Outback Queensland , the west of the state, is thinly populated by tenacious farming communities swinging precariously between famine and survival, and seems hard to reconcile with the lushness of the wet tropics. The population is concentrated in the relatively fertile highlands along the Great Dividing Range , running low behind the coast; on the far side, featureless plains slide over a hot horizon into the fringes of South Australia and the Northern Territory. Almost untouched by overseas visitors, the only places attracting tourists in any numbers are the Stockman's Hall of Fame at Longreach, the oases of Carnarvon Gorge in the Central Highlands, and the northwest's Lawn Hill Gorge . But elsewhere the opportunities for exploration are immense, with precious stones , fossils , waterholes and Aboriginal art in abundance.

 

Choosing where to go is often determined by the most convenient starting point. Main roads and trains head west from the coast at Brisbane, Rockhampton and Townsville; interstate bus services from Townsville are good, but otherwise the highways are only partially covered. If you're driving , your vehicle must be sound and you should carry essential spares, as even main centres often lack replacements.

Unless you're experienced and well equipped, you'll find that western summers effectively prohibit travel, with searing temperatures and violent flash floods that can isolate regions (especially in the Channel Country on the far side of the Great Dividing Range) for days or weeks on end. Consequently, many tour companies, information offices and motels simply shut up shop between November and March, or at least during January and February. On the other hand, water revives dormant seeds and fast-growing desert flowers, which cover the ground to the horizon in good years. At other times, expect hot days and cool nights, plenty of dust and sparse landscapes.