12 Days Colossal Corner Country

itinerary

Day 1. Tue: Spirit of the Outback train

Board the ‘Spirit of the Outback’ and checkin to your 1st class sleeper for an overnight journey through the Central West. Enjoy cosy dining in the themed Tuckerbox Restaurant,and if you wish a quiet drink and chat with your fellow travellers in the club or lounge car. Train departs Roma Street Station, Brisbane at 6.25pm. (D)

Day 2. Wed: Longreach

Sit back and discover an up-front view of Queensland’s captivating outback, enjoyed in the comfort of authentically-themed surrounds. Our journey west, ventures through the heritage towns of Blackwater, Emerald and Barcaldine before arriving in Longreach.  Overnight at the Albert Park Motor Inn, Longreach. (B,L,D)

Day 3. Thu: Birdsville

View spectacular contrasting scenery as we cross the coolabah-lined creeks over vast open plains to the rugged beauty of Mulga.  See magnificent sand dunes and the gibber on the top end of the Strzelecki Desert.  Follow the watering holes of Jundah and Stonehenge, along the major tributaries of the mighty Thomson River to Windorah, where we meet the famous Cooper Creek. Along the track, visit Deon’s Lookout for amazing views of the Diamantina Shire and the ghost town of Betoota before travelling onto Birdsville to check-in at the Birdsville Hotel for a two night stay. (B,L,D)

Day 4. Fri: Birdsville

Visit the Birdsville Burke and Wills Tree on the Diamantina River and the famous Birdsville Racetrack. This afternoon we are treated to a sunset happy hour atop the stunning red dunes on the edge of the Simpson Desert.  Dinner tonight is at the iconic Birdsville Hotel featuring a Flying Doctor Auction. (B,L,D)

Day 5. Sat: Innamincka

Departing Birdsville where the Channel Country meets the Simpson and Strzelecki Deserts we are bound for Innamincka. Travel through the predominantly Gibber Country broken with sand dunes and Channel Country, the changing desert environment is amazing.  We break at the iconic Burke & Wills Dig Tree, before reaching the pioneer settlement of Innamincka to check-in to the Innamincka Hotel for a 2 night stay. (B,L,D)

Day 6. Sun: Innamincka

Tour the pioneer graves, and retrace the last days of Burke and Wills and hear about the town with two lives. Inspect the 'hot rock project' at the Geo Dynamics Installation harnessing the energy from the earth’s natural hot granites deep beneath the surface. Explore the restored Australian Inland Mission building, the Innamincka Trading Post or just relax around Cooper Creek. (B,L,D)

Day 7. Mon: Cameron's Corner, Tibooburra

Experience the red sand dunes of the famous Strzelecki Desert and discover the region’s natural wealth as we travel through the heart of the oil and gas fields isolated installations. Traversing large cattle stations we arrive at Cameron’s Corner, where the three states of Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales join. Our sensory experience is heightened with the magnificent and diverse Sturt National Park landscapes, the Granites and unique character of Tibooburra. Arrive and check-in to Tibooburra Caravan Park and Cabins for a two night stay. (B,L,D)

Day 8. Tue: Milparinka, Tibooburra

Now in outback NSW view the eastern sections of the Sturt National Park and the living heritage site of Milparinka. Discover this incredibly preserved historical precinct. We retrace the footsteps of the explorer, Captain Charles Sturt’s 1845 expedition to the privately owned sheep station, Mt Poole. Here we will visit the waterhole where the group camped known as Depot Glen and Poole’s grave.  We continue on back to Tibooburra to watch the sun set from our panoramic look-out. (B,L,D)

Day 9. Wed: Broken Hill

This morning, we spend time in the National Parks Interpretive Centre and Court House Museum. Enjoy downtown Tibooburra’s unforgettable streetscape just like a classic western movie set. Travel out through diverse country landscapes from granite to pebbly downs, as we make our way towards the silver city of Broken Hill - stopping at Packsaddle for lunch. We continue through the country where the famous Sidney Kidman took his first steps to grow his pastoral empire. The landscape is changing with a geological story that dates back billions of years. Check-in to the Mine Host Motel, Broken Hill for a two night stay. (B,L,D)

Day 10. Thu: Broken Hill

This morning discover the “Museum without Walls”, from the galleries of Jack Absalom & Pro Hart to the boom town Victorian architecture and art deco influences. Enjoy the city sights discovering the Line of Lode Miners Monument, Silver City Art Centre, home to the largest acrylic painting on canvas 'the Big Picture'.  At sunset we visit the Sculpture Symposium comprising of 12 sandstone artworks highlighting the skyline of the Living Desert Reserve, followed by dinner at Broken Hill’s premier restaurant, Broken Earth. (B,L,D)

Day 11. Fri: Silverton, Broken Hill, Indian Pacific

Today we discover Silverton which has been featured in many films, including Mad Max and Mission Impossible 2.  View the ‘Mundi Mundi’ Plains, the 19th-century buildings, museums and art galleries.  This afternoon we return to Broken Hill where we board the Indian Pacific.  Checking into Gold Service we encounter an epic rail journey that offers everything you would expect in a contemporary travel experience.  Enjoy fine dining in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant and chat with fellow travellers in the Outback Explorer Lounge as you travel through some of Australia’s most productive farming country and in to the arid outback as the sun sets. (B,L,D)

Day 12. Sat: Arrive Sydney

This morning is the finale of this rail journey travelling through the spectacular Blue Mountains – it’s just unforgettable scenery. Scheduled arrival into Central Station, Sydney is 10.15am. (B)

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