Brisbane to Roma and beyond in a campervan rental

Picking up a campervan rental from Brisbane?  There are so many places you can get to from Brisbane and a couple of popular stops for those heading inland is Roma and Carnarvon Gorge.

We’ve put together a loop for you that also incorporates Emerald, Rockhampton, 1770, Bundaberg and the Sunshine Coast which is perfect if you are looking at a Brisbane campervan rental.  For families, travelling in a 6-berth motorhome this is a perfect trip to do in 14 days, offering a variety of sceneries.

In this blog, we’ll cover off the first couple of days from Roma to Carnarvon.

Roma

Roma is The Gateway to the Outback – the journey to Roma will take you on average 5.5 hours in the motorhome hire from Brisbane, although don’t forget you’ll be wanting to take breaks at least every 2 hours.   Toowoomba is perfectly placed at an 1 hr 45 mins down the road, where you could park up and have lunch café camper style in your 6-berth motorhome. If you didn’t stock up your cupboards in Brisbane, then we suggest finding a supermarket here and stocking up before you head on out to the small town of Roma. Of course, there are many cafes and eateries in Toowoomba too, if that’s your preference.  Make sure you enjoy the views at the top of the range at Picnic Point on your way through too.  This is also a good place to overnight or push on a little further if you like.  On the first day after picking up your campervan hire in Brisbane; it is a good idea not to plan to travel too far – its easy for timings to blow out on the first day by the time you do some shopping etc.

Carrying on to Roma in your campervan rental from Brisbane, you will notice the scenery start to change as you meander through the cotton fields and towns such as Dalby.

Roma, with its population of circa 7,000, was incorporated in 1867 and is the largest town in the Maranoa Region and has an abundance of cafes and dining options, contemporary pubs as well as all the usual take-away options too. As you are in the heart of beef country be sure to try a mouth-watering grass-fed steak while you are in town!

If you are in your 6-berth motorhome hire from Brisbane and are in Roma on a Tuesday or Thursday morning, then you might want to check out the largest livestock selling centre in the southern hemisphere, that sees over 400,000 cattle sales each year, these auctions are an incredible sight to watch. The sale yards run tours free of charge on Tuesday and Thursdays, no booking necessary just meet up at the Bull Ring area at 08:15 for a 08:30 tour commencement.  Please note that during the drought period, the Thursday morning sale doesn’t always run – check with the local information centre for up to date details.

While in Roma, you could also wrap your arms around Queensland’s biggest bottle tree with a girth of 9.51 metres, height of six metres and a crown of twenty metres. You’ll find it at the end of Edwardes Street.   Around here is the Avenue of Heroes on Wyndham Street, which features over 100 bottle trees as a remembrance to fallen WWI soldiers.

You can also check out the Big Rig Oil Patch Museum. What’s all the big fuss about? Well this centre uncovers the unique history of how and where the Australian oil and gas industry originated. There’s plenty for the kids to do here too so you can check out the centre during the day as well as pop along later in the day to see the Night Show Sunset Experience, where you get to relax under the outback skies as you are taken on a 35-minute sound and light journey to learn about the areas trials and triumphs of early industry men and women in Roma.

There’s plenty of parking in Roma for your 6-berth motorhome or smaller campervan rental. While there, you may also like to see the stunning stained-glass windows of St Pauls.

The next stop we suggest on this outback tour in your motorhome hire from Brisbane is to head north from Roma for just over 3 hours to Carnarvon National Park.

Carnarvon Gorge

Hidden in the rugged ranges of Queensland, Carnarvon Gorge features vibrantly coloured sided gorges, towering sandstone cliffs, Aboriginal rock art and diverse flora and fauna. You’ll find yourself at the Takarakka Bush Resort Caravan Park and it’s the perfect base to set up camp and explore this wonderful place!  It’s the perfect base to park up your 6-berth motorhome – or a smaller one if you are less people.

During your stay here in your motorhome hire from Brisbane, you’ll find some stunning self-guided walks available to you.  There are guided options too, but regardless of which option you go for, this place will not disappoint.

Check out the Takarakka Bush Resort website for the most up to date information, but our recommendation, if your fitness allows, is to make sure you do the four big highlights while you are here which are the Art Gallery, Wards Canyon, Amphitheater and Moss Gardens. Allow around 8 hours for this adventure and be sure to take plenty of snacks, lunch and water with you. There are shorter walks as well as much longer walks too, each will depend on your fitness level.

You may want to spend a few days here in this idyllic spot soaking up everything this fantastic spot has to offer before setting off out on the road again and heading further north on your way up to Emerald. If you’ve only managed to get away in the 6 berth motorhome for a few days, you’ll be needing to return your camper hire back to Brisbane.

If you are keen on picking up a campervan rental from Brisbane, check out our vehicle options here and get in touch to see how we can help you organise your next adventure.