Birdsville

Birdsville sits in the Channel Country of far south-western Queensland, roughly 1,590 kilometres west of Brisbane and just 12 kilometres from the South Australian border. The town has a permanent population of around 140 people and is one of the most isolated settlements in Australia, yet it draws thousands of visitors each year because of its unique position on the edge of the Simpson Desert and its outsized place in Australian outback mythology.

The Birdsville Hotel, built in 1884, is one of the most famous pubs in the country. It started as a customs house collecting tolls on stock moving between Queensland and South Australia, and has served as a hotel continuously since the 1880s. The current building dates from 1991 (the previous version was destroyed by fire) and is the social hub of the town, with a classic front bar, a beer garden, meals, basic accommodation and the kind of outback hospitality that cannot be manufactured.

The Birdsville Races, held on the first weekend of September each year, are the most famous horse racing event in outback Australia. The two-day meeting on the flat dirt track outside town draws up to 7,000 people - more than fifty times the town's population - who fly, drive and ride in from across the country. The race week transforms Birdsville into a temporary city of tents, caravans and light aircraft, with live music, a rodeo and a general atmosphere that captures something essential about the Australian bush character.

Birdsville is also the western terminus (or starting point) of the Birdsville Track, a 517 kilometre unsealed road running south to Marree in South Australia. The track follows the old stock route through the Sturt Stony Desert and is one of the iconic outback driving experiences in the country. The Big Red sand dune, the western-most dune of the Simpson Desert, is 35 kilometres west of town and is a popular four-wheel-drive challenge and sunset viewing spot.

The town is accessible by sealed road from Windorah (380 kilometres east) or by unsealed tracks from multiple directions. Rex Airlines operates flights from Brisbane via Charleville during race week and on a limited schedule year-round. The best time to visit is from April to October when the weather is mild and the roads are dry. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 45 degrees.