Even if good navigation is not your best suit, you’d be hard pressed to mistake Longreach Airport for anywhere else.
Up here in the middle of the Queensland outback, there are a couple of dead giveaways that you can see for miles on approach.
The first thing you’ll see is a huge tail, in some familiar red and white livery, attached to some famous residents parked at the airport.
With its 60 m wingspan, long-retired Boeing 747-200 jumbo jet VH-EBQ sits proudly alongside its little sister, Boeing 707 VH-XBA, Qantas' first Boeing aircraft.
These two old broads are arguably the leading act in the outdoor display, but you'll find treasures galore once you step inside.
Welcome to the Qantas Founders Museum. The museum is custodian of some of the most significant Qantas aircraft ever built and a seriously outstanding collection of Australian aviation memorabilia.
You can take a guided tour through both jets. You can also go for a wing walk on the 747, then take your time checking out the PBY Catalina and the DC-3.
Don't miss the heritage listed Qantas hangar where you will find the de Havilland DH-50 and DH-61 along with their fascinating history.
In 1921 when it all began, the Qantas fleet consisted of two biplanes an Avro 504K and a Royal Aircraft Factory BE2E. Two replicas of the Avro, built in 1985, one for the museum while the other is on display at the Qantas domestic terminal at Mascot, Sydney.
You can spend hours here, easily. But save some time to wander across the road to the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre. It's staggering to see such a brilliant exhibition out here in the middle of the outback.
You’ll find some great places to eat close to the airport. The same goes for accommodation with available hotels close by, perfect for those without ground transport.
