Blazing a trail in the Outback, The Road Ahead

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BLAZING A TRAIL IN THE

OUTBACK

EVERYONE NEEDS ‘A DOSE OF THE OUTBACK’ AT LEAST ONCE IN THEIR LIFE.

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ON’T LET ANYONE tell you that Queensland’s outback is in the middle of nowhere, says country singer Tanya Kernigan.

“It’s the middle of everywhere,” says Tanya. “I recommend that every Australian gets a good dose of the outback sometime in their lives. It will fix most ailments and is an elixir for the soul.”

One way to take your outback tonic is by joining the 2016 Outback Trailblazer to be held in October. A regular Outback Trailblazer participant and patron of Angel Flight Australia, Tanya declares that even though there are many ‘wow’ moments on the tour, every year the bar Tanya Kernigan at Captain Starlight’s Lookout.

is raised a little bit higher.

“For me, one of those moments was visiting Captain Starlight’s Lookout.

Located about 50km north-west of Longreach along the Muttaburra Road, it was once used by the notorious cattle thief Harry Redford. The views from this lookout are truly breathtaking and definitely worth a visit,” she says.

Also guaranteed on the Outback Trailblazer are some slide-splittingly funny moments, although it would be hard to top this one that Tanya says was an absolute highlight.

“The location was the iconic Birdsville Hotel, where the men are men and you don’t mind if a handful of outback grit Julia Creek dunnart.

finds its way into your steak sandwich!

Just on dusk, a huge off-road coach with silver material flying in the breeze from the roof appeared from the deserted back streets of Birdsville.

“It made its way toward the hotel bringing a little bit of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, to town. A man dressed as a drag queen alighted from the coach to the soundtrack of I Will Survive.

“It was an incredibly hilarious sight, however, just when I thought it couldn’t get better, the drag queen covered many of the astonished fellas watching with red lipstick kisses. One of those fellas just happened to be our now Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull. To his credit, Join the Outback Trailblazer convoy.

STORY KERRY HEANEY IMAGES TOURISM QUEENSLAND

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THE ROAD AHEAD FEB/MAR 2016

RACQLIVING.COM.AU

Tr co avel the mfort in O Trai i lbla utbac n zer k bus .

he took it all in good fun, but I am sure he was left baffled about what had just taken place!”

Albert Budworth, who manages RACQ’s historical fleet, travelled on the first Outback Trailblazer in 2009 and again in 2014. He says there’s not too much distance between stops, making it a relaxing way to see outback Queensland, with events and activities on offer day and night.

“You’ll discover amazing star displays in the outback, something you just can’t see in the city,” he says. “It’s good to get out into the country and see how they are doing it tough, too, with the drought.” n Mt Slocombe Lookout, Yaraka.

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Porcupine Gorge near Hughenden.

BE AN RACQ TRAILBLAZER YOU DON’T NEED a 4WD vehicle to be part of the Outback Trailblazer fun.

With RACQ’s Fly Rail 7-Day Trailblazer Event Tour, you’ll have five days of Outback Trailblazer action travelling in a luxury coach.

The tour includes a flight from Brisbane to Cloncurry to join the trail and a first class overnight sleeper from Longreach to Brisbane at the end.

Five nights of ensuite accommodation, all meals, admission to attractions, and plenty of fun along the way, are included.

Celebrate Crocodile Dundee’s 30th anniversary at the Walkabout Creek Hotel, enjoy a spot of damper with the cute but feisty Julia Creek dunnarts (mouse-sized marsupials), tour Kronosaurus Korner and come face-to-face with Australia’s best vertebrate fossil. There’s a tag-along with the Trailblazer to enjoy the dramatic beauty of Porcupine

Gorge, a Broadway to the Bush event at Starlight’s Lookout, and a meet up with a Muttaburrasaurus.

Follow the mighty Thomson River into Longreach to find Checkpoint Charlie at the Qantas Founders Museum, discover the markets at the historic Longreach Railway Station, enjoy Starlight’s Stampede Parade, laugh at the outback humour of the Harry Redford Old Time Tent Show, and explore the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame. The day ends with the award-winning Drovers Sunset Cruise on the Thomson River and Smithy’s Outback Dinner and Show.

The 2016 Outback Trailblazer will raise funds for Angel Flight and the Waltzing Matilda Rebuild (the Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton was destroyed by fire in June 2015).

The RACQ Trailblazer Event holiday with Outback Aussie Tours costs from $3,318pp twin share.

For more details, refer to page 45.

Plenty of photo opportunities with an outback sunset.

QUEENSLAND’S LARGEST CLUB

FEB/MAR 2016 THE ROAD AHEAD

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