Australia’s back country pubs are more than just watering holes – they’re time capsules, community hubs and hidden gems nestled in some of the nation’s most remote and rugged terrain.
A road trip through the Aussie outback and regional heartlands isn't complete without stopping at these iconic institutions, where the beer is cold, the stories are tall and the welcome is as warm as the sunburnt earth.
Start in the Southern Highlands
Kick off your journey in New South Wales’ Southern Highlands, where rolling pastures and charming villages set the scene. Drop into the Burrawang Village Hotel – a classic country pub with panoramic views, hearty meals and a well-loved beer garden.
From there, wind your way through Bowral and head west, the scenery changing as the city falls away and country roads stretch further between towns.
Historic Haunts and Outback Icons
Crossing into Central West NSW, the Royal Hotel in Carcoar – one of Australia’s best-preserved 19th-Century towns – offers old-world charm and ghost stories to match. Down the road, pubs in towns like Trundle and Tullamore serve as social lifelines.
At the Trundle Hotel, reputed to have the longest wooden verandah in NSW, you’ll find locals swapping yarns over schooners, a jukebox in the corner and plenty of charm in the chipped paint and crooked floors.
As you push into the outback, towns get smaller but their pubs loom larger in character. The Silverton Hotel, near Broken Hill, is a must-see. Surrounded by red dust and made famous by films like Mad Max, this pub is a pilgrimage site for road-trippers. Covered in memorabilia and graffiti from travellers around the world, it's a shrine to Aussie pub culture and the characters that define it.
Queensland’s Country Core
Heading north into Queensland, follow the Warrego Highway and explore pubs like the Nindigully Pub near St George – Queensland’s oldest licensed pub, dating back to 1864. It’s remote, rustic and welcoming, with a legend of serving burgers the size of truck tyres and drawing bikers, grey nomads and curious travellers alike.
Free camping by the river and nightly campfires add to its appeal, giving you a true outback pub experience under a blanket of stars.
Stop by the Birdsville Hotel in far western Queensland, especially if you're lucky enough to be there during the Birdsville Races. This legendary sandstone pub is an oasis on the edge of the Simpson Desert, known for its bucket-list status among four-wheel-drive enthusiasts and lovers of outback hospitality. From a cold beer after a long dusty drive to the stories of station hands and explorers, Birdsville embodies the spirit of the Aussie bush.
Victoria’s High Country and Historic Goldfields
Winding down into Victoria, country pubs continue to thrive in towns shaped by gold rushes and bushranger lore. The Craig’s Royal Hotel in Ballarat brings old-world opulence to a goldfields city, while more rustic charm can be found at the Jamieson Brewery and Grill – nestled in the high country and surrounded by forested hills. Here, local brews pair with paddock-to-plate dishes and a sense of local pride is poured into every pint.
South Australia’s Scenic Sips
In South Australia, the Prairie Hotel in Parachilna offers a taste of Flinders Ranges grandeur and feral food specialties like kangaroo, emu and camel. It’s as much an outback restaurant as a pub, drawing travellers keen to experience wild bush flavours with a glass of Clare Valley wine or a cold craft beer. The hotel’s art-filled interiors and stone façade are set against a horizon of ochre and blue, making it a photographer’s dream.
Further south, pubs like the Blumberg Hotel in Birdwood and the Royal Oak in Clarendon serve as gateways to wine regions while still holding tight to their country pub roots – think polished timber bars, local produce and menus that embrace both classic schnitzels and modern flair.
End in the West
Finish your road trip across the Nullarbor, stopping at the Nullarbor Roadhouse for fuel, food and folklore. Keep driving until you hit Kalgoorlie and visit the Exchange Hotel or York Hotel – both rich in goldfields history and hosting a mix of locals, FIFO workers and tourists.
These pubs capture the raw, rough-and-tumble spirit of the West with surprising hospitality and an unmistakable sense of place.
The Heart of the Outback
What ties all these pubs together – from the humid riverbanks of Queensland to the red dust of the NT, the snowy ridges of the High Country to the wild plains of South Australia – is their authenticity. They are places where locals gather, where stories are passed down and where travellers find more than just a cold drink – they find connection.
An Aussie backcountry pub road trip is more than a checklist of places to drink. It’s a way to see the real Australia, one schooner at a time. With every creaky floorboard and every battered bar stool, there’s history.
With every laugh and tale shared between strangers, there’s community - and with every kilometre, there’s discovery – of land, legend and larrikin spirit.
