MELBOURNE TO MILDURA

Welcome to our 8 day tour to South Australia’s Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas! With chauffeured pickup from home, we are transferred to meet our O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours coach and crew. After our morning tea break, we join the Sunraysia Highway through the Pyrenees Ranges to Donald, where we’ll stop for our lunch break. This afternoon we continue through the Wimmera-Mallee region arriving in Mildura late afternoon.

OVERNIGHT:  Quality Hotel Mildura Grand, MILDURA

MILDURA TO CLARE

We make our way into South Australia this morning, stopping briefly in Waikerie to see the first example of the popular silo art of our trip. We head through the historic river port of Morgan to Burra, classified by the National Trust. In the early 1800’s, Cornish and Welsh miners flocked to Burra to work for the South Australian Mining Association and some set up homes in the dugouts hewn out of the banks of the Burra Creek. After a tour of this historical town we travel on to Clare, in the heart of one of South Australia’s premier wine regions.

OVERNIGHT:  Clare Country Club, CLARE

CLARE TO PORT PIRIE

This morning we drive to Ardrossan on the east coast of the Yorke Peninsula. The beautiful, blue waters of the Gulf St Vincent contrast with the patchwork of grain fields produce the world's best barley and abundant crops of other cereals, such as wheat and oats. At Ardrossan we stop to enjoy gulf views from the top of the cliffs on which the town is built before a visit to the fascinating Ardrossan Heritage Museum, housed in what was originally a factory established in 1880 to manufacture the “stump jump” plough and other agricultural equipment. Next is Minlaton. It was here the Australian Barley Board (which has handled the sale of barley grown in South Australia and Victoria since 1947) evolved. We stop for a visit to the Captain Harry Butler Memorial, a glass hangar containing a static display of the Captain`s famous monoplane "Red Devil" and celebrates his life and achievements. From here we head through Maitland and onto Moonta – “Australia’s little Cornwall” – for a brief stop. The ceiling at the Moonta Railway Station is an interesting example of a pressed metal ceiling, which was commonplace at the time of construction. Also located within the grounds is a fully restored 105mm Light Field Howitzer used in WWI. We’ll then travel through Port Broughton to Port Pirie our overnight destination.

OVERNIGHT: BreakFree Port Pirie, PORT PIRIE

PORT PIRIE TO PORT LINCOLN

Departing Port Pirie, we soon begin our touring on the Eyre Peninsula. We’ll shortly pass through Whyalla - the Cuttlefish Capital of the World!! Further south at Cowell, we’ll stop for lunch before calling in to Turners Oysters & Seafood to learn about oyster farming and perhaps even have the opportunity to sample an oyster or two. The pristine waters of the Spencer Gulf have also enabled the Eyre Peninsula to produce some of the best Oysters in Australia! Sit back and relax as we journey through to Tumby Bay stopping to observe, painted on the town silos, the two best things about the region: Beaches and art! Arriving into Port Lincoln we check into our hotel, our base for the next four nights.

OVERNIGHT: Port Lincoln Hotel, PORT LINCOLN

EXPLORING PORT LINCOLN

Port Lincoln is located on one of the world’s largest protected natural harbours. Boston Bay stretches from the tip of the Port Lincoln National Park to Point Boston and covers an area more than 3½ times the size of Sydney Harbour and this morning a local expert joins us for a tour of the area. We see the massive grain silos and hear all about the multi-million-dollar fishing industry Port Lincoln is home to. After our tour, we visit the Fresh Fish Place where we take the behind the scenes tour of the multi fish species processing factory. It's lunchtime now so we have some free time in the main precinct to explore. We finish our day with a visit to Boston Bay Winery. There aren’t many wineries in the world with a more spectacular setting. Set on a hill above the shores of Boston Bay, the winery enjoys good soils, a gentle climate and cooling breezes from the Southern Ocean. We make the short journey back to town. The main shopping precinct is very close - some may choose to relax back at the hotel and for “the shoppers”, it’s just a short walk to return to our hotel.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement

OVERNIGHT: Port Lincoln Hotel, PORT LINCOLN

WHALERS WAY AND CRUISING THE BAYS

Just 30 minutes south of the city and located on private property, Whalers Way offers sensational coastal views from the very tip of the Eyre Peninsula. We can see a wonderland of cliffs, blowholes, crevasses, caves and golden beaches - it’s a spot not to be missed. Returning to Port Lincoln, we visit Constantia Designer Craftsmen. Since 1977 Constantia have been creating some of the world’s finest furniture. In fact, Constantia was selected to design and build the Central Table & Hansard Desk in Australia’s New Parliament House.  Time for lunch now so we make our way to the Marina Hotel in the Heart of Lincoln Cove Marina with waterfront views of the commercial and recreation vessels floating past. If we’re lucky we may even spot a seal or dolphin! This afternoon, we join Calypso Star Charters for a cruise through Porter, Boston and Proper Bay, then see the sites of Stanford, Winters hills, Boston Island, The National Park and the City. We’ll visit aquaculture sites and taste the local produce. Following the cruise, we return to our accommodation with time to relax and freshen up before dinner.

OVERNIGHT:  Port Lincoln Hotel, PORT LINCOLN

COFFIN BAY AND ELLISTON

Some of the most rugged and dramatic coastline on the Eyre Peninsula is along the west coast where we are headed today. We look at the pretty town of Coffin Bay, located on the shores of one of the most beautiful estuaries in Australia and surrounded by National and Conservation Parks. We enjoy a brief stop for morning tea before continuing north along the Flinders Highway to Elliston.  This really is a stunning area, particularly the appropriately named Great Ocean View – a section of cliff top roadway with some remarkable views of the Great Australian Bight and Waterloo Bay. Once in Elliston, a local will join us to show us the beautiful coastline and tell us some of the history about the area, then we’ll enjoy a BBQ lunch.  This afternoon, we retrace our steps back to Port Lincoln for our final night on tour.

OVERNIGHT:  Port Lincoln Hotel, PORT LINCOLN

PORT LINCOLN TO MELBOURNE

Our tour is coming to an end today.  Following breakfast, we transfer to the Port Lincoln Airport to join our flight to Adelaide. Our connecting flight will see us arriving at Melbourne Airport this afternoon. 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.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement / Refreshments inflight