Bound for Birdsville

Day 1 – Tuesday 4^th June ’24 MILDURA (BD)

Welcome aboard.  This morning we travel along the Murray Valley Highway for morning tea, then we continue on to Swan Hill where we enjoy our lunch break. After lunch we travel through the Mallee Region as we pass by the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, winter rains brings beauty to this ever changing environment.  We travel to Red Cliffs where we visit Big Lizzy, a large steam powered tractor that was used to clear land for irrigation use.  This afternoon we settle in for our Overnight Stay at the Mildura Inlander Resort.  

 

Day 2 – Wednesday 5^th MILDURA – BROKEN HILL (BD)

This morning we make our way north along the Silver City Highway, to Broken Hill.  The town was created to serve miners in the incredibly rich silver, lead and zinc mines of the Barrier Ranges.  We enjoy an interesting tour of Broken Hill and visit the Silver City Mint and Gallery where we see the spectacular Panorama. We enjoy our Overnight Stay at the Desert Sand Motor Inn, Broken Hill.

 

Day 3 – Thursday 6^th BROKEN HILL – TIBOOBURRA (BD)

Departing Broken Hill, we travel out to the old ghost town of Silverton, made famous by the film industry, we visit the Old Silverton Gaol. Continue our journey along the Silver City Highway to New South Wales most isolated town, Tibooburra.  The Outback is a vast ageless expanse, but so full of life.  It’s home to numerous species of birdlife, native animals, wildflowers in season and bygone explorers. "Once you’ve experienced the Outback it takes hold of your heart.”  We make our way to Tibooburra the aboriginal name for the town is "heap of rocks”, the town is surrounded by granite outcrops, hence the name.  This afternoon we learn how this tiny community survives in this remote area.  We enjoy our Overnight Stay at The Granites Motel, Tibooburra. (Rooms and Cabins may be less elaborate)

 

Day 4 – Friday 7^th TIBOOBURRA – INNAMINCKA (BD)

This morning we make our way to Cameron Corner, where New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland meet.  We continue through the sand dunes of the Strzelecki Desert to the Strezlecki track, then north to view the Moomba Gas Fields as we enjoy afternoon tea. Then on to Innaminka.  This tiny settlement is built around a hotel and trading post on the Strzelecki Track. Innamincka played a part in explorer history, with the Burke and Wills expedition of 1860-61 being played out under the dig tree.  We settle in for the Next Two Nights at the Innamincka Motel.                                                                                                                    

 
Day 5 – Saturday 8^th DISCOVER INNAMINCKA (BD)   

A relaxing start to the day as we take time to discover Innamincka. We visit the memorial to John King, the only surviving member of the Burke and Wills group. This afternoon we enjoy a discovery cruise on the Cooper Creek, this is sure to be a highlight of the tour, the area abounds in birdlife so don’t forget your cameras. 

 

Day 6 – Sunday 9^th INNAMINKA – BIRDSVILLE (B,L,D)

We depart Innamincka and visit the "Dig Tree” an enduring reminder of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition before making our way to Birdsville.  In the Channel Country it seldoms rains, but the northern monsoons cause rivers and creeks to flood in an effort to reach Lake Eyre in South Australia.  We travel north, crossing the border into Queensland and make our way to Birdsville.  Birdsville is famous for the starting point of the Birdsville Track and for the annual horse race.  We settle in for the Next Two Nights at the famous Birdsville Hotel. 

 

Day 7 – Monday 10^th DISCOVER  BIRDSVILLE – BIG RED (BD)

This Morning an exciting day awaits and one that will certainly be a highlight of the tour as your "Once in a Lifetime Experience” begins, we enjoy the spectacular scenic flight over Goyder Lagoon Channel Country. This flight includes spectacular views of Birdsville, Racecourse, Big Red, Channell Country of the Diamantina River and Eyre Creek, Goyder Lagoon, Simpson Dessert & Sturt Stony Dessert. We then explore Birdsville, which was first settled in the 1870’s that grew as a centre for moving cattle south and as a custom post.  Tucked between the sands of the Simpson Desert and the gibbers of the Sturt Stony Desert it is set down on what Burke described as "that magnificent creek”, the Diamantina. The explorers, Sturt, Liechhardt, Gregory, Burke and Wills were all here before this little town existed. Of special interest is the Hotel and Racetrack, corner stones of Birdsville’s high profile. This afternoon we enjoy a tour out to "Big Red”, which will take us through the Diamantina flood plains, Stuart Stony Desert gibber country and visit the mighty Big Red where the Stuart Stony Desert and Simpson Desert meet.  

 

Day 8 – Tuesday 11^th BIRSDVILLE –WINDORAH – QUILPIE (BLD)

After a hearty breakfast we make our way along the Diamantina Developmental Road to Betoota, Australia’s Smallest Town. Then on to Windorah for our Lunch break. This afternoon we continue our journey, crossing the Cooper Creek, into Boulder Opal Country, Quilpie. Here we see the opal altar at St Finbarr’s Church then to Toogunna Plains for an outback Farm Stay. Located in the channel country, the Sheep and Cattle property houses beautiful ensuites rooms. (overnight)

 

Day 9 – Wednesday 12^th EROMANGA – THARGOMINDAH (BLD)

Today you will taken back in time to when dinosaurs roamed this vast country. We visit and enjoy a tour of Eromanga Natural History Museum. This modern, multi-million dollar facility is dedicated to researching and sharing the knowledge of all creatures great and small, which survived out here up to 98 million years ago. We then venture further south along the Cooper Developmental Road, enjoying a lovely picnic lunch enroute, before arriving at Thargomindah – Here we inspect what might be the World’s Oldest Artesian Hydro Power Plant and the Old Hospital. We settle into our accommodation Oasis Motel, Thargomindah for our overnight stay.   

 

Day 10 – Thursday 13^th THARGOMINDAH – BOURKE (BD)

We farewell Thargomindah heading East along the Bulloo Developmental Road past the mud springs at Eulo and stopping to inspect the statue of a Diproprotodon. One example of the Mega Faunda that roamed this area back pre 50,000 years. After morning tea here it’s a short run into Cunnamulla for an early lunch. We then head south through Barringun  to Bourke. In the early 1860’s Bourke was established as a mercantile centre and port to serve sheep runs along the upper darling. Bourke is a town on the edge of the wilderness, firmly etched in Australian folklore, with great historical, cultural and geographic significance. We settle in for our Overnight Stay at the Sunshine Gardens Motel, Bourke. 

 

Day 11- Friday 14th BOURKE – COBAR (BD)         

Bourke is where the river changes it’s name from the Barwon River to the Darling River. After breakfast we enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Paddleboat PV Jandra (river levels permitting) then we visit the Back O Bourke Exhibition, a wonderful facility that displays how our Pioneers tamed the Outback. Then it’s into Bourke for our lunch break before heading south to Cobar. Here we view the Fort Bourke mine, a combination of open cut and underground functioning gold mine. Then it’s off to the great Cobar Museum to learn more about the history and mining of this area. All that, before retiring to our accommodation for the evening: Town and Country Motor Inn. Enjoy dinner and our final night away on what we trust has been a wonderful exhilarating, educational tour of this vast Outback Australia.

 

Day 12 – Saturday 15^th COBAR – HOME (BD)

After a relaxing morning we depart Cobar heading down the Kidman Way arriving at Griffith for lunch. We then travel onto Tocumwal via Finley crossing the Victorian border ending our memorable Land of Infinity Tour. 

Price Per Person: $5,935

Single Supplement: $958