10 things to do in Birdsville besides the races

The Birdsville Races is an Australian outback bucket list item of mythical proportions, with around 7000 pilgrims covering thousands of kilometres to swarm on the remote Queensland town each September (since 1882). But Birdsville ain’t no one horse-race town. If you make it that far into the outback, you should do Birdsville thoroughly. So here are the 10 other must do’s. (words: Steve Madgwick)

1. The pub of many hats

'Hard yard' hats Birdsville Hotel Queensland photo: Steve Madgwick — ‘Hard yard’ hats – Birdsville Hotel, outback Queensland (photo: Steve Madgwick).

Don’t just stop outside and snap the obligatory photo of one of the most photogenic outback pubs in Australia (circa 1884) – although you won’t be able to help yourself.

Step inside the Birdsville Hotel, reward yourself with a cold beverage and a bite to eat and marvel at the memorabilia. Start by counting the hats stuck to the ceiling of the public bar, each one representing someone who has done the “hard yards" in Birdsville (representing those who have spent more than a year here).

The food and accommodation are as good as anywhere you’ll get for miles and miles and miles around.

2. Try a camel pie

camel pie Birdsville Bakery photo Steve Madgwick — The ‘C’ means it’s a camel pie, Birdsville Bakery (photo: Steve Madgwick).

For the adventurous gastronomist, wander across the oval to Birdsville Bakery to sample the town’s culinary gift to the world: the camel pie.

Marked with a big ‘C’ on top of the crust, the $6 pastry has a curry zing and a lamb-like texture, the tender minced meat is not lumpy or humpy.

If camel’s a trek too far for you, try the kangaroo and claret pie or the berri quandong tart. It’s also extra special because Birdsville’s is one of only a handful of licensed bakeries in Australia.

Birdsville bakery outback Queensland — The (licensed) Birdsville Bakery, outback Queensland.

3. Play in the big red sand pit

Big Red dune Simpson Desert — The 40-metre high Big Red dune, gateway to the Simpson Desert (and 4WDers funpark). (Photo: Steve Madgwick).

Thirty-five kilometres west of the town, along an unsealed but passable road (as long as it’s dry), the trademark ochre dunes of the Simpson Desert begin.

Closest to Birdsville are Little Red and Big Red (40 metres high), which are the gateway to the Simpson traverse for hard-core 4WDers.

Please note that Big Red is on private land so show respect accordingly. At sunset and sunrise, you’ll get to see why Simpson is truly a redhead.

4. Run and then bash

The Big Red Run seems like a crazy idea – a 250-kilometre foot race through the Simpson Desert – but funds raised from the event go towards great causes (including childhood diabetes), and all the athletes are consenting adults.

Ultra-marathoners from all around compete in the equivalent of 5 marathons in 6 days.

Directly after the run, the now annual Big Red Bash , a two-day concert featuring Australian rock royalty, is held on a makeshift stage constructed at the bottom of Big Red, creating a huge desert amphitheatre.

It’s fast becoming a pilgrimage that one day may challenge the races for sheer numbers making the trip.

5. The culture quest

While there are no major art spots in the area, there are some sites of significance for traditional custodians of the area, the Wangkangurru-Yarluyandi people.

A tour can be arrange to the Two Boys Dreaming site from the Wirrarri Information Centre (you can’t miss it).

While you’re at Wirrarri, browse the attached gallery for some amazing desert-scape photography and local art.

6. Swimming outback style

The pub is only one of the ways to cool down in town.

A nice stroll past the bakery will take you to Birdsville Billabong – great for a dip, a yabby hunt or for birdwatchers.

For a more adventurous style of outback swim, ask the locals if any of the surrounding (seasonal) waterholes are ripe for a dip. Make sure you get permission first, because many are on private land.

7. Waddi type of trees are they?

Head north out of town (14 kilometres towards Bedourie) and you will happen upon the fish-out-of-water rare desert waddi trees (seeds from these trees were discovered in Wills’ diary).

Some of the trees are said to a 1000 years old and their wood is abnormally hard.

The best vantage point to see the waddis is atop the mysteriously named Dingo Caves (note, there are no actual dingoes in the caves).

8. Day-tripping the easy way

There are plenty of legendary outback landmarks close (in a bush context) to Birdsville but just far enough out of town to make them too challenging for first-time 4WD-ers short of recovery and bush skills (or for those flying in).

Local company Deserts Edge Tours operates organised and bespoke excursions to places such as Cameron Corner (where Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales meet) or Poeppel Corner (where Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory meet) in its huge, dune-munching 4WD-bus hybrid.

For an aerial perspective of Channel Country, Central Eagle Aviation offer charters and joy flights such as 30-minutes over Big Red.

9. Burke and Wills legacy

Many towns around Australia’s centre have a Burke and Wills encounter story, as does Birdsville.

Evidence of the ludicrously intrepid pair’s connection to the area stands about three kilometres south of the centre where one of them is said to have slashed a tree, which still stands today.

It’s a subtle but worthy notch on your outback belt.

10. Fly the milk run

For those who fly (instead of drive) from Birdsville back to Brisbane you won’t get that slow-burn iconic outback trip moment, but you’ll have your own unique experience to talk about.

The Milk Run, the REX flight back to Brisbane, touches down at a handful of outback towns you’ve probably never been to before, including Windorah, Quilpie and Charleville.

The steward has to repeat the safety talk every time you take-off despite the fact the passengers are basically the same. Expect a complimentary beverage and biscuit on every leg too.

Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

Exploring K’gari

ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island — Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island — Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

Unwind at sunset

two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort — Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

Indulge and disconnect

woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa — Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

Getting there

kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island — The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.

Birdsville – 10 things to do besides the races