MELBOURNE TO GRIFFITH

Welcome to our 14 day tour to Outback Queensland! With chauffeured pickup from home, we are transferred to meet out O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours coach and crew. We begin our journey following the Goulburn Valley Highway to The Big Strawberry. This afternoon we cross into New South Wales and through Coleambally and Darlington Point to Griffith. Row upon row, farm upon farm of oranges, grapes, peaches and other delights, boldly announce we have entered one of Australia’s most magnificent food and wine producing areas and the heartlands of the world‘s most successful rice industry. 

OVERNIGHT:  Kidman Wayside Inn, GRIFFITH

GRIFFITH TO COBAR

Following breakfast we travel a short distance to the Griffith Visitors Centre where we are joined by a local guide. Our tour will give us a good introduction to the area and what occurs over a twelve month period, as well as the history of the Griffith area. On the road again, we follow the famous Kidman Way to Cobar. We travel through quite a few little outback towns like Goolgowi - the “Crossroads to the Outback”. It’s a relatively new town with settlement occurring in the 1920’s when the mid-western highway and the railway encouraged development. We continue on to Hillston which is situated on the banks of the Lachlan River; the town provides a wealth of water-orientated activities. The next stop is Mount Hope where copper ore was discovered in 1873 on Coan Downs by a shepherd named MacDowall. This discovery led to the opening of the Grade Central, Mount Allen and Mount Solitary Mines. Gold was also mined here. Mount Hope now has a population of about 20, whereas in its heyday it boasted 3,000. Now the village relies on the wheat and wool industries. On our arrival in Cobar, we enjoy an interesting talk about Cobar and the mining industry at the Great Cobar Heritage Centre.

OVERNIGHT: Cobar Town and Country Motor Inn, COBAR 

COBAR TO CHARLEVILLE

We have a slightly earlier start this morning to make the most of our day. After breakfast we continue north to Bourke on the banks of the Darling River. We enjoy our morning break here before a look around at the local sights including a visit to Fred Hollows grave. We stop for lunch at Barringun, right on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. This afternoon, we pause in Cunnamulla to view some fantastic artwork on the water tower before continuing on to Charleville. This evening we will visit the Cosmos Centre and later enjoy the open-air observatory and view the outback night sky. 

OVERNIGHT: Mulga Country Motor Inn, CHARLEVILLE 

CHARLEVILLE TO LONGREACH

After breakfast we continue north to Blackall, home to the legendary gun shearer Jackie Howe and where he set the almost unbelievable record of shearing 321 sheep with blade shears in a day. A bronze statue now stands as a monument to the man and the achievement. We visit the Wool Scour for lunch and a tour. From Blackall we continue north to Barcaldine before turning west towards Longreach. We take a break in Ilfracombe where some may like to take a wander along the Folk Transport Museum. otherwise known as the “Great Machinery Mile”. From here it’s onto Longreach, a town which has played a significant role in the early development of Central Queensland and Outback Australia. On arrival we settle into our motel for the next four nights.

OVERNIGHT: Longreach Motor Inn, LONGREACH 

EXPLORING LONGREACH

Today we uncover some national treasures, as we will be visiting the QANTAS Founders Museum. The Museum tells the story of Qantas from the early days in Outback Queensland to present day. Displays focus on the founding figures of Qantas, life in Outback Queensland in the 1920s and the advancement and impact of aviation in Australia and the world. Included in our visit is a tour of the Boeing 747, 707 and DC-3 aircraft. See features such as the Lavatory Service Hatch, Traffic Collision Avoidance System, Flight Recorders (the Black Box) and many other systems, all explained in layman’s term. Next, we step back in time at the Outback Pioneers Station Store and experience the Harry Redford Old Time Tent Show with our Billy Can lunch. Based on the traditional outback travelling shows, it’s hard not to be charmed by the simple delights of bush theatre. The Harry Redford Old Time Tent Show tells a fictional story set in the time of Harry Redford (Captain Starlight) and refers to his infamous adventures. Take some time to look through the local shops before we return to our hotel. Tonight, we enjoy a sunset cruise of the Thomson River. Relax on the top deck of the Longreach Explorer and take in 360 degree views of the Thomson River.  Enjoy entertaining and informative commentary detailing river and cultural stories. Unwind with complimentary nibbles platters and purchase drinks from the licensed onboard cash bar.  As the sunset fades into starlight, we dock at Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show for a night of great food and live entertainment under the stars. It will be a fantastic night.

OVERNIGHT: Longreach Motor Inn, LONGREACH

MORE OF LONGREACH AND OUTBACK

Today we are going to have a special experience as we get an insight to the area through the eyes of local graziers and pioneer families. We meet the owners of a local station called Camden Park Station and learn about their operations and the challenges of operating on the land, as well as enjoy a home-made morning tea. Returning to town we arrive at the iconic Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame to experience the Outback Stockman’s Show. It encompasses the modern-day aspects of being a stockman, as well as telling the tales of what it used to be like in the past. We enjoy lunch straight after the Stockman’s Show and then are free to look through the museum at our own pace and return to the hotel for some free time before dinner. 

OVERNIGHT: Longreach Motor Inn, LONGREACH

WINTON—THE AUSTRALIAN AGE OF DINOSAURS

We will see some dramatic and ever-changing scenery as we make our way to Winton. The area was once home to dinosaurs and is full of ground breaking scientific discoveries and archaeological digs. Today we will have the opportunity to learn about this prehistoric phenomenon. The Australian Age of Dinosaurs is located on top of the “jump up” – a rugged mesa plateau formation that stands 75 metres above the surrounding plains. The centre hosts the largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils and the largest fossil preparation laboratory in the southern hemisphere. It was in the Winton area that Banjo Paterson wrote his famous poem about the swagman and the jolly jumbuck and “Waltzing Matilda”. It was first heard in the North Gregory Hotel! On arrival in town we head straight to the Waltzing Matilda Centre for lunch and time to look through the world class museum and art gallery. Displays focus on the Australian landscape, channel country, the women of the homesteads and livestock/wool industries of the outback.  We return to Longreach late afternoon following a great day sightseeing in Winton.

OVERNIGHT:  Longreach Motor Inn, LONGREACH

LONGREACH TO EMERALD

Departing Longreach this morning, we retrace our steps to Barcaldine, a town steeped in the history of the early pioneers’ struggles - and the evolution of Australia as a nation. It was here that the famous shearers’ strike of 1890 took place. The “Tree of Knowledge” monument next to the Barcaldine Railway Station marks the spot where the Australian Labour Party was formed. From Barcaldine, it’s onto Alpha which is known as "The Gateway to the West"; it is an interesting mix of historic and modern buildings, changed by fire, flood and progress over the years. We have our afternoon stop at the Miners Heritage in Rubyvale where we take an interesting underground tour. For those of us who don’t want to go underground, there is a chance to fossick to find a treasure of our own or just sit and relax. The final leg of our journey today is to Emerald, the commercial hub of Central Queensland. We will see the historic railway station which was built in 1900 and now classified by the National Trust. Outside the Town Hall we also see a fossilised tree that is 250 million years old. It was unearthed on the banks of the Mackenzie River when a railway bridge was being constructed to one of the local mines and donated to the town on the event of its centenary by BHP Mines. 

OVERNIGHT:  Emerald Explorers Inn, EMERALD 

EMERALD TO ST GEORGE

We travel south this morning to Rolleston to connect with the Carnarvon Development Road which takes us through to Roma. Lunch today will be at Injune, then we drive on to the Big Rig Tourist Complex in Roma.  We will enjoy a short tour of the Oil Patch, which features a giant 1920 Emsco Rig, the last steam driven rig in Australia. A fascinating series of interactive and informative panels along with audio presentations describe the Roma landscape some 300 million years ago. The final leg of today’s journey sees us arriving at St. George for our overnight accommodation. 

OVERNIGHT: Riverland Motor Inn, ST GEORGE 

ST GEORGE TO LIGHTNING RIDGE

This morning, we head over the border on our way to Lightning Ridge. We pass through the little town of Dirranbandi and arrive in Lightning Ridge late morning where we head to Opal Mine Adventure to experience the atmosphere of an underground mine. We then visit the showroom to view the opals that came from the mines in this area and have the opportunity to purchase our very own opal from the showroom. This afternoon we visit Bevan’s Cactus Nursery. Started in 1966, and now encompassing two passionate generations, Bevan’s hosts one of the largest cactus nurseries in the Southern Hemisphere with approximately 2,500 young and aged varieties. Grown from seeds collected from around the world, many plants are now over 100 years old, with the oldest being nearly 150 years of age. 

OVERNIGHT: Wallangulla Motel, LIGHTNING RIDGE

EXPLORING LIGHTNING RIDGE

We have an interesting day planned today. This morning, we have arranged a special 3 hour, locally escorted, Black Opal Tour. We will see historic Three Mile Flat - site of early opal miners’ settlement and the largest open cut opal mine in NSW - Lunatic Hill and finish our tour at the Historic Old Red Rattler Train Carriages, with an opal cutting demonstration and informative talk on the famous Black Opal. We can view the beautiful collection of opal and opal jewellery. This afternoon we have a very special experience at the Chambers of the Black Hand. Opened in April 2007, this is a unique tourist mine. More than 11 meters underground, local artist Ron Canlin has created the most awesome paintings and sculptures. There is The Last Supper, Archangel Gabriel and the Chinese Terracotta Warriors, just to name a few. Ron is constantly carving new work, so there are changes every day as there is no end to his talent. The second level is a mine that has been worked for over 100 years and all the old shafts and drives that were dug by the old timers are still there. On this level we get a geology tour on the different strata’s opal formation, an experience not to be missed. It is amazing and there is nothing else like it in Australia. Our final stop today is a visit to John Murray Art Gallery.

OVERNIGHT:  Wallangulla Motel, LIGHTNING RIDGE

LIGHTNING RIDGE TO DUBBO

Farewell to Lightning Ridge as we travel south through Coonamble and Gilgandra to Dubbo. Unlike many other rural centres throughout Australia, Dubbo has experienced quite dramatic growth over the past decade and now offers all the sophistication of a capital city, without sacrificing the benefits of country life. Dubbo is also home to the Taronga Western Plains Zoo. The zoo is one of the largest in the world, covering some 300 hectares, where animals live in large natural areas behaving very much as they would in the wild. We are joined by a local guide who will board our coach and provide us with an insight into the animals and zoo (with plenty of stops for explanations and photos). After our tour, we have some free time to revisit the animals. We then check into our accommodation.

OVERNIGHT: The Oxley Motel Dubbo, DUBBO 

DUBBO TO WAGGA WAGGA

We have a slightly earlier start this morning; from Dubbo we take the Newell Highway through Peake Hill. Just north of Parkes, we visit the CSIRO Radio Telescope, also called “The Dish”. The visitor centre features many hands on displays and exhibits and our visit also includes an audio visual experience. Our lunch venue today is in Grenfell and our afternoon journey takes us through Young and Cootamundra. We stop in Junee for a visit to the Junee Liquorice and Chocolate Factory, before the last leg of today’s journey which takes us to Wagga Wagga.

OVERNIGHT:  Mercure Wagga Wagga, WAGGA WAGGA

WAGGA WAGGA TO MELBOURNE

Unfortunately, our holiday is coming to an end and today is mostly a travel day so sit back and enjoy the ride!  We drive to Benalla where we enjoy lunch, before making our way home – as always, our chauffeurs will be on hand to take us straight to our door – all part of the O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours superior service .