Head west for a weekend truck-ful of fun this August
For any Aussie that lives along the coast, the Outback can feel a world away.
For those living in the south-east corner, just three days is all you need to traipse the open plains and breathe clear country air beyond the Great Dividing Range.
This adventurous road trip from Brisbane to St George centres around one of the region’s quirkiest annual events – Thallon Team Truck Pull.
Scheduled Saturday 31 August 2024, gather a crew of six of your strongest mates and see if you’ve got what it takes to win, or simply escape to the outback to enjoy the warm, family-friendly hospitality of a regional Queensland event.
From sipping local port wines, to catching river cod, to eating one-kilo T-bones and watching feats of strength at the truck pull, here’s how to spend three rewarding days in the St George Region.
Day 1 – Friday 30 August
7am - Hit the road for St George
Load your favourite playlist and get ready for the open road between Brisbane and St George.
On this five-and-a-half hour drive west, you’ll find plenty to see and snack on between Queensland’s big smoke and this special outback town.
A couple of hours into the nearly 500 kilometre journey, you’ll climb the range to Toowoomba, where you can take the chance to stretch your legs, breathe in country air and fuel up on caffeine at one of the inland city’s hip cafes.
If you have time, cut a lap around Queens Park or jump back in the car, point your bonnet west and knock over the bigger half of this venture to Outback Queensland.
9.30am – Choose your journey style
There are two types of road trippers - those that see the journey as the adventure, and those that prefer to floor it to their destination. If you’re the latter you might make it to St George in time for lunch, but otherwise you’ll be looking for a feed along the way.
You’ve left the fast pace of Queensland’s capital behind, so if there’s no hurry, make a few pit stops on the road. Wave goodbye to the Garden City and hello to Dalby, the regional centre of the Western Downs. Here you can chase sunflower fields, connect with culture along the local Heritage Trail or stretch those legs southwest of town at Lake Broadwater Conservation Park, the only natural freshwater lake in the region.
12pm – Enjoy country pub hospitality
When the clock strikes 12, chances are you’ll be close to Moonie or Westmar, two charming country towns of the Western Downs.
In Moonie the Crossroads Hotel will sort you out with a five-star classic pub feed and country hospitality, while further along the highway the Westmar Pub & Convenience Store is well stocked with ice-cold beer and extra warm service..
2pm – Cast a line in St George
Pull up your handbrake, you’ve made it to St George, your destination on the banks of the Balonne River.
Get acquainted with the inland fishing capital of Queensland while casting out a line to see what’s biting, or stretch out along the St George River Walk, a two-kilometre shady footpath that features information about local fish and birds.
If memorable is what you’re after, drop into The Unique Egg museum to see the world’s only hand-carved and illuminated emu eggs. Local artisan Steve ‘Stavros’ Margaritis is behind the internationally famous eggs. Find the egg-squisite collection within an unassuming brick building in town.
Fans of fortified wines must visit Riversands Vineyards for a free tasting at Queensland’s most western winery. At the cellar door you can sip and sample fortified muscats and the famous St George port, along with sweet and dry table wines. Make an afternoon of it in the gardens with a cheese platter or scones with homemade grape jam.
5pm - Check in and hit the pub
Whether you find joy sleeping in the quarters above an old pub, camping out by the river or staying in a refurbed motel, there’s every style of accommodation available in St George.
Take your pick from a dozen or so hotels and motels, like the cosy Jacaranda Country Motel or Merino Motor Inn, or choose from one of the many campsites around town. Some, such as the Pelican Rest Tourist Park, offer comfortable cabins as well as powered and unpowered sites for caravans.
Once you’ve dropped your bags, head out to the Australian Hotel in the centre of St George where you’ll find classic counter meals.
Beyond an excellent steak and chicken schnitty, there’s cob loaf, burgers, steak sangas, carbonara pasta, fish and chips, pizza and more. After your feed, mosey around the hotel’s three bars and beer garden, complete with a fire pit.
Day 2 - Saturday 31 August
8.30am – Rise, shine and return to the Aussie
Today’s the big day – the Thallon Team Truck Pull.
There’s no rush to arrive early because the event doesn’t kick off until after lunch and there’s just a 50-minute drive between St George and Thallon, 78km south.
If you're on the hunt for a brekky spot that'll knock your socks off, look no further than Delicate Café on Henry Street! This cozy joint not only serves up heavenly barista-made coffee, but their avo toast is the stuff of legend. Feeling more ravenous? Sink your teeth into their eggs benedict or brekky burger. But, if sweet treats are calling your name, look no further than their scrumptious waffles!
Since St. George is the hub of buzz on Saturday mornings, why not pop into some local shops before venturing to Thallon? We highly recommend checking out Handmade St George where you'll find oodles of one-of-a-kind treasures.
12.30pm – Check into Thallon
The Truck Pull kicks off from around 1.30pm, so organise an early check-in before heading to the main event.
In this small town you’ve got two choices for accommodation: the Francis Hotel or the McGeever Recreational Grounds.
The former offers simple budget rooms above the pub, caravan camping at the rear and self-contained accommodation at the Railway Quarters nearby. While the McGeever Recreational Grounds offer basic campsites with toilets, showers and views of Thallon’s towering colourful grain silos.
1pm – Ready for truckloads of fun?
The population of this southern outback town doubles when the annual Thallon Team Truck Pull rolls into town. The atmosphere is electric and community spirit is buzzing as the crowd cheers on great displays of strength and determination.
You don’t have to be from the St George Region to stake a claim at the pride and prize money of the Truck Pull either. Simply gather your own team of six men or women and register before 1.30pm for your chance to show the town what you’ve got.
What’s the goal of a truck pull? It’s simple. Crews of six have to pull big ropes attached to a mega prime mover. The fastest time pulling the heavy truck over the 25-metre line wins.
This local family-friendly event draws spectators by the hundred to watch teams give it their all. At the inaugural edition in 2021, local young guns The Truckwits nudged ahead of favourites the Nindigully Turtle Smugglers by just 0.53 seconds to claim the top prize for themselves.
Between pulls enjoy a fun day out exploring pop-up market stalls, food trucks, live music and great country hospitality. For little ones there’s even a fun Kids Zone to keep them entertained.
It’s not just fun and games as all funds raised from the event go back to the local school, whose P&C are raising money for a new playground.
6.30pm – Find a feed at Queensland’s oldest hotel
Perched on the banks of the Moonie River, the famous Nindigully Pub invites you to “come as a stranger, leave as a friend”.
A 20-minute drive north of Thallon, if you don’t grab a feed at the Truck Pull then roll in here for a meal to remember at Queensland’s oldest hotel.
The Gully has seen a lot since its licence first arrived in 1864. These days it’s famous for its annual pig races, massive one-kilogram T-bone steak, and the even bigger ‘’Gully road train burger’’. It features a 1.2kg meat patty, whole head of lettuce and one kilo bread bun. Naturally it’s surrounded by a one kilo mountain of chips. Book ahead to order yours to split between you and at least four friends.
If you didn’t opt to stay in Thallon, the Nindigully Pub also offers camping so you can stay and enjoy the country pub atmosphere until the barman’s final call.
Day 3 - Sunday
9am – Say g’day to William
If you’re staying at the Francis Hotel, enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the pub before going to greet the town’s greatest character: William the Wombat.
Snap a picture with the giant sculpture of this critically endangered Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat. At two metres high and three-and-a-half metres long, William is an unmissable reminder that he’s one of the world’s most endangered mammals.
The town’s other essential sight is the vibrant Thallon GrainCorp Silos. Part of the great Queensland Mural Art Trail, the four 30-metre-high silos have been painted a bright pink-orange hue by street artists Joel Fergie and Travis Vinson, aka The Zookeeper and Drapl.
The oversized artwork depicts icons of the local region including the Moonie River, a spectacular sunset, mob of sheep, pale-faced rosellas and a scarred tree, recognising Thallon’s Indigenous community. The mural won both “Best of the Best” and “Best Rural Art” at the 2019 Australian Street Art Awards.
12pm – Time to head home
Wave goodbye to a great long weekend in Outback Queensland. It’ll take a while to wipe the smile off your face after three days enjoying fine and friendly country hospitality.
Take your time on the return drive to Brisbane – there’s no rush back to the big smoke. Linger a little longer, perhaps staying for one last pub meal before the journey home.
The return east is a chance to stop anywhere you missed on the way here and to reflect back on the past days full of adventure experiencing the best of the bush.
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