We planned to head to the Qantas Founders Museum this afternoon after having a full morning at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame in Longreach.
As I have said before we are on our Outback Queensland Road Trip and we got a Longreach Big 3 Pass from Outback Pioneers, which included entry to the Qantas Founders Museum, and also the Jet Tour.
So after a very quick lunch ( We spent too much time at the Hall of Fame Museum! ), we shot off to the Qantas Founders Museum.
Qantas Founders Museum
If you have booked through the Big 3 Pass you still need to get your boarding pass for the jet tour from the front desk at the entrance of the Qantas Founders Museum.
You then just wait for your tour guide to take you back outside to the planes.
On the Jet Tour there are three planes to see, you only go through two of them though, and the last plane side door is open to look up and back.
The Qantas Jet Tour takes about an hour and a half to do.
A note here for you too, in regards to the Qantas Founders Museum Jet Tour.
You can only head outside and walk through the aircraft outside on one of the guided tours.
So if you pay for admission for the museum this doesn’t get you outside to walk through the planes.
There is a separate cost for you the Jet Tour.
You start with the Qantas Boeing 747 from the from the front outside, work your way back, then up the stairs, inside through the aircraft to the cockpit end, up a small set of stairs to the Top Deck, then back down outside.
There is quite a lot to see and for the guide to talk about, and they certainly know their stuff!
You will learn quite a bit about the Qantas 747 as well as the history of the Black Box and a few other items too.
You also learn how and why this Boeing 747 got to Longreach, which is a great story in itself.
Again, I won’t give too much away as I don’t want to take too much away from the experience if you get here one day.
Next it was time for photos inside the Rolls Royce Engine.
You head down the stairs and back towards the engines.
Then you get to stand in the engine, put your arms out, and your guide takes a photo of you or you and your family in there.
I’d say it would be one of the only places in the world where you can get this experience.
Their photos turn out quite good too, so we purchased one before we left the museum.
Then it was onto the Qantas 707 aircraft.
This plane has great stories behind it too, right up until it reached Longreach.
The old owners, who has travelled in it, what it used to look like, where it has travelled, and more is explained to you as you walk through the old aircraft.
It has certainly had its fair share of twists and turns in its lifetime and it is great that people are still learning about it now.
Last but not least is the Qantas DC3.
This plane is still in great condition too, so you get a great feel for what it would have been like back then when it was working.
Here below is a Youtube Video of all of the planes you will see from my channel.
Just click the play and you will see all of the aircraft.
After the Jet Tour it was time for us to go through the Qantas Founders Museum.
You can spend a fair bit of time wandering through the displays and reading about the history of Qantas and the surrounding areas.
For me, who thought Qantas was just a misspelt airline name missing a “u”.
It was a really interesting to learn how it all started with all the twists and turned to get where it is today.
There is a kids area inside for people who have families like us, also a Flight Stimulator that you climb up into which is good for keeping kids amused that are a little bit older.
This kept them amused while we were looking around and learning.
The Qantas Founders Museum takes you through the History of Qantas as well as the focusing on the Founders of Qantas, Paul McGuiness, Hudson Fysh, Fergus McMaster, and Arthur Baird.
There are also displays that teach you what life would of been like in the 1920s.
As well as the historic displays, inside the main building there is a seperate section where you can watch a dvd on how the Qantas Boeing 747 that is outside came to arrive at Longreach.
So you get to see when it landed and the story behind it too.
Outside the Museum there is the original Heritage Listed Qantas Hangar that has the DH-50 and DH-61 aircraft in it.
The Qantas Founders Museum also has the McGuiness Restaurant for you to sit down for breakfast or lunch, or even just a coffee and a cake if you need a break.
So it was time to say goodbye to the museum.
It was a pretty good afternoon at the Qantas Founders Museum and a good way to end another day in Longreach.
We left the museum just before closing and headed back to our caravan park for dinner.
Tonights meal was barbecue cooked on one of the many barbecues areas that are around the caravan park.
So with the sun setting on Longreach, we had full bellies, the kids all showered and snuggled up in their sleeping bags, it was time for sleep for all of us after a big day.
Another huge day planned for tomorrow with all the Outback Pioneers experiences to get through.
We start with the Stagecoach experience and then head off to the Thomson River Sunset Cruise and Show in the evening.
You can click on the links below to see what we got up to on Day 4 or you can go back to the start of our road trip too if you want.
See you tomorrow!
Liked reading this?
Head to Day 4 here, Outback Queensland Road Trip Day 4.
Or head back to the start of our trip here, Outback Queensland Road Trip.
What did we do or see today?
Picked up our Outback Pioneers Big 3 Pass
Outback Pioneers Booking Office
128 Eagle St
Longreach QLD 4730
P 07 4658 1776
Visited The Australian Stockmans Hall of Fame
Australian Stockmans Hall of Fame
Landsborough Highway
Longreach QLD 4730
P 07 4658 2166
Watched the 11am Outback Stockmans Show
Visited the Qantas Founders Museum
Qantas Founders Museum
Sir Hudson Fysh Drive
Longreach, Qld 4730
P 07 4658 3737
Where did we stay in Longreach?
Longreach Tourist Park
12 Thrush Road
Longreach Qld 4730
P 07 4658 0034
Liked reading this?
Head to Day 4 here, Outback Queensland Road Trip Day 4.
Or head back to the start of our trip here, Outback Queensland Road Trip.
