itinerary
Day 1 • ARRIVE – TOWNSVILLE
Arrive in Townsville and make your way to our hotel. Check in is available from 3:00pm. Our tour starts tonight at 6:00pm with welcome drinks in the hotel bar followed by a welcome dinner, including drinks, to get to know your tour leader and fellow travellers and hear about what is ahead. Please arrange your flights to arrive in time so you don’t miss out on all the fun!
If you’d like to arrive in Townsville earlier, or would like some assistance with your flight bookings, please reach out to our office on 1300 800 977 so we can arrange your pre-tour accommodation at our hotel. Additional nights are subject to hotel availability, so early requests are advised.. Overnight: Grand Chancellor Hotel, Townsville (D)
Day 2 • TOWNSVILLE – CHARTERS TOWERS
After breakfast and check out, we’ll board our private coach and transfer a short distance to the Museum of Tropics Townsville, part of the Queensland Museum network. Perched on the edge of Ross Creek, it tells the stories of World Heritage-listed rainforests and reefs, and the tragic tale of the frigate HMS Pandora, dispatched from England in November 1790 to reclaim the HMS Bounty and its 25 ‘pirate’ crew. She struck the Great Barrier Reef in August 1791 and all on board perished. Discover the story of what she was doing there and why.
There’ll be time for lunch at leisure before we transfer to the railway station to board the Inlander train for the journey to Charters Towers. Upon arrival in the mid-afternoon, we’ll transfer directly to our hotel and check in for a couple of hours to rest and refresh.
Dinner tonight will be in the hotel. Overnight: Cattleman’s Rest Motor Inn, Charters Towers (B,D)
Day 3 • CHARTERS TOWERS
This morning is at leisure to enjoy a lazy breakfast and spend some time exploring the heritage centre of town at your own pace. For those travelling on the April departure you may wish to participate in the local Anzac Day service and march – your Tour Leader will facilitate this.
After lunch together at a local cafe, we’ll travel a short way out of town for a guided tour of the Venus Gold Battery – the largest surviving gold stamper battery in Queensland, and regarded as the largest surviving battery relic in Australia. After gold was discovered by an Aboriginal boy in 1871, Charters Towers became the richest city in Queensland, and the second largest after Brisbane, boasting its own stock exchange, grand buildings, fine houses, sophisticated shops, wide streets, electricity, gaslights, telegraph and the telephone – it had everything. However, unlike an alluvial goldfield, where gold is washed from creek beds, Charters Towers was a reefing field. Here, the gold was locked inside underground quartz reefs, so miners had to sink deep shafts, extract the quartz, and crush it to recover the gold. To get enough water to meet their needs, numerous processing batteries (mills) sprang up around creeks that could supply sufficient water. Built in 1872, this mill is one of what were hundreds providing gold crushing facilities for over a century – the huge “stampers” pounded away through the day and night right up until 1973.
We’ll return to Charters Tower, where the rest of the day and evening will be at leisure. Overnight: Cattleman’s Rest Motor Inn, Charters Towers (B,L)
Day 4 • CHARTERS TOWERS – HUGHENDEN – RICHMOND
This morning after breakfast and check out, we’ll head out of town on the Flinders Highway, also known as ‘Overlander’s Way’, and travel west along Queensland’s Dinosaur Trail to the town of Hughenden, located in one of Australia’s richest fossil regions halfway between Townsville and Mount Isa.
Upon arrival we’ll enjoy lunch before exploring the Flinders Discovery Centre, one of the highlights of the region. This wonderfully curated museum explains how the district was covered by the inland sea during the Cretaceous Period, around 100 million years ago, and tells the story of the region through five key themes – dinosaurs, First Nations people, the pastoral industry, the sheep industry and the railways. A highlight is “Hughie” a life-size skeletal replica of a seven metre tall Muttaburrasaurus found in the Hughenden region.
From here, we’ll continue to Richmond, the marine fossil capital of Australia’s Dinosaur Trail. Unlike Winton, which is famous for dinosaurs that walked on land, and Hughenden, which tells the broader story of the Eromanga Sea, a prehistoric inland sea that covered much of inland Queensland around 100–115 million years ago, Richmond focuses on life under the water.
We’ll check in to our accommodation and after some time to relax and freshen up, gather together for dinner in the hotel restaurant. Overnight: Ammonite Hotel, Richmond (B,L,D)
Day 5 • RICHMOND – WINTON
This morning after a hearty breakfast and check out we’ll spend the morning at Kronosaurus Korner, Australia’s premier marine fossil museum and Richmond’s main attraction. When you walk through the museum, which houses almost 1,150 fossil specimens, you’re stepping back to a time when Richmond wasn’t dry outback, but an inland sea that was home to an extraordinary range of marine life, including the Giant Kronosaurus—one of the largest marine predators ever to live, long-necked plesiosaurs, giant fossil fish, ancient turtles, sharks, ammonites and squid.
Some of the most impressive exhibits include “Penny”, the Richmond Polycotylid, one of the world’s most complete marine reptile fossils; fossils of Kronosaurus queenslandicus, the fearsome apex predator after which the museum is named; “Wandah”, Australia’s largest fossil fish; and a replica of Kunbarrasaurus ieversi, one of Australia’s best-preserved armoured dinosaurs, showing that dinosaurs also lived on the surrounding land.
After wrapping up our morning with lunch at the museum’s Kronosaurus Cafe, we’ll continue our exploration of Australia’s Dinosaur Trail to Winton, in the heart of dinosaur country, and our home for the next three nights. Along the way, you’ll learn more about the staggering natural history of this outback landscape and the significance of this part of Australia in the global paleontology community.
Upon our late afternoon arrival, we’ll go directly to our hotel and check in. After some time to relax, we’ll regroup at the iconic North Gregory Hotel. There’ll be time to relax with a drink in the hotel courtyard, believed to be the spot of the first ever performance of the iconic Aussie ballad, “Waltzing Matilda” before enjoying dinner in the hotel’s authentic retro dining room. Overnight: North Gregory Hotel, Winton (or similar) (B,L,D)
Day 6 • WINTON
This morning after an early breakfast we’ll board our private coach and begin our exploration of Australia’s rich dinosaur legacy with our knowledgeable local guide, Vicki from Red Dirt Tours. With Vicki’s knowledgeable guidance and expert driving, we’ll traverse the wild outback country west of Winton to the exceptional Lark Quarry National Monument.
It was here, some 95 million years ago, that about 150 small two-legged dinosaurs – coelurosaurs about the size of chickens, and slightly larger ornithopods, some of them as large as emus – came to drink at what was then a vast lake teeming with life and surrounded by lush greenery. Laying in wait was a huge meat-eating theropod, which subsequently charged with force, causing the panicked smaller dinosaurs to stampede in search of safety, leaving a legacy of chaotic footprints in the mud, where they remained undisturbed for millennia. In 1960, a Station Manager discovered the dinosaur tracks and showed them to a local dinosaur enthusiast. However, it wasn’t until scientists visited the area in 1971 that the story of the Dinosaur Trackway began to unfold. What they were looking at was, and still is today, the world’s only recorded evidence of a dinosaur stampede.
After a picnic lunch we’ll return to Winton for a bit of down time before regrouping to travel the short distance out to the jump-up (mesa) at Rangelands Station, a working cattle property and one of the most striking landscapes in Queensland’s central west, for a sunset tour, including drinks. This mesa – a flat-topped hill with steep sides, colloquially called a “Jump-up” – is part of the ancient Winton Formation, deposited around 95–98 million years ago when the area was the Eromanga Sea and dinosaurs roamed river floodplains and lush forests covered the region. At sunset the sandstone cliffs glow orange, red and purple, making it one of the most photogenic landscapes near Winton.
After returning to our hotel in Winton, dinner is at leisure. Overnight: North Gregory Hotel, Winton (or similar) (B,L)
Day 7 • WINTON
After breakfast in the hotel, the morning is yours at leisure to explore the classic outback town of Winton. You may wish to visit the heritage truck and machinery museum; check out the famous boulder opals; or just wander the streets full of many interesting heritage buildings. We highly recommend a visit to the Waltzing Matilda Centre, the first museum in the world dedicated to a song.
After lunch at leisure, Vicki will collect us from our hotel for a special excursion to the extraordinary Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History. Perched high on The Jump-Up Dark-Sky Sanctuary, it combines world-class palaeontology with breathtaking views across the surrounding plains, and houses the world’s largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils, many of which were discovered in the Winton region itself.
Founded in 2002 by local graziers David and Judy Elliott after David discovered large dinosaur bones on their property near Winton, what started as a local fossil discovery has grown into an internationally respected research institution, including a fossil preparation laboratory, where you can see the painstaking work of palaeontological research in action.
You’ll have plenty of time to wander many of Australia’s most significant dinosaur skeletons and fossils, including Australovenator (“Banjo”), Australia’s most complete carnivorous dinosaur; Diamantinasaurus (“Matilda”), a giant long-necked titanosaur; Savannasaurus, another enormous plant-eating dinosaur discovered nearby; and fossils of flying reptiles (pterosaurs), crocodiles, turtles and ancient plants.
After enjoying a guided walk through Dinosaur Canyon, an outdoor immersive experience that combines dramatic scenery, life-sized dinosaur sculptures, and interpretive displays set among the natural sandstone gullies of The Jump-Up, we’ll enjoy a lavish BBQ dinner overlooking the vast Mitchell grass plain as the sun sinks towards the horizon, while the landscape changes colour from gold to deep orange and crimson. Following dinner, we’ll visit the newest addition to this magnificent centre – the Gondwana Stars Observatory, an open-air astronomy theatre designed to immerse you in one of the darkest night skies in the world. Overnight: North Gregory Hotel, Winton (or similar) (B,D)
Day 8 • WINTON – LONGREACH
This morning after a light breakfast and check out, we’ll board our private coach and settle in for the drive to Longreach, a classic Outback journey, albeit on a fully sealed highway.
First settled by colonists in 1862 by William Landsborough who claimed the area and established the enormous Bowen Downs cattle station, Longreach was gazetted in 1887 and named for the “long reach” of the Thomson River on which it stands, and has long been considered the gateway to Queensland’s vast pastoral heartland.
The arrival of the railway in 1892 transformed the town into a vital transport hub for the region’s thriving sheep and cattle stations, while its pioneering spirit also saw it become the birthplace of Australia’s national airline, Qantas, in 1920. Today, Longreach proudly celebrates its rich heritage through two world class, award-winning museums – the Qantas Founders Museum and the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, where the stories of aviators, stockmen, graziers and outback communities are brought to life.
On arrival, we’ll go directly to the Qantas Founders Museum. After some lunch together, you’ll have time to explore the museum at your own pace to learn about the four key founders of Qantas – the third oldest airline in the world – and discover what life was like in Queensland in the 1920s, before regrouping for a private guided tour of the iconic aircraft on display, including the Douglas DC-3, Lockheed Super Constellation, Boeing 707 and the Boeing 747.
In the mid afternoon, we’ll check in to our accommodation and enjoy some down time before heading back out to the museum at sunset for ‘Luminescent Longreach’, a spectacular 25-minute light and sound show that transforms the museum’s Airpark into an immersive outdoor theatre. Using state-of-the-art 3D projection mapping, music and narration, the experience brings to life the remarkable story of Qantas, from its humble beginnings in the Queensland outback to becoming one of the world’s great airlines.
It’s then on to a sumptuous three course dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight: Longreach Motor Inn, Longreach (B,L,D)
Day 9 • LONGREACH
This morning after breakfast it’s off to the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, Australia’s premier museum and heritage centre celebrating the rich history and culture of outback Australia. Established in 1988, the Hall of Fame pays tribute to the pioneering spirit of the stockmen and women who played a vital role in shaping the nation’s rural heritage.
You’ll be able to explore this spectacular museum at your own pace with your ‘access all areas’ pass before we gather later in the morning to enjoy the live ‘Outback Stockman’s Show’, celebrating Australia’s rugged heritage and showcasing the skills, resilience, and spirit of life on the land. You’ll see a range of traditional stock handling skills, including expert horsemanship and cattle-working techniques, the precision and speed of Australian Stock Horses, beloved working dogs responding to voice and whistle commands, stockwhip demonstrations showcasing both accuracy and control, and learn about the practical equipment used on cattle stations and the stories behind it. You’ll also be regaled with stories from the bush with much humour.
After lunch at leisure in the on-site cafe, we’ll return to our hotel for some time to relax before embarking on a very special evening – the Silver-Tails Sunset rail experience and a camp oven-style dinner beneath the stars on the bank of the Thomson River.
Departing from the historic Longreach Railway Station, you’ll travel in your own private carriage on the Silver Bullet, a vintage 2000 Class Rail Motor that once provided passenger services across regional Queensland. Celebrate the romance of rail travel as you roll across the spectacular changing colors of the floodplain, Gidgee, Open Downs, Ghost gums and Red Mulga Country, and big skies that define the Australian outback. Your knowledgeable local hosts will bring the landscape to life, and share stories of the railway’s importance to the development of western Queensland, the pioneering communities it connected, and life on the surrounding pastoral stations.
As the late afternoon light turns to shades of gold, amber and crimson, you’ll enjoy drinks and canapés before dinner under the stars beside the Coolibah-lined Thomson River at Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show.. Overnight: Longreach Motor Inn, Longreach (B,D)
Day 10 • LONGREACH
This morning after breakfast, we’ll walk across the road to the railway station and take our seats in our private carriage once again on the Silver Bullet Rail Motor for an excursion to Ilfracombe, established in 1891 as a transport nucleus for Wellshot Station, the largest sheep station in the world at the time, covering almost one million running around 460,000 sheep. Wellshot is credited with what is believed to have been the largest single mob of sheep ever recorded – in 1886, 27 stockmen successfully drove a single flock of approximately 43,000 sheep from Wellshot Station. Although the exact distance travelled has been lost to history, the sheer scale of the operation remains unmatched and stands as one of the greatest feats of Australian pastoral life.
As we roll along to Ilfracombe, listen to the nostalgic stories told by the rail motor drivers as they bring back to life ‘the hub of the West’. We’ll stop to visit unique attractions like the Wellshot Centre & Machinery Mile, before enjoying lunch at the famous Wellshot Hotel, also known simply as the Ilfracombe Pub. The first permanent Wellshot Hotel was established in 1890, when it followed the advancing railway line to Ilfracombe, and there’s been a hotel on the site ever since. The hotel is famous for its unique wool press bar, built from a historic timber wool press, and the quirky outback memorabilia adorning the walls, including hundreds of Akubra hats.
After some time to rest back at the hotel in Longreach, we’ll continue the story of the region’s pastoral significance with a private tour and dinner under the stars at Camden Park Station and Historic Homestead, an 18,000 acre working sheep and cattle station. First established in the late 19th century, it has been in the Walker family for over 60 years and once hosted Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The historic homestead boasts the oldest private ballroom in the outback – built in 1927 from Western Australian jarrah timber, the ballroom features an impressive chandelier and has hosted countless dances and community events over the decades. James Walker, the grandfather of the current owners was knighted in 1972 for his outstanding service to the Longreach Community, and went on to become one of foundation members of the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and a major driving force behind making it a reality.
To counter the ravages of drought, the Walker family diversified into agritourism, offering an authentic glimpse into life on an outback station, and Camden Park is recognised as a leading attraction in the region. We’ll tour the sheep yards, cattle facilities, shearing shed and other points of interest while learning about the realities of life on an outback property. One of the most memorable stops is the natural artesian bore, where you can appreciate the importance of groundwater to life in the Channel Country.
Our visit will culminate in a camp oven–style Farewell BBQ dinner including drinks in the property’s 100 year old woolshed. Overnight: Longreach Motor Inn, Longreach (B,L,D)
Day 11 • LONGREACH – BRISBANE
This morning after breakfast and check out, we’ll wander back to the station, board the iconic Spirit of the Outback and settle into our First Class Sleeper compartments for the 1,325-kilometre overnight journey to Brisbane.
Riding the Spirit of the Outback from Longreach to Brisbane is one of Australia’s classic rail journeys taking you from the vast Queensland outback to the lush coastal plains. On departure, you’ll get one last look at the wide-open Mitchell grass plains that have defined the region’s pastoral history, before we cross the Thomson River and begin the long run east across the Central West. The train makes several stops along the way to drop off and pick up passengers, including Barcaldine, where you’ll have time to walk across to the famous Tree of Knowledge Memorial, the historic site where striking shearers met during the 1891 Shearers’ Strike and where the Queensland Labour Party Manifesto was first read in 1892.
On board, you’ll have exclusive access to the “Shearers Rest” lounge bar car and lunch and dinner in the Tuckerbox Restaurant. Whether you’re tucked up in your private compartment, enjoying a drink in the bar or a meal in the dining car, you’ll be treated to panoramic windows that make it a joy to watch the ever-changing landscape unfold. Overnight: On board the Spirit of the Outback (B,L,D)
Day 12 • BRISBANE
Waking up aboard the Spirit of the Outback is one of the highlights of the journey. This morning as you open your blind you’ll immediately notice how much Queensland has changed overnight – the vast red plains of the outback have given way to lush farmland, forests and sugar cane fields.
As you enjoy breakfast in the Tuckerbox Restaurant, the train winds through the rich agricultural heart of coastal Queensland and the Glass House Mountains before gradually entering the suburbs of Brisbane.
We’ll arrive at Roma Street Station in the late morning, where our tour comes to an end. After farewelling your tour leader and fellow passengers, you can take a train or taxi to the airport for the flight home or onward connections if you’re continuing your Queensland adventure. (B)
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