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18 Day - Red Centre & Flinders Ranges Adventure
Departure Date: Tuesday, 18th May 2010
Tour Cost: from $5600 per person twin share
An exciting Red Centre and Flinders Ranges adventure awaits on this amazing holiday. So many have captured the beauty of these areas on film or canvas but this still does not do it justice. Seeing is believing and the places visited will be etched in your memory bank forever.
Highlights include Waltzing Matilda Centre, Kynuna, John Flynn Place Cloncurry, Mt Isa, Tennant Creek, Barkly Highway, Devil’s Marbles, Macdonnell Ranges, Standley Chasm, Simpson’s Gap, Desert Park Alice Springs, Kings Canyon, Yulara, Uluru, Kata-Tjuta, Coober Pedy, Woomera, Pichi Richi Railway, Wilpena Pound, Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Cobar and more! If you have the country areas at heart and you are full of adventure, this tour is certainly for you.
DAY 1 BRISBANE–FRASERCOAST–ROCKHAMPTON (D)
Tuesday, 18th May 2010: Our adventure tour departs Brisbane Roma Street Transit Centre at 7.00am. Travel the Bruce Highway with passenger pick ups enroute through the Sunshine Coast, Gympie, Fraser Coast on our northbound journey to Rockhampton, the “Beef Capital of Australia”. Enjoy a brief tour of “Rocky”. Stay at Quality Inn Centrepoint.
DAY 2 ROCKHAMPTON–BARCALDINE (BLD)
Wednesday, 19th May 2010: Move today through the tropic of Capricorn to Blackwater to visit the new Blackwater International Coal Centre to learn of the history and future of the valuable coal mining industry. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the Central Highlands Visitor Information Centre and see the world’s Biggest Van Gogh Sunflower. Press on to Alpha, known for its building murals and then on to Barcaldine to view the Tree of Knowledge.
Stay at Ironbark Inn.
DAY 3 BARCALDINE–WINTON (BLD)
Thursday, 20th May 2010: This morning an interesting tour of Longway Station near Longreach, a 20,000 acre cattle property with a historic homestead. At Winton enjoy a late lunch at the fabled North Gregory Hotel made famous as the first performance venue of Waltzing Matilda in 1895. We then tour the fascinating Waltzing Matilda Centre, incorporating a regional gallery and Qantilda Museum. Stay at Boulder Opal Motor Inn.
DAY 4 WINTON–MT ISA (BLD)
Friday, 21st May 2010: Today see the distinctive blue heeler dog at the Kynuna Pub during our morning tea break then on to Cloncurry to view John Flynn Place, a welcome spot for our picnic lunch. At Mt Isa we visit a new attraction Outback @ Isa chronicling the history of mining in the area and at the Isa Experience Gallery we discover the regions rich cultural, indigenous, pioneering and mining heritage. Stay at Burke & Wills Motor Inn.
DAY 5 MT ISA–TENNANT CREEK (BLD)
Saturday, 22nd May 2010: Off early today into a land of endless horizons and lonely outback stations. Cross over the border into the NT at Camooweal passing the remote Avon Downs Police Station with lunch at the Barkly Homestead Roadhouse. Across the Barkly Tablelands vast open plains to pause at the Three Ways Junctions memorial to John Flynn. Arrive in Tennant Creek with time to climb Battery Hill for views of the town.
Stay at Bluestone Motor Inn.
DAY 6 TENNANT CREEK–ALICE SPRINGS (BLD)
Sunday, 23rd May 2010: Sparse roadside vegetation gives way to rocky outcrops and in the distance looms some unusual boulders. As you draw closer you’ll realise you’ve arrived at the much photographed Devil’s marbles – one of the Territory’s marvels and steeped in Aboriginal mythology. Enjoy a picnic lunch at Barrow Creek and some may like to wander over for a refreshing ale at the Old Barrow Creek Pub. The afternoon tour takes us through Ti –Tree and past the Aileron Roadhouse to arrive in Alice Springs for our two night stay. 2 Night Stay Auroro Alice Springs.
DAY 7 ALICE SPRINGS SIGHSTEEING (BLD)
Monday, 24th May 2010: Take in the panoramic view from Anzac Hill, then the MacDonnell Ranges beckon. See John Flynn’s Grave and then enter Simpson’s Gap for easy walking in awe-inspiring setting surrounded by the earthy reds, yellows, orange and purple hues of Natmatjira country. Back in town we visit the Old Telegraph Station built in the 1870’s and the acclaimed Desert Park. Lunch at the park, with time to explore the three major habitats – Desert Rivers, Sand Country and Woodlands. Tonight experience the Sounds of Starlight Theatre for an enthralling dinner performance combining music and visual images of Australia’s heartland.
DAY 8 ALICE SPRINGS–KINGS CANYON (BLD)
Tuesday, 25th May 2010: Today travel to Standley Chasm to admire this natural marvel, then at Hermannsburg we learn the history of this Aboriginal mission, now home to many Aboriginal artists. Enjoy a light lunch in the late Professor Ted Strehlow’s House, now the tea rooms. We travel off the “beaten track” through the Gardiner Range into the Watarrka National Park to King Canyon. Choose your level of walk for impressive views. Stay at the Kings Canyon Resort.
DAY 9 ULURU & KATA TJUTA (BD)
Wednesday, 26th May 2010: Away early to join the Lasseter Highway for Yulara Resort and Ayers Rock. Enjoy many photo opportunities and admire the sheer immensity of this monolith. Time for some lunch (own expense), at the Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, which features many aboriginal Dreamtime Legends. Further west we reach the Olgas known as Kata Tjuta, meaning “many heads” in the traditional aboriginal language. Time to explore these mystical domes. Enjoy an early BBQ dinner at Sunset Strip as the sun sets over The Rock creating a magnificent spectacle. All aboard our coach as sadly we must leave this mystical area and tour back through Curtin Springs to Erldunda for a late arrival at our accommodation. Stay Desert Oaks Motel.
DAY 10 ERLDUNDA–COOBER PEDY (BLD)
Thursday, 27th May 2010: We can enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning before boarding our coach for the opal mining town of Coober Pedy. Pass through Kulgera and over the border into SA at the Cadney Homestead Roadhouse for a picnic lunch. Continuing south we reach one of the SA best kept secrets, the remarkable Breakaways. 2 night stay at the Opal Inn.
DAY 11 COOBER PEDY SIGHTSEEING (BD)
Friday, 28th May 2010: Start the day with a guided tour of Coober Pedy including an underground mine, underground home and a church. Lunch can be taken in town (own expense) and the afternoon is free for private explorations or optional scenic flights. After dinner tonight you may also wish to join an optional star gazing tour (own expense).
DAY 12 COOBER PEDY–PORT AUGUSTA (BLD)
Saturday, 29th May 2010: From the lunar landscape of Coober Pedy we follow the railway track to Woomera, site of cold war testing of long-range rockets and missiles. The Prohibited Area remains in business and the town is flourishing with tourists. Enjoy a welcome lunch at the Heritage Centre and learn about the pivotal role the town is still playing in the future of Australia. On to Port Augusta to settle into our motel. Stay Acacia Ridge Motor Inn.
DAY 13 PICHI RICHI RAILWAY–WILPENA (BLD)
Sunday, 30th May 2010: Travel to Quorn, a historic railway town nestled in the Flinders Ranges for a nostalgic train ride to Woolshed Flat. Over a picnic lunch, time to reminisce about old time train journeys. Continue on to Hawker to visit Jeff Morgan’s “Wilpena Panorama”, a 360 degree landscape featuring the views from St Marys Peak.
2 Night Stay Wilpena Pound Resort.
DAY 14 WILPENA POUND FREE DAY (BD)
Monday, 31st May 2010: A free day to discover the magnificent natural beauty of Wilpena Pound. Your crew will assist with options including taking the shuttle bus ride to Wilpena Pound to enjoy a short walk, scenic flights or 4WD drive tours of the area (own expense).
DAY 15 WILPENA–BROKEN HILL (BLD)
Tuesday, 1st June 2010: We leave the Flinders Ranges this morning and travel south through Orroroo for a break. Then travel through the old railway town of Peterborough to join the Barrier Highway up to the small settlement of Yunta for a picnic lunch. Cross the border into NSW back to Broken Hill to admire the Living Desert & Sculpture Symposium at sunset, a marvellous spectacle. Stay at the Mine Host Motel.
DAY 16 BROKEN HILL–NYNGAN (BLD)
Wednesday, 2nd June 2010: An early start to travel east to Wilcannia for a morning tea break in this “Queen City of the West” (watches forward half an hour). Continue through semi desert saltbush plains inhabited by emus and kangaroos, to the copper mining town of Cobar for a late lunch at the Great Cobar Heritage Centre. The Centre traces the development of the town from the time of Aboriginal occupation through to the present day-at its peak Cobar was so prosperous it boasted its own stock exchange! The afternoon tour then takes us into Nyngan. Stay Outback Motor Inn.
DAY 17 NYNGAN–ARMIDALE (BLD)
Thursday, 3rd June 2010: Travel through along the Oxley Highway to Gilgandra for morning tea at the Coo-ee Heritage Centre. On then to Coonabarabran, to the Visitors Centre and lunch at the local bowling club. The afternoon tour takes us through Gunnedah to Tamworth before joining the New England Highway for Armidale. Stay Country Comfort Armidale.
DAY 18 ARMIDALE–HOME (BL)
Friday, 4th June 2010: Away early, homeward bound through Tenterfield and across the border to Stanthorpe and back into Qld for lunch at the Warwick RSL. On to Brisbane with passengers departing as required. Travel northbound on the Bruce Highway, with passenger drops off as requested, with arrival early evening on the Fraser Coast after a wonderful 18 day adventure.