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Outback Pioneers
4.8
503 reviewsAbout
Outback Pioneers brings outback pioneering spirit to life with ingenious and much-loved experiences and holidays in Longreach, Queensland. Here heritage meets quirky humour, big landscapes meet big hearts as the Kinnon family share their outback lifestyle and insights into iconic Australian culture.
Guests can unleash their own pioneering spirit with experiences like the Cobb and Co Stagecoach Experience, the Starlight’s Cruise Experience and Nogo Station Experience. Restored heritage buildings The Station Store and The Welcome Home also help tell the local story. Everything comes from the family’s passion for educating and inspiring visitors to experience and preserve the real Australian outback.
When you visit Outback Pioneers you'll be sharing a real outback experience with genuine outback people who live and breathe the region's past, present and future.
What's Available
16 featuresQuality Tourism Accreditation
Available Tours
Cobb and Co Stagecoach Experience
Re-live the heyday of stagecoach travel. On the Cobb and Co experience you'll travel in a restored stagecoach – first at a leisurely pace through town and then full-tilt along a stretch of the original Longreach to Windorah mail route. Hear the pounding hooves of the magnificent horses on the outback dirt road. Hear the rattle and creak of the coach. Hold on to your hat for the only stagecoach gallop in Australia! It's exhilarating. It's entertaining. And it's the closest you can get to feeling what it would have been like in the pioneer past. After the ride and photos, slow down with a traditional smoko (the original Aussie tea break), a classic Australian movie in retro cinema seats followed by the Cobb and Co Courtyard collection and stories (Billy-can lunch optional extra) The four-hour experience starts from the Outback Pioneers booking office in Longreach – bookings essential.
Starlight's Cruise Experience
Make sure you don't miss Outback Pioneers' cruise to experience the only paddlewheeler west of the Great Divide and enjoy an adventure to the heart of outback tradition. After a gentle cruise down the majestic Thomson, where birds flock home to roost on the riverbanks at sunset, you'll go ashore for a traditional stockman's camp-fire dinner under the stars, followed by bush poetry with their local bush poet. Next the bush is illuminated by the Starlight's Spectacular Sound and Light Show – a unique big-screen presentation featuring the Kinnon family and locals in the amazing adventures of the notorious cattle thief known as 'Captain Starlight'. This movie is a tribute to the bush skills of the rogue drovers and was specially commissioned by Outback Pioneers to celebrate this story of audacity and daring. Finally, in the atmospheric surroundings of the bush at night, enjoy the timeless favourite – billy tea and damper. Bookings essential.
Unleash Longreach Holiday - Six Days
Experience the very best of Longreach and Winton in six days. Immerse yourself in the unique sights, sounds and tastes of outback Queensland. You’ll stay in The Staging Post boutique accommodation in Longreach where pioneer life inspires every detail. Set your imagination free as you ride a stagecoach through the bush, cruise down the Thomson River at sunset for a stockman’s campfire dinner under the stars, and tour across the sunlit plains of working Nogo Station where animals roam and history whispers through the grass. You’ll also venture onwards to remote Winton where dinosaurs once ruled and Waltzing Matilda was born. Expect entertainment, laughter, hearty country fare and genuine outback hospitality.
Winton Discovery Day Tour
Outback Pioneers' air-conditioned coach tour to Winton travels the 180 kilometres from Longreach and gives a local's insight into the scenery and highlights. Winton is a fascinating outback town known for its dinosaur fossils and the Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum is one of the highlights of the tour. The experience includes entry to the impressive Dinosaur Canyon. Follow in the footsteps of Banjo Paterson with lunch at the legendary North Gregory Hotel, where Banjo Paterson first performed Waltzing Matilda. Explore even more about this unofficial national anthem in the purpose-designed Waltzing Matilda Centre. Bookings are essential.
Longreach Storytelling Holiday - Three Days
This 3-day break is not just about hearing outback stories – it’s about living them! You’ll stay two nights at The Staging Post in the heritage heart of Longreach and enjoy award-winning experiences. You’ll ride a Cobb & Co stagecoach through the bush including a gallop (the only place in Australia to experience this). You’ll visit a working station hosted by the Kinnon family who live and breathe the outback. You’ll cruise the Thomson River at sunset on a historic paddlewheeler or riverboat and have a campfire dinner under the stars. It’s the iconic outback life plus entry to Longreach attractions packed into three amazing days.
Nogo Station Experience
Outback history and a contemporary working station come together at Outback Pioneers' Nogo Station near Longreach. The station was originally part of the famous Bowen Downs station. Join your Outback Pioneers host to live the pioneering spirit as you experience an insider's view of station life. Meet the merinos and hear the merino story in the historic woolsheds. Travel by open-top, double-decker bus to view the sunlit plains where wedge-tailed eagles fly. Local wildlife mingles with iconic cattle breeds and stock horses. It's a photo opportunity extraordinaire with camels, kangaroos, emus, wild donkeys and more. You'll also visit the ruins of Captain Starlight's stockyards where you will share a saddlebag lunch under the coolibah trees in true outback style. The Outback Pioneers air-conditioned coach will pick you up from your accommodation and take you to Nogo Station. Bookings essential.
Weekender Out West Holiday - Four Days
This 4-day weekender is as far from routine as you can get! With great accommodation and unique experiences in Longreach and Winton you’ll feel as if you’ve been transported to another world where history lingers and landscapes have timeless tales to tell. Arrive on a Friday afternoon and immerse yourself in the real Australian outback. Over the four days you’ll find yourself galloping in a stagecoach through the bush, falling in love with the sky on a sunset cruise on the Thomson River, savouring a stockman’s dinner under the stars and walking in the footsteps of dinosaurs.
Nearby places
Reviews & Ratings
Lynda Elies
Google review
We had a wonderful evening! My husband and I both love to be on the water, and the trip on the paddle boat was perfect. So calm and peaceful. The Captain and crew were so friendly and commentary was informative and humorously entertaining. We also watched a film about Richard's epic effort to bring paddle steamer 'Pride Of The Murray' all the way from South Australia to Longreach. The camp oven dinner, sat around the Camp-fire was deliciously perfect! A memorable evening, thanks.
M TM
Google review
My wife and I travelled from Mackay for a second visit and we will be back again next year if not sooner. The rooms are excellent and well serviced, clean and tidy. The restaurant is awesome with lots of memorabilia around the place. The food is excellent quality and the service is very homely and welcoming. We went on the river cruise aboard the paddle steamer and listened to the dry funny wit of captain Graham. After the cruise we sat and watched a short movie and then had beef stew and damper bread with a big mug of Billie tea and listened to Lane's poetry which was very funny. All this whilst sat around a big camp fire. Lane the bus driver has an awesome sense of humour with lots of one liners. We can highly recommend staying with this family run enterprise along with going on a stage coach ride to Nogo sheep station and the river boat cruise. And if you happen to meet the owners Richard and Marisse you'll see they are such lovely welcomming people as are the other family members who help to run it. Big thanks to all staff involved for making our stay so memorable.
Westward Travelers Lap of Australia
Google review
Make sure you do the Cobb & Co coach tour. It’s a must in Longreach. You are the main attraction as your coach driver steers you past the local back streets, then down the Main Street of Longreach. The gallop part to “beat the storm coming in from the west” was a big crowd pleaser. Would love to do it again.
Grant Bennett
Google review
We had a great evening taking the sunset river cruise and the campfire meal and damper afterwards. The bush poet telling stories and reciting poems was excellent, she really made it and enjoyable experience. Highly recommended.
Shelley Keehn
Google review
Awesome experiences - no wonder they're award winning! 😍❤️🤩 I'll never forget galloping on the back of that Cobb & Co coach! Loved it!!! The Kinnon family and staff are deadset legends - do yourself a favour and do everything on offer. Bucket list worthy for sure.
Get in touch
Where you'll be
128 Eagle Street
Longreach QLD 4730