from local sandstone, and over the past 130 years has welcomed travellers from all over the world with its ambience and character. The walls are covered with photos and memorabilia as colourful as the characters you’ll meet at the bar. Note the collection of hats; it’s an honour to be asked to donate one — and only those that have given solid service to the town receive the invitation.
3. Tuck into a camel pie
The Birdsville Bakery has to be one of the best known bakehouses in the country. It was first opened in 2004 by Vietnam veteran and self-taught baker Dusty Miller, who achieved national recognition and tempted taste buds with unusual flaky creations — including his famous curried camel pies — right up until he sold the business in 2017. Sadly, Dusty passed away from cancer not long after his retirement. The bakery was recently acquired by the owners of the Birdsville Hotel, who carried out a refurb and have continued baking to the much loved pieman’s original recipes. Note that the bakery closes across the summer period.
4. Conquer Big Red at sunset
Situated 35 kilometres west of Birdsville and formed by the winds of time, Big Red is a 40-metre high red sand dune on the edge of the vast Simpson Desert. It’s the first of 1,140 dunes that roll across this part of Australia’s arid interior, and thousands of 4WD enthusiasts test their skill on its slopes every year. The view from the peak is stupendous — especially at sunset. Bathed in reds and oranges, the desolate, but breathtakingly beautiful landscape stretches as far as the eye can see.
The final part of the road to Big Red is unpaved and the climb up the dune itself can obviously only be done in a 4WD. If you aren’t confident about tackling it yourself, or you just want to sit back, relax, and let someone else take care of the driving, Big Red Tours is the answer. They offer a combined tour of Birdsville itself and a trip out to the dune (timed perfectly for sunset) in a stonking 4WD bus. Owner/operator Alex is a fantastic host, and drinks and nibbles are included in the cost of the tour. Alex has access to a section of the dune on private property, so you’re guaranteed of not being overrun by other visitors.
5. Rock on in the desert
Each year Birdsville and Big Red play host to one of the country’s most incredible music festivals. The Big Red Bash is held in July and attracts a who’s who of Australian performers. Soak up the unique atmosphere, sing and dance, mingle with friends (or make new ones) against a backdrop of the most famous sand dune in Oz. Your ticket price includes concert entry over three days, along with four nights of camping onsite in what’s known as ‘Bashville’. There’s no star-rated accommodation, but festival goers get to sleep under millions of them just the same.
6. Try your luck at the races
The town’s tiny population also swells in September as visitors from all over Australia descend on the region for the Birdsville Races, which are held on the first weekend of the month. It’s a tradition that began back in 1882, and while this may be the outback the two-day event has everything you would expect from any race meeting — fashions on the field, colourful marquees, and a festive atmosphere. When the racing is over, everyone heads back to the Birdsville Hotel to toast their wins or wash away the disappointment of their losses.
7. Attend a hologram hearing at the Courthouse
Birdsville has a new visitor attraction — the refurbished heritage Courthouse on MacDonald Street — and it’s a cracker! The building dates back to the late 1800s, but it’s been kitted out with 21st century technology — including a fabulous hologram presentation in the courtroom itself. Visitors can sit in as a judge deliberates on five cases that were heard in this very room over the course of half a century. The presentation is based on court transcripts and incorporates plenty of humour.
8. Learn about the origins of an outback legend
If another step back in time appeals, walk along Adelaide Street to see the heritage-listed remains of the Royal Hotel. It has a link with one of Australia’s most important outback institutions. The sandstone pub was constructed around 1883 and later leased by the Presbyterian Australian Inland Mission (from 1923 to 1937) to house a bush hospital. The mission was headed by Reverend John Flynn, who saw the need for those in the outback to receive the same level of medical care as anyone living in a major town or city. In 1928 he succeeded in founding an aeromedical service, which would go on to become the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Discussions on how best to preserve the ruins of the Royal are ongoing.
9. Wonder at the waddis
Travel 17 kilometres north of Birdsville along the Eyre Developmental Road to see a stand of rare waddi trees. The protected species is only found in a few specific locations along the fringe of the Simpson Desert. Waddis have needle-like leaves and were highly prized by Aboriginal Australians for the durability of their wood. In fact, waddi is one of the hardest woods on the planet.
There’s another intriguing link with our pioneering past here. When the possessions of deceased transcontinental explorers Burke and Wills were recovered near the Dig Tree on the Queensland/South Australia border in 1861, waddi seeds were found in John Wills’ diary — confirming that the expedition had passed through this area.
10. Bliss out or bird watch by the Billabong
With water so scarce in the outback, any source of it teems with life — and the Birdsville Billabong is no exception. Located on the southern side of town and formed by run-off from the town bore, this lush oasis is a lovely spot to relax, picnic, swim, toss in a line, or watch the sun rise and set. It’s also a bird watcher’s delight and hosts a huge variety of feathered residents, including pelicans, ducks, brolgas, kingfishers, ibis, and swamp hens. Drive around to the southern side of the waterway to access Pelican Point, which has a picnic shelter and offers the best view of sunset over the water.
Need a place to stay?
Birdsville Tourist Park
Birdsville is primarily a camping and caravanning destination, so the majority of visitors bring their accommodation with them. The council run, centrally located Birdsville Tourist Park offers powered and non-powered sites, and the opportunity to camp in close proximity to the Billabong. Amenities include showers and toilets, a laundry, BBQ facilities, and an extremely well-appointed camp kitchen.
The town has a limited range of traditional accommodation options, including newly refurbished motel-style rooms at the Birdsville Hotel and self-contained cabins at the Tourist Park. The latter’s deluxe cabins offer two bedrooms, a full bathroom, a fully equipped kitchen, a large lounge and dining area, and a lovely lawned area overlooking the water.
This post was published thanks to Australian Seniors.
For more travel inspiration, visit www.outbackqueensland.com.au.
Browse our range of Queensland tours and experiences here.
Do you have any suggestions to add to our list of the best things to do in Birdsville? We would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.
Travelling through the Australian outback is an amazing experience, but it requires careful planning and preparation. Make sure you seek the advice of the relevant local authorities when arranging your trip.
Cover image: Tourism and Events Queensland. Additional images: Bigstock
About the writer
Shez Tedford’s love of photography began twenty years ago when she discovered her first high country hut in the Victorian Alps. She has since camped out in all weather conditions to find and photograph huts, and has written a book showcasing these pioneering structures. Shez and her husband now travel fulltime and love exploring remote parts of regional Australia. She is just as happy in the arid and dusty outback as she is high up in the huts.
About the writer
Adam Ford is editor of Top Oz Tours & Travel Ideas, and a travel TV presenter, writer, blogger, and photographer. He has travelled extensively through Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, and the Middle East. Adam worked as a travel consultant for a number of years with Flight Centre before taking up the opportunity to travel the world himself as host of the TV series Tour the World on Network Ten. He loves to experience everything a new destination has to offer and is equally at home in a five-star Palazzo in Pisa or a home-stay in Hanoi.
