Coronavirus: Queensland’s outback tourism operators readying for border reopening

After months of being forced to cool their heels, Queensland’s outback tourism operators are preparing to welcome a horde of visitors from interstate.

Outback Pioneers tourism operator Richard Kinnon anticipates restarting his stagecoach rides when restrictions lift. Picture: Clancy Paine

The reins on Richard Kinnon’s restored Cobb & Co stagecoach have lain idle since October.

It has been a long off-season for the Longreach tourism stalwart who relies on the cooler winter months when visitors from all over Australia typically head to the bush.

After months of being forced to cool their heels due to COVID-19 restrictions, Queensland’s outback tourism operators are preparing to welcome a horde of visitors from interstate.

The reopening of the Queensland border to residents from all states bar Victoria on July 10 has given them hope of salvaging what remains of the season.

Mr Kinnon’s Outback Pioneers venture, based in Longreach in central western Queensland, includes a stagecoach tour, paddlewheeler cruise and sheep station safari.

He was anxious that some of the tours could not go ahead because of social distancing rules, but a decision by the Queensland chief health officer on Friday to ease restrictions to allow tourism operators greater capacity on buses and vessels gave fresh hope that reopening the attractions would be viable.

After months without income, Mr Kinnon’s tours of Nogo sheep station started up again on Thursday and he has already been inundated with requests from Queenslanders travelling through the region during the school holidays.

“I’m just so thankful that we’ve got something to do,” Mr Kinnon said. “We’ve got a good following and good bookings.

“I just hope we can deliver for people like we’ve done in the past.”

Mr Kinnon, who had appealed to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to consider easing occupancy restrictions for buses and boats, said visitor expenditure was crucial to rural economies.

“We’ve had 10 years of drought here now and without our tourists and our city cousins, these towns wouldn’t be here,” he said.

In the New South Wales border town of Moree, 480km southwest of Brisbane, caravan park operators are readying for the inevitable wave of grey nomads on their way into Queensland.

Wally McDonald, who owns the Gwydir Motel and Caravan Park, said the park was less busy than usual for this time of year, but that would change next week.

“We are getting the signals that there are people aiming to head up there when the border reopens,” he said.

“They love that Queensland state and we pick up the business on the way up and on the way down.”

Deon and Lane Stent-Smith own and run Shandonvale Station near Longreach in western Queensland. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

When coronavirus restrictions came into effect in March, the owners of Shandonvale, a working sheep station near Aramac, two hours east of Longreach, that doubles as a luxury retreat, were forced to cancel all bookings.

Now, shortly after reopening, the station’s accommodation is booked out for the next three months. Normally about 65 per cent of guests are from Australia and 30 per cent of those are from Queensland.

But the border closure and uncertainty about when it would reopen meant Queenslanders made up all of the bookings until September.

Owner Deon Stent-Smith said the virus had forced Australians to look in their own backyard for travel experiences.

“They can’t go to Bali, they can’t go on cruise ships, so they look to the outback,” he said.

Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind welcomed the chief health officer’s decision to ease restrictions on tour operators.

“I’m sure the outback is eagerly awaiting the caravans to arrive.”