Weekender Out West Holiday
Adult (twin share)
$3026
Solo traveller
$3813
Child 5-14
$2572
Enjoy a 4-day outback weekend that’s light years from routine.
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.
Starts every Friday, April to October.
Rewind. Reset. Refresh.
Outback Pioneers award-winning experiences are the highlights of this short break. From the Cobb & Co stagecoach ride through the bush to the Starlight’s Cruise Experience, the outback dust will make a change from the household variety! You’ll be inspired by pioneer stories and the resilience and inventiveness that still live in the bush. Your spirit will be revitalised and your perspectives shifted as you chat around the campfire and adjust your pace to the heartbeat of the landscape.
Saturday reimagined
No traffic queues. No parking problems. Just hop aboard an air conditioned coach for a journey through outback vistas to the historic outback town beloved of filmmakers and adventurers. In Winton, delve deep into pre-history at the award-winning Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum with its dramatic Dinosaur Canyon, have lunch at the North Gregory Hotel where Banjo Paterson first performed Waltzing Matilda and be intrigued by the architecture of the distinctive Waltzing Matilda Centre.
Unique accommodation
The Staging Post boutique accommodation is artfully quirky – the creation of the Kinnon family (founders of Outback Pioneers) who have captured the pioneer spirit of reusing and recycling while wrapping you in rustic-luxe comfort. It’s situated in the heritage heart of town, set back from the wide street and is whisper-quiet at night. You’re close enough to grab a snack from the supermarket or a drink at a Longreach hotel. Don’t forget to visit the heritage The Station Store across the street too.
Meals for outback appetites
Your accommodation is just a couple of minutes walk from the historic The Welcome Home where a Stonegrill® Dining Experience welcomes you on Friday in the beautifully restored building with its outback memorabilia. Your Saturday lunch is in Winton and your Saturday dinner is a stockman’s campfire dinner but the river. Your weekend breakfasts are delivered to your room and there’s a country-size buffet breakfast to fuel you for Monday’s activities. A traditional billy-can lunch makes sure you’re not hungry on your return flight Monday.
Getting here is simple
Hop on a flight (from Brisbane or Townsville) or make the weekend part of a longer holiday travelling by car through fascinating outback towns (no 4WD necessary). Just remember to arrange your journey to arrive on Friday afternoon.
Meet your storytellers
From sunrise in the heritage heart of town to sunset and campfire dinner by the river, you’ll live and breathe the real outback with genuine outback people who share the highlights and humour of their world. Few embody the typical outback friendliness, resilience and quirky humour as memorably as the Kinnon family (graziers and founders of Outback Pioneers) and their crew. They’ll show you the real outback through a local’s eyes.
Richard Kinnon
Meet outback characters
Patrick, our Town Crier
Lane Kinnon
Jeremy Kinnon
Itinerary
Friday
Arrive at the airport on the early afternoon flight and we’ll pick you up or, if you drive in, come to The Welcome Home after 3pm to check in at The Staging Post accommodation. A VIP gift will be waiting for you in your room.
There’s time to take a stroll around town and refresh before your Stonegrill Dining Experience at 6pm at the historic The Welcome Home, just a few steps away from your accommodation. [D]
Saturday
It’s an early start with breakfast in your room before departing for Winton at 6.30am. Enjoy the outback scenery and your driver’s commentary before arriving at the awarding-winning Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum with its spectacular Dinosaur Canyon display. [B,MT,L,D]
Smoko is followed by an hour to explore the quintessential outback town of Winton. Lunch is at the North Gregory Hotel made famous by Banjo Paterson and then visit the architecturally-acclaimed Waltzing Matilda Centre to learn more about our national song.
Arrive back in Longreach around 4.15pm ready for the Starlight’s Cruise Experience at sunset on the Thomson river. Your evening includes a stockman’s campfire dinner under the stars, bush entertainment and the Starlight’s Spectacular Sound & Light Picture Show.
Transfer back to your accommodation at 8.30pm.
Sunday
After an action-packed Saturday, you’ll be glad of the slightly gentler pace on Sunday. Have a breakfast basket in your room followed by transfer to the Qantas Founders Museum at 10am. There’s plenty of time to absorb the stories and see the iconic planes before lunch in the cafe there at 1pm.
At 2.30pm, you’ll transfer to the famous Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and then back to your accommodation at 4pm. Dinner is at a local restaurant at 6pm. [B,L,D]
Monday
You can’t leave Longreach without doing the Cobb & Co Stagecoach Experience, so after buffet breakfast and an 8am checkout, be ready for your ride back into the pioneer past at 8.30am. The experience includes smoko, a classic movie and the Old Time Tent Show with a billy-can lunch.
You will just have time to pop into The Station Store for last minute gifts before transferring back to the airport at 1.15pm. [B,MT,L]
Adult (twin share)
$3026
Solo traveller
$3813
Child 5-14
$2572
What's included?
- 3 nights in Outback Pioneers 4-star heritage accommodation
- Starlight’s Cruise Experience
- Cobb & Co Stagecoach Experience (including the Old Time Tent Show)
- Winton Discovery Day Tour with entry to Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum and Waltzing Matilda Centre
- Entry to Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame
- Entry to Qantas Founders Museum
- The Stonegrill Dining Experience
- 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners, smoko as shown on tours
- Transfer from airport
- Hosting and escorting by Outback Pioneers crew
Act now. Places are limited.
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“We were looked after from the moment we arrived until we were dropped off at the airport. Our accommodation was amazing. All the experiences were entertaining and informative. Loved it all!”
Janette P
FAQs
Dietary options
If you let us know when you book, we can make sure your special dietary needs are catered for throughout the holiday.
Can I change Weekender Out West Holiday booking?
You can change your date up to 30 days before arrival, subject to availability of your preferred date.
I can’t arrive on a Friday, can I do the holiday on another day?
The holiday is timed for three nights when we have most accommodation available. If you can only arrive on a different day, why not buy a Live-it Saver Pass for the three experiences and combine with our accommodation (if available) or other accommodation in town?
Is the holiday suitable for children?
Yes, most children over the age of five enjoy the experiences. We advise parents that the Winton Discovery Day Tour is a 2-hour coach ride each way – you are the best judge of whether their child will handle this happily. Younger children are welcome with their parent(s) but we do not have specific entertainment for the little ones.
