itinerary
DAY 1. Saturday – Depart Brisbane on Spirit of the Outback (D)
Arrive at Platform 10, Roma Street railway station, Brisbane at 1pm to meet your tour hostess and check in to your first class cabin. At 1.55pm we depart on the Spirit of the Outback for a realistic up-front view of Queensland’s captivating outback – enjoyed in the comfort of air-conditioned, authentically-themed surrounds. On our journey west venture through the heritage towns of the Central West. Dining on board Spirit of the Outback is an experience in itself with the themed restaurant car serving hearty Aussie meals. Tonight we will gather in the Shearers Rest first class lounge car for a quiet drink prior to dinner taking time to get to know your fellow travel companions. 1 Night Stay: First class cabin aboard the Spirit of the Outback
DAY 2. Sunday – Arrive Longreach (B,L,D)
Relax today and let the outback come to life in front of your eyes as we wind our way through ever changing scenery and rugged terrain. This epic rail journey arrives into Longreach mid-afternoon where we are met by our Coach Captain and transferred to our hotel. Tonight we experience a truly spectacular show, Luminescent Longreach, at the Qantas Founders Museum. This 20-minute show uses the historic aircraft and new roof complex as a canvas telling the incredible history of the airline. The show is followed by a delicious dinner at the venue. **Please note: No seating is available during the show. 3 Night Stay: Longreach Motor Inn
DAY 3. Monday – Longreach Touring (B,L,D)
We start today with a Museum and Airpark tour of the Qantas Founders Museum discovering national treasures and displays that bring to life the inspirational stories of one of the world’s pioneering airlines. Next we make our way to the famous Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame where bush history slides up close to you with tales of bush-rangers, shearers, stockmen and drovers. Enjoy a live Outback Stockman’s Show, all be it with working dogs, horses, sheep, bull and resident larakin stockman. Take time for lunch before wandering at leisure around the exhibit. Tonight, we take a sunset cruise on the Thomson River, relaxing on the top deck toasting the sunset and stunning colours of the outback sky. We disembark and enjoy an outback dinner and show beside a campfire and under a canopy of outback stars. GGP
DAY 4. Tuesday – Winton Touring (B,L,D)
Today we travel to Winton and visit the Age of Dinosaurs Exhibit, the world’s largest collection of unique Australian dinosaur fossils and the most productive fossil preparation lab in the southern hemisphere. The museum, perched on top of a spectacular rocky plateau, captures the fossil fever that has gripped the area since the first bones of gigantic Sauropod ‘Elliot’ were discovered. We then make our way back into Winton for lunch at the Waltzing Matilda Centre and enjoy some time at the museum. We finish our day visiting the peculiar Arnos Wall and playing a tune on what is believed to be the world’s only musical fence. GGP
DAY 5. Wednesday – Camden Park Station, Barcaldine (B,L,D)
We farewell Longreach in style with a Champagne breakfast at Camden Park Station, a fifth generation sheep and cattle property run by the Walker family. Enjoy breakfast on the station’s homestead veranda before joining ‘Outback Dan’ for a guided station tour. From here we make our way to Barcaldine where we experience an authentic cultural journey as ancient and contemporary shared histories come alive through the passion of Cheryl Thompson, descendent of the Yiningai people. From Connecting to Country, through traditional Tribal Body Art and its meanings, Dot Painting workshop, Tribal Story, Song and Dance presentations. Our afternoon travel take us on the Lake Dunn Sculpture Trail – the largest outdoor sculpture museum in the world. The collection of life-sized scrap metal sculptures somehow blends in the ruggedness and unpredictability of the Queensland outback. We return to Barcaldine. 1 Night Stay: Barcaldine Country Motor Inn
DAY 6. Thursday – Barcaldine to Roma (B,MT L,D)
Today is a travel day, departing Barcaldine we make our way to Tambo, breaking here for a cuppa. Back on the road again, we continue on to Augathella, where we break for lunch before our afternoon travels take us to Roma. 2 Night Stay: Roma Explorers Inn, Roma
DAY 7. Friday – Roma (B,L,D)
We discover the oil and gas industry this morning, taking a guided tour of the Big Rig Oil & Gas Museum. Our guided tour will tell the story of Australia’s first discovery of petroleum, through the boom and bust years of oil and gas exploration and on to today’s multibillion dollar industry. We continue on to Miles to visit the Historical Village Museum that features over 34 original and replica buildings set in a streetscape reminiscent of a town from the late 1800s. Each building houses their own special collection. The facility also contains a War Museum displaying photographs, stories and militaria from the Light Horse in WW1 through to the Vietnam War. This afternoon’s tour is a wow factor. Exclusively designed for Fun Over Fifty, our visit to Maranoa Beef offers us hands on interaction with the cattle, a guided relaxing creek walk stopping at a couple of gorgeous, natural formations along the way, finishing with Sundowners on Little Hill. Mother Nature provides the wow factor here as we relax and enjoy the changing colours of a big sky sunset while enjoying drinks and canapés.
DAY 8. Saturday – Roma to Brisbane (B,L)
On the final leg of this outback journey we make our way back to Brisbane, breaking for a cuppa at Chinchilla before continuing onto Picnic Point Toowoomba for lunch with a view. We arrive back into Brisbane at approximately 4:30pm.
B = Full Breakfast MT = Morning Tea L = Lunch AT = Afternoon Tea D = Two Course Dinner
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