With summer fast approaching and temperatures soaring, we thought there’d be no better time to give our local advice on 7 ways to beat the heat and stay safe in Outback QLD this summer! The heat can be relentless and it’s hard to know what you can do to cool down and stay safe but here’s how.
Keeping cool:
Cool off with a dip in one of outback Queensland’s natural swimming pools.
Outback QLD is filled with beautiful rivers, creeks and waterholes, perfect to jump right in on those summer day’s. Lucky for us the best one is right on our door step! Cunnamulla is located right on the banks of The Warrego River. You can fish, swim and kayak along the river and there are some beautiful spots to perch to watch the sunset. It is a great spot to escape the heat but we recommend trying to stay out of the sun during the middle of the day. Enjoy a morning or afternoon swim instead!
If you’re travelling further north in Outback QLD, 700km North of Cunnamulla to be exact, you will find Longreach Waterhole. Another great spot to escape the heat and jump in for a swim. Another two hours north and you can enjoy Long Waterhole in Winton. Both are worth a visit and an ideal spot to take a dip! The maps below highlight their locations from the town centres.
Further into the centre of Australia, Birdsville, has two exceptional spots to dive in and cool down. Birdsville sits right on the banks of the Diamantina River, you can swim, fish and kayak here, it’s full of adventure! If you would like to try an authentic outback experience, you can swim in a billabong in Birdsville! ‘Birdsville Billabong’ is easy to find, located on the edge of town, near the Caravan Park. You can refer to the map below for additional details.
Enjoy a nice cold beer.
This seems to be a common theme of our blogs, we aren’t surprised! As always we know the perfect spot where you can enjoy an ice cold beer, Club Boutique Hotel. Peieta, owner of Club Boutique Hotel loves having a chat about Cunnamulla’s history and all there is to know about the outback! Club Boutique hotel even offers a perfect beer for the occasion “Cunnamulla Characters Brewed” The range of craft beer replicates some legendary Cunnamulla personalities into unique flavours, certainly an experience we recommend! Of course we’d suggest staying a while in Cunnamulla too. If your continuing your outback Queensland travels beyond Cunnamulla you can check out of blog on ‘Outback Queensland’s most iconic Hotel’s and Pub’s!‘ we think you’d be wild not to stop for a cold beer at these beauties!
Enjoy some of the incredible indoor activities outback QLD has to offer.
The easiest way to beat the heat and stay safe in Outback QLD this summer, is to stay in doors. There are plenty of wonderful indoor activities available to keep you entertained!
The Cunnamulla Fella Centre and Art Gallery is located at Cunnamulla’s Visitor information centre on Jane Street. It is a great place to start, you can learn about the history of the Cunnamulla and the story of the Cunnamulla Fella. You can also grab additional information about the town and surrounding areas while you’re there!
The Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton, is a must visit tourist spot and a great activity to get out of that heat! There are many things to see and do at the Waltzing Matilda Centre, including viewing of the art and photography exhibitions, dining at the cafe, browsing the Qantilda Museum and of course learning the history of the Waltzing Matilda song. Winton is also home to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum. It is a wonderful family day out where you will learn and discover the history of dinosaurs in Australia!
The Qantas Founders Museum Longreach is another wonderful family friendly location where you can avoid the sun and heat on a summer day while still enjoying a day exploring! It is home to a world-class museum, cultural displays, interactive exhibits and even Qantas aircraft tours.
Take a Nap
One of our favourite ways to stay out of the mid day heat is a snooze. Not only is it relaxing and refreshing but you will be out of the sun and heat in the hottest part of the day! This would be my pick!
Staying safe in the heat:
Seek shade shelter when you can.
The sun in Australia is extremely hot and can be dangerous if you are in it for long periods of time. It is important to try and seek shade or shelter throughout the day to stay cool, avoid getting sunburnt, dehydrated or over heated. This particularly applies in the middle part of the day, when the sun is strongest. The best place to stay cool is under a big shady tree! Alternatively, try and schedule some of the indoor activities, mentioned above, for the mid day heat!
If you’re hiking, stick to the cooler part of the day.
Hiking at the best of times is hot! If you plan on doing some hiking on your trip to outback QLD, leave early in the morning or late afternoon. It is far to hot to be hiking through the middle of the day. It can be very dangerous, you need to keep cool and hike only at appropriate times.
Luckily it has been abnormally mild lately and we have not really had any hot days. So if your were planning on doing some hiking our recommendations are, the Cunnamulla Bushland gardens, Cunnamulla Sandhills, Cunnamulla sewerage estuary and Cunnamulla Warrego River Walk. The sun rises at 5am and sets late in the evening around 7pm allowing for some excellent morning or afternoon hiking weather and temperatures!
Travelling in the Heat
Staying safe on the roads in the heat is important too. A good tip if you break down on outback roads is to never leave your vehicle no matter how long you are there. When people start looking for you it is often by air and a vehicle can be easily spotted from above, however a person in the scrub can not. Try to avoid sitting in your vehicle if you break down, hop out and find a spot under a shady tree nearby if possible. It is also important to carry excess water with you, just in case. Another great safety practice is to always keep in touch with family or friends to make sure they know your plans and where you are heading. However, remember not to rely solely on technology as in many parts of remote areas there is limited to no service.
Be prepared
The most important advice is to be prepared for the heat! Sun protection is essential, a hat, sunscreen and light clothing will be helpful in protecting you from the suns rays. A fly net is also a good addition as the flies can be relentless in summer!!
We hope these 7 ways to beat the heat and stay safe in Outback QLD this summer are helpful and make for a more enjoyable journey!! Safe travels.
