LONGREACH is at the heart of the Queensland outback. It’s a place where the vast arid plains stretch to the west and the waters of the mighty Thomson River shimmer to the north, where the starry nights encourage stargazing, singalongs and campfires and sunny days are perfect for picnic races, rodeos, meeting friendly people and discovering farm life.

The Longreach Shire enjoys all aspects of country living. Home to the famous Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, Qantas Founders Outback Heritage Museum and the Powerhouse Museum, Longreach offers a wide range of visitor experiences. An unforgettable moment in a visit to Longreach is when a horse-drawn ride becomes a gallop through the scrub. Another memorable activity is to watch the sun set across the river from on board a paddle wheeler.

See the birdlife at Lily Lagoon, view the Thomson River and learn about Captain Starlight, the fictitious character in Rolfe Boldrewood’s novel, “Robbery Under Arms.” This character was largely based on a real person, Harry Redford, who was responsible for the most daring cattle duffing exercise in the country.

Longreach remembers him with a hill which has been dubbed Starlight’s Lookout (although it’s officially Cassidy’s Knob) because legend has it Redford posted a lookout on this hill while the cattle were being gathered for the journey. Starlight’s Lookout is abut 56km from town.

While driving around Longreach, you’ll no doubt notice that the streets all seem to be named after birds. But there’s even more to it than that. The streets that run east-west are named after waterbirds and those that run north-south are named for land birds.

Visit a working property and learn a little of the lifestyle in the west. Or take a look into the past through the arts with a visit to an outback theatre.

There’s so much to do, so pack your bags and head west to experience the true outback at Longreach, the largest town in central western Queensland and situated right on the Tropic of Capricorn.

Barkers Newsagency 112A Eagle Street, Longreach Qld 4730 Phone (07) 4658 1008 Fax (07) 4658 1414 Newspapers, magazines, stationery, art supplies, maps, books, Scratch-its Email: barkersnews@bigpond.com

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. So goes the old saying. But here’s a different take on the old adage - Whippets for Wishes. The idea was born to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. These two unrestored vintage Whippets from South Australia hit the road last year and were photographed here in the main street of Longreach by Travel Action’s Peter Lampard.

Longreach FoodWorks Cnr Pelican and Ibis Streets, Longreach Qld 4730 Phone (07) 4658 1397 Fax (07) 4658 3197 Fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh and frozen meat, all grocery needs