MELBOURNE TO MILDURA

Welcome to our tour through fabulous Central Australia. With chauffeured pickup from home, we are transferred to meet our O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours coach and crew. We stop enroute for morning tea before continuing to St. Arnaud for lunch. This afternoon, we cross the Wimmera Plains and travel through the Victorian Mallee to Mildura for our first night away.

OVERNIGHT: Best Western Chaffey International Motor Inn, MILDURA

RIVERLAND TO PORT AUGUSTA

Today we drive along the Riverland from the Sunraysia to Renmark in South Australia to Morgan, once a very busy maritime port. Leaving the Murray, we head for the Southern Flinders Ranges calling at historic Burra (classified by the National Trust). This afternoon we take the scenic drive through the North Mount Lofty Ranges to Port Augusta.

OVERNIGHT: Standpipe Golf Motor Inn, PORT AUGUSTA

PORT AUGUSTA - WOOMERA - COOBER PEDY

We start our journey north on the Stuart Highway to Pimba, before detouring to Woomera. Until 1982, Woomera was a prohibited area for travellers. These days, we are welcomed with an interesting Visitors Centre. The town was built by the British and Australian Governments as the headquarters for the Maralinga and Emu Field - nuclear rocket and atomic bomb test sites. After lunch, we rejoin the Stuart Highway and continue to Coober Pedy to check into our two night’s accommodation.

OVERNIGHT: Desert Cave Hotel, COOBER PEDY

EXPLORING COOBER PEDY

We start the day with an opal-cutting demonstration and town tour, including an inspection of an opal mine, an underground house or “dug out” and a church. Did you know that the Coober Pedy Golf Course is the only golf course in the world with reciprocal rights to St Andrews in Scotland??!! We’ll also have time for some retail therapy for anyone interested in opals. We have time to purchase lunch before we head to the nearby “Kanku - Breakaways Conservation Park”- a stunning natural landscape that has featured in a number of movies such as Mad Max 3, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Ground Zero. Returning to town, we have some free time to relax, or perhaps some more opal shopping.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement

OVERNIGHT: Desert Cave Hotel, COOBER PEDY

COOBER PEDY TO YULARA

An early start for a travel day as we head for the border and into the Northern Territory. At Erldunda, we head west towards Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. There is an air of excitement in the coach as we are drawn closer to Uluru. Upon our arrival, we head straight to Sunset Strip to enjoy the spectacle of the changing colour of Uluru as the sun sets behind us. We now make our way to the resort to check in. Dinner will be a little later this evening.

OVERNIGHT: Voyages Desert Gardens Hotel, YULARA

ULURU AND KATA TJUTA

We have a magical day in store. Uluru, previously known as Ayers Rock, is located in the World Heritage Listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. It rises 348 metres from the desert floor and has a girth of 9.4kms. It’s the world’s most famous monolith with at least two thirds of the Rock lying beneath the surface. We spend some time at the Cultural Centre and take a drive around the Rock, stopping for photo opportunities. Lunch today is available from one of a number of restaurants and cafes in the Yulara Shopping Village. Early afternoon we visit the nearby Olgas, called by the Aboriginal people Kata Tjuta. We’ll stop at the viewing platform, then further on, stop for a photo opportunity and a short walk. We return to the resort, but our day isn’t over yet as we are in for a special treat – a unique outback experience. We will be seeing internationally acclaimed artist Bruce Munro’s once in a lifetime staging of The Field of Light. This is the biggest Field of Light exhibition to date and it is held at Uluru. We have the chance to wander through 50,000 slender stems crowned with frosted-glass spheres that will bloom as darkness falls over Australia’s spiritual heartland. This display is for a limited time, making the experience that much more memorable. After a fantastic day, we return to the resort for a later dinner.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement

OVERNIGHT: Voyages Desert Gardens Hotel, YULARA

YULARA TO ALICE SPRINGS

This morning you have the opportunity to view Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Yulara from the air. We reserve a number of seats for an unforgettable 40 minute Scenic Flight of the area. This flight is at patrons own expense and is highly recommended. After breakfast we say farewell to Uluru and rejoin the Lasseter Highway, through sand dune country, past Mt Connor to Erldunda where we stop for our lunch break. This afternoon, we head north crossing the Finke River and enjoy the ever-changing scenery as we near Alice Springs.

OVERNIGHT: Crowne Plaza Alice Springs Lasseters, ALICE SPRINGS

EXPLORING ALICE SPRINGS

Welcome to “The Alice”! We begin today with a view of Alice Springs from Anzac Hill. From here we can see the East and West MacDonnell Ranges, the Stuart Highway, the Todd River, the Ghan Line and the prominent city buildings. Our first visit of the day is to the National Road Transport Hall of Fame where we uncover how a unique breed of road transport pioneers used improvisation, innovation and sheer determination to carve a road transport network through the harsh wilderness, creating an industry that has become the backbone of Australia's development. From here we head to the Araluen Arts Centre where we discover some of the most significant works of art in Central Australia, including original paintings by renowned watercolourist Albert Namatjira. We enjoy some free time this afternoon to relax or go for a swim. We have a special evening planned tonight. Just 15 minutes out of Alice is Earth Sanctuary - a World Nature Centre at Quandong Homestead. We will enjoy a mouthwatering bush BBQ with music and entertainment and experience the spirit of the outback through stories of the aboriginal dreamtime. We will even learn how to cook a swagman’s damper! After dinner we can relax around the camp fire before heading back to the hotel.

OVERNIGHT: Crowne Plaza Alice Springs Lasseters, ALICE SPRINGS

WESTERN MACDONNELL RANGES

We have a great day in store as we explore the majestic Western MacDonnell Ranges. The natural beauty in this area is outstanding! Our first stop is at the monument of the Reverend John Flynn, founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. We continue the scenic drive to Standley Chasm with its towering walls; this is also where we’ll enjoy our morning break. Next stop is beautiful Simpsons Gap where we can stretch our legs. We head back to town to visit the Old Telegraph Station for a tour and lunch. The Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve marks the original site of the first European settlement in Alice Springs. It was established in 1871 to relay messages between Darwin and Adelaide along Australia’s Overland Telegraph Line. This not only connected Australia’s population centre’s with the north of the country, but it also connected Australia up with the undersea telegraph network of the British Empire.

OVERNIGHT: Crowne Plaza Alice Springs Lasseters, ALICE SPRINGS

MORE TO SEE IN ALICE SPRINGS

This morning, we visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). We hear the incredible history of one of the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical organisations in the world. Next, we visit the Alice Springs Desert Park, where we immerse ourselves in the beauty and mystery of Australia's remarkable desert landscapes. We will finish the day on a virtual journey into 'The World's Largest Classroom' which will leave us enlightened and inspired as we visit the School of the Air. The film and guide presentations reveal stories about the school and its students, sharing a distinctive history, outback lifestyle and world-renowned innovations of this uniquely Australian school.

OVERNIGHT: Crowne Plaza Alice Springs Lasseters, ALICE SPRINGS

ALICE SPRINGS TO MELBOURNE

We say farewell to the Red Centre and transfer to the airport to join our flight home to Melbourne. On arrival we will be met by our chauffeurs who will return us safely home with wonderful memories of our unique overland experience to the Red Centre of Australia!

Lunch at own expense and arrangement / refreshments on flight