Legendary Outback Towns

Fly to Adelaide where you will be met the Aussie Redback crew. We will spend some time at the seaside town of Glenelg before checking in to our accommodation, followed by a “meet-and-greet” with fellow travellers and our evening meal. (D)

This morning we head to the heritage-listed copper town of Burra. After morning tea, we continue to the once-thriving railway town of Peterborough for lunch, then on through other towns, finally reaching Broken Hill, our home for two nights. (B,D)

Broken Hill or ‘The Silver City’ as it is sometimes called, is a city forged out of a hill that was almost pure silver, lead, and zinc. We spend time here this morning followed by a visit to the tiny outback town of Silverton. If it weren’t for the small community of artists and its desirable setting for outback movies such as “Mad Max,” Silverton would be a ghost town. (B)

This morning we head to Cobar, which has been a mining town for over 100 years. We stop for morning tea before continuing to Wilcannia, which was the third largest inland port in the country during the great river boat era of the mid-19th century. Sadly, today it is a shell of its former glory days. We continue to Bourke for a two-night stopover. (B,D)

Today, we visit the Back O’ Bourke Exhibition Centre, another must see, and we also enjoy an afternoon cruise on the Darling River, on board the riverboat PV Jandra. (B)

The township of Cunnamulla was created by Cobb & Co in 1879, when the first coach drove through from Bourke. Today it is the only surviving south-west town along the original route, and here we’ll visit and meet the “Fella from Cunnamulla.” Later we travel to another iconic outback town, Charleville, which is our home for the night. (B,D)

We visit Blackall today where the local legend Jackie Howe earned his own statue in 1892 after shearing a record breaking 321 sheep by hand in 7.5 hours. If you’ve never heard the saying ‘beyond the black stump’ then that is Blackall. Later we travel on to the towns of Barcaldine and Longreach (our home for two nights). (B,D)

On to Longreach, the heart of Outback Queensland and home to the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and the Qantas Founders Museum. In the afternoon we enjoy the sights and sounds of the outback on an evening riverboat adventure, cruising down the mighty Thomson River on a unique paddle-wheeler, then disembarking at a campground in the heart of the local bush for a two-course stockman’s dinner around the campfire. (B,D)

We visit Muttaburra which although it is only small in population with around 200 people, it has a huge reputation for its hospitality and the discovery site of the Muttaburrasaurus, one of Australia’s most famous dinosaurs. Later we step back in time and discover the authentic charm and elegance of Charters Towers, a living montage to the rich Australian gold mining history and heritage. We have a two-night stopover here. (B,D)

Founded in 1871 after the discovery of a gold nugget, Charters Towers was established as a place for prospectors to find their fortune in the gold fields. Over the next 36 years, they turned up over 200 tonnes of gold. This morning, we visit the Venus Gold Battery Museum to appreciate the town’s rich history. We’ll also visit Towers Hill Lookout and enjoy free time in town. (B)                                                                                                                                           

Today we head to the East Coast and visit the towns of Townsville and Ingham on our way to Cairns. We spend time enjoying morning tea on the wonderful Strand, a 2.2 km boardwalk along the front of the Coral Sea, then continue to Ingham, a centre for the sugar industry and known as “Little Italy” due to its high Italian population. Later we continue to Cairns for our last night together. (B,D)                                              

This morning, we visit the Cairns Botanical Gardens (time permitting) and later you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home, after a magical tour of  amazing historic outback towns of Australia. Wanting more of Cairns? You can arrange to stay a little longer, just let us know, so we can arrange your flights. (B)