You’re welcomed in to Longreach by a staggering construction that houses not one but four planes, you know you’ve arrived at the home of one of Australia’s iconic and possibly well known brands – Qantas!

After travelling through the smaller towns, Longreach boasts a population of about 3,200 although with the visitors and students in town, I envisage that number will swell to double at least.

There’s a storm brewing and experience tells me to run for cover – I elect to yet again trade my car-camping for the ringers quarters just in the nick of time. The storm hits with fury and I take cover from flying debris. Caravanners and campers have taken cover whilst their camp sites crumble around them.

I peer from my safe have to spot four brolgas standing still as statues, taking the storm head on – it reminds me of Clooney taking on the Perfect Storm!

Bright and early next morning, I’m ticking off bucket list items as I head to the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame. Whilst there are crowds, the numbers are drastically reduced due to COVID – a bonus for me! This display of our heritage is sensational, you would need a month of Sundays to stand and read through every story, of every unsung hero who has taken their place along the walls of this museum. The cinematic collation of the pioneering west left me with an unmatched sense of pride, that I had history in the outback

A quick visit to the Longreach School of the Air to meet with the teachers to assure them of our commitment to bring them to Storyfest in 2021, I’m left inspired to make a difference to these children. During a very brief visit, I’m hatching a plan to bring Storyfest to the Outback! Again with other towns in the west, the street art reflects the abundance of talent, the following are students’ artwork from the School of the Air.

The Qantas Founder’s Museum is next on the agenda and doesn’t fail to disappoint. The history of this organisation is truly remarkable, the determination and perseverance by a small collective of families has ensured the iconic flying kangaroo remains in operation for us today. For a plane buff, this would be their utopia!

I’m left wondering how some of these beasts managed to not only live out a worthy travel itinerary although they’ve found themselves highlighted in an outback museum for thousands of visitors each year to reminisce of yonder years and be thankful for the luxury (yes, Jetstar luxury) that we have available to us at this time.

To finish off my visit to Longreach, I join the Drover’s Sunset Cruise coupled with Smithy’s Dinner and Show. The cruise takes us along the Thomson river which is an oasis in this arid desert, the milk coffee coloured water laps the banks which are alive with wildlife and what strikes me most, is the erosion around the tree roots leaving a majestic sculptured array of natural art.

We disembark at Smithy’s for our camp oven dinner and of course, Barramundi is on the menu. The setting under the night sky fades away the harshness of the dirt underfoot. We’re entertained by storyteller “Hawkesy” whose comedic tales and songs have us knee slapping and toe tapping, in no time.

My friend and travel companion, Debbie, flew in to Longreach and will join my travels through to Cairns – look out “Outback” – Girls are on tour…