True Blue Magic

Your adventure begins with a flight to the beautiful city of Adelaide. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of your day is at leisure.

❱ 1 night: Mercure Grosvenor Hotel or similar

Adelaide travellers will be met at home and transferred to the Central Bus Station to join the tour. Interstate travellers will be picked up from the Mercure Grosvenor Hotel.

★ A delicious boxed breakfast will be provided to you as you travel aboard our luxurious air-conditioned motor coach from Adelaide.

This morning, we begin travelling along Main North Road through the Northern suburbs on our way to Burra in the mid North. Here, we enjoy a welcome morning tea stop before continuing along the Barrier Highway to Peterborough and Yunta.

After a stop for lunch, we travel through the Barrier Ranges to Broken Hill arriving mid-afternoon. After a little time to relax, we enjoy a delicious 3 course dinner this evening.

❱ 1 night: Desert Sand Motor Inn

★ Wake up to a stunning Outback sunrise before departing on our journey along the country roads, following the Darling River into the Outback.

We tour through Wilcannia which was once a busy paddle steamer river port. We continue to Trilby Station for lunch on the property.

Later, we continue touring to Bourke, a beautiful historic town that is set on the banks of the Darling River. The town is renowned for its history, nature & country hospitality and was once a major 19th century river port & trading post.

❱ 1 night: Desert Sand Motor Inn

★ We begin our day with a short tour of Bourke, a surprisingly pretty township situated in the middle of the Outback.

Later, we travel to Cunnamulla where we stop for lunch. This town was where the bullock teams once passed through and shearers spilled from bar windows. Today, the town is known for its natural beauty & Outback hospitality.

★ Continue to Charleville, the town where the first Qantas Airmail flight departed from in 1922.

The many classic heritage buildings built here include the historic Corones Hotel & Queensland National Bank Building which reflect the wealth & importance of the town in the early 20th Century.

❱ 1 night: Waltzing Matilda Motor Inn

★ After breakfast, we travel north to Blackall, a town recognised as the site of the mythical ‘Black Stump’.

See the Jack Howe memorial in town – a tribute to the man who set a world record by shearing 321 sheep in 8 hours with hand shears!

★ Continue to Barcaldine, a town that gained its place in Australian history as the birthplace of the Australian Labor Party.

Labor had its beginnings here after the big shearers strike in 1891. The party was created under the “Tree of Knowledge” which still stands in the town. Later today, we continue on our journey along the Landsborough Highway to Longreach.

❱ 3 nights: Albert Park Motor Inn (Jul tour) or Jumbuck Motel (Sep tour)

This morning we begin a tour of this iconic outback township, which in the 1920’s was the original base for Qantas.

★ Visit the Qantas Founders Museum and take in the special exhibitions for Qantas’ 100th anniversary.

The newly renovated museum tells the story from the early days in Outback Queensland to the present day. Learn about the founding figures of the airline, life in the Outback in the 1920s and the advancement & impact of aviation in Australia & the world. As part of your visit, you can visit the main exhibition hall, Catalina Flying Boat, the National Heritage Listed Qantas Hangar containing replica DH-50 & DH-60 aircraft as well as the Boeing 707 & 747 aircraft. In 2020, the museum will also be opening its new Airpark Roof which features a 9m high viewing platform that overlooks the entire museum.

★ Later today, we visit one of Australia’s most famous & most visited attractions – the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame provides an amazing insight into Australia’s history. There’s plenty of time to explore the five galleries of the museum marvelling at the achievements of the early settlers. Enjoy lunch at the museum cafe (own expense) before wandering back to your hotel.

★ Enjoy an exciting stagecoach ride at the only place in Australia where you can experience what it’s like to gallop in a Cobb & Co stagecoach.

You’ll know you’re in the Outback as you head off across the old Longreach to Windorah mail route.

This afternoon, you’ll be picked up and taken to the banks of the Thomson River.

★ Board a historic paddle wheeler for a sunset cruise, followed by a hearty Stockman’s Dinner around the campfire.

Enjoy bush poetry followed by the Starlight’s Spectacular Sound & Light Show featuring a special movie commissioned by the Kinnon’s to celebrate the local legend Harry Redford.

This morning after breakfast we tour through Matilda Country! The area is famous for its artesian bores which receive their water from the Great Artesian Basin. Banjo Paterson is reputed as having written our iconic Waltzing Matilda here in 1895.

★ Visit the Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum’s Collection Room & Laboratory.

Here, you can view an amazing collection of fossilized dinosaur bones from the prehistoric age. Later, we travel along the Kennedy Highway crossing the famous Diamantina River through Middleton.

★ Stop at a monument dedicated to the old Min Min Hotel.

A lonely grave site at the rear of the hotel ruins is of a servant girl who worked there in its early days. After her death, the mysterious Min Min Lights are said to have appeared and many lonely drivers have claimed to have seen the lights hovering above the road nearby at night.

Arrive in Boulia and check into your hotel before dinner tonight.

❱ 1 night: The Australian Hotel Motel or Desert Sands Motel

★ Visit the interesting Min Min Encounter Centre and the amazing Stonehouse Museum.

Enjoy the experience of spending time taking in the remote atmosphere at one of Australia’s most iconic bush towns before we continue to the little outback township of Bedourie.

★ Travel past the Diamantina crossing before arriving in Birdsville – one of Australia’s best known and colourful towns.

After checking into the Hotel, there will be an opportunity to enjoy a drink at the bar where you may meet a few of the locals.

Tonight, dinner is a great Aussie experience at Australia’s most iconic hotel – the famous Birdsville Pub.

❱ 1 night: Birdsville Hotel

★ After breakfast, we begin our journey along the rugged Birdsville Track.

We travel through the great Stony Desert and later into the Tirari Desert before stopping for lunch at Mungerannie. We continue along the Birdsville Track which travels on the outskirts of Lake Eyre before arriving in outback Marree for our overnight stay.

❱ 1 night: Marree Hotel

This morning we enjoy a short tour of Marree. This old town was founded in 1840 and is the site of Australia’s first mosque. The mosque built by several Afghan Camel Drivers and was constructed of mud brick. Originally the town was called Herrgott Springs but due to the anti-German sentiment after the First World War, it was changed to Marree in 1918.

★ We tour to Lyndhurst on the Strzelecki Track and call into Talc Alf’s unique Outback Sculpture Gallery.

See a number of Cubist-looking sculptures carved from talc stone which contrast with the surrounding red earth & blue sky. We then continue to Blinman for a lunch stop and then through the amazing Flinders Ranges to Hawker and Peterborough.

★ This evening, enjoy the award-winning Sound & Light Show at the Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre.

Sit comfortably in a restored 1916 historic rail carriage which is placed on an 85 foot long, 3 gauge turntable. Move through the tunnels of time to learn about Peterborough, about railways in South Australia and about the many fascinating personal stories associated with it. This awesome sound and light experience will have you becoming part of the last two centuries!

❱ 1 night: Roundhouse Motel

Today we begin our leisurely tour back to Adelaide. We drive through the Mid North grazing lands and stop for a delicious lunch along the way.

Later, we continue our travels through Gawler, arriving back in Adelaide in the late afternoon.

Adelaide travellers will be met on arrival at the Adelaide Central Bus Station and transferred home by chauffeured vehicle. Interstate travellers will be dropped off at the Mercure Grosvenor Hotel.

You will be dropped off at your hotel in Adelaide for your overnight stay.

The next day, enjoy some time at leisure to explore Adelaide. Ask us about optional tours that are available today including day tours to the beautiful Adelaide Hills & of the famous Adelaide Central Market.

Later, a chauffeured car will take you to Adelaide Airport in time for your flight.

❱ 1 night: Mercure Grosvenor Hotel or similar