Drive Queensland attended our first expo for 2026 with new banners which attracted plenty of attention, bringing in eager road trippers ready to start planning. The Outback Opera banner sparked many inquiries about that event and others including The Big Red Bash. Many were looking to include events in their itinerary planning so were encouraged to use the full event calendar on the Drive Queensland website.
The majority of repeat road trippers visiting Drive Queensland were in their 60s to 80s, with many retirees who have seen the Outback and are looking for new things to discover on their way around Australia. Many had recently returned from a trip and were dreaming about what they might do next, rather than asking about logistics for their next adventure.
There were quite a few first-time travellers in their fifties about to retire and wanting to start road tripping with plans to head off from April to July. Many people just wanted direction on where to go. RVs were their van of choice.
More families visited over the weekend, with most wanting to travel in the June/July school holidays, and some solo travellers also wanted information. Some were planning short-term trips soon. Farm stays were popular, and there were inquiries about off-grid and free camping. However, road conditions and closures continued to dominate questions.
Lots were asking about Cape York and where they could leave their van so they could use a swag or roof top tent to The Tip. Tropical North Queensland, Outback, Central Highlands, especially the Gemfields, Savannah Way, Hervey Bay, K’gari and Wide Bay were popular destinations. Short trips were also popular with the GourMay Mary Valley Food Festival in demand.
Popular brochures were Drive Inland, Drive Queensland, Cape York, Outback, Cairns and surrounds, Savannah Way and Bowen, with many wanting to do a return trip to Bowen as they thought it was a hidden gem. Tear-off maps were popular with many commenting on Google maps being unreliable for their trips.
There was strong interest in the Ringers Western merchandise and the bonus of a $300 pack included in the lucky door prize. The highlight of the prize is two tickets to all 2026 Queensland Music Festival events along the Outback Trail worth $1000 with a VIP upgrade for Outback Sounds and an exclusive artist meet and greet. The winner of the prize was Amee A.
Thank you to the below for being part of the Drive Queensland team:
Marnie Nichols - Queensland Music Festival
Malcolm Oakley - GourMay Mary Valley Food Festival
Lisa McKoy – Gympie Regional Council
Simone Doczkal – Opera Queensland
Carol McFarlane – Drive Queensland
Fiona Nicholl – Drive Queensland
The majority of repeat road trippers visiting Drive Queensland were in their 60s to 80s, with many retirees who have seen the Outback and are looking for new things to discover on their way around Australia. Many had recently returned from a trip and were dreaming about what they might do next, rather than asking about logistics for their next adventure.
There were quite a few first-time travellers in their fifties about to retire and wanting to start road tripping with plans to head off from April to July. Many people just wanted direction on where to go. RVs were their van of choice.
More families visited over the weekend, with most wanting to travel in the June/July school holidays, and some solo travellers also wanted information. Some were planning short-term trips soon. Farm stays were popular, and there were inquiries about off-grid and free camping. However, road conditions and closures continued to dominate questions.
Lots were asking about Cape York and where they could leave their van so they could use a swag or roof top tent to The Tip. Tropical North Queensland, Outback, Central Highlands, especially the Gemfields, Savannah Way, Hervey Bay, K’gari and Wide Bay were popular destinations. Short trips were also popular with the GourMay Mary Valley Food Festival in demand.
Popular brochures were Drive Inland, Drive Queensland, Cape York, Outback, Cairns and surrounds, Savannah Way and Bowen, with many wanting to do a return trip to Bowen as they thought it was a hidden gem. Tear-off maps were popular with many commenting on Google maps being unreliable for their trips.
There was strong interest in the Ringers Western merchandise and the bonus of a $300 pack included in the lucky door prize. The highlight of the prize is two tickets to all 2026 Queensland Music Festival events along the Outback Trail worth $1000 with a VIP upgrade for Outback Sounds and an exclusive artist meet and greet. The winner of the prize was Amee A.
Thank you to the below for being part of the Drive Queensland team:
Marnie Nichols - Queensland Music Festival
Malcolm Oakley - GourMay Mary Valley Food Festival
Lisa McKoy – Gympie Regional Council
Simone Doczkal – Opera Queensland
Carol McFarlane – Drive Queensland
Fiona Nicholl – Drive Queensland
