DESCRIPTION
SPECIAL OFFER LIMITED SEATS
Develop a taste for Outback Adventure! This six-6 day package will show you just a slice of what this great Outback region has to offer.
Take an outback adventure over dirt roads and changing landscapes. Travel the wetlands of the Menindee Lake systems to the ‘underground community’ of White Cliffs and toward the waterholes and cliff faces of Mutawintji National Park. There are abundant opportunities to explore Australia’s pastoral, indigenous and mining cultures with unique opportunities to sleep in an underground motel, visit indigenous rock art sites and take a lake cruise through flooded red river gums. Get active on a working sheep station and try your hand at real outback life, before spending the night in the deluxe shearers quarters. Enjoy a night with the stars with an outback astronomy sky show.
FEATURES
- Visit Mungo the world’s heritage listed ancient park dating back well over 40,000 years
- Flooded red river gums and abundant bird and wildlife of Menindee Lakes
- Indigenous culture and Australian history of river port Wilcannia and enjoy a night in your own cabin accommodation at the renowned Warrawong on the Darling
- Opal Mining culture and unique underground accommodation at the White Cliffs Underground Motel
- Stay overnight at a working farm in a deluxe shearers quarters.
- Indigenous engravings and hand stencil sites in the restricted-access Historic Site at Mutawintji National Park
- Enjoy panoramic sky views as your sky guide takes you on a personalised virtual night sky cruise
Day 1 – Arrive Broken Hill overnight.
Enjoy your first night stay at the new Broken Hill Outback Resort formally known as the Mt Gipps Hotel. The Mt Gipps Hotel closed in 1987, remaining silent for three decades. But as of 2018, this historic venue is once again the lively home of travellers and storytellers, with the brand-new refurbished Broken Hill Outback Resort bringing today’s amenities to the rugged Outback so beloved for generations untold. After years of neglect, this heritage building has been restored to its former glory, and is the centrepiece of the new resort with beautifully appointed facilities and décor. A 2 course Dinner and arrival drinks is included on the first nights arrival.
Accommodation: The Broken Hill Outback Resort
Inclusions: Arrival drink, 2 course Dinner, Cooked Breakfast
Day 2 – Broken Hill to Mungo
We begin our adventure travelling to travel south to the outback roads towards Pooncarrie along the Darling River to the historic port of Pooncarie for morning tea on the riverbank by the old wharf. Travelling along red dirt roads, our next stop is Mungo National Park where we spend the rest of the day exploring this amazing World Heritage Listed area. Step back in time to an era when giant marsupials roamed the earth. Mungo is an area rich in Aboriginal history, with evidence found here dating back well over 40,000 years to mans early occupation of this once much wetter area.
After checking into our 4 star cabin accommodation at the luxurious Mungo Lodge we head to the “Walls of China” to watch the magic happen as the sun sets and the colors glow.
Accommodation: Mungo Lodge
Inclusions:Lunch, 2 Course Dinner, Cooked Breakfast & 2 x Tours
Day 3 – Mungo to Wilcannia
After a delicious breakfast we start to head north-east towards the massive Menindee Lake system and Kinchega National Park. The first Europeans to visit the area followed the Darling River in search of pasture for their sheep. Menindee was once a thriving river port and the area is rich in the history of our early explorers. Burke and Wills and Charles Sturt’s exploration parties both spent time camped at Kinchega. Learn about the fascinating pastoral and aboriginal history of the area. Kinchega NP was once part of the Kinchega-Kars pastoral lease held by the Hughes family since 1870. At its grandest, the property extended from Menindee to Broken Hill and covered an area of over 800,000 acres. Morning tea on the banks of Lake Parmarmaroo is a great introduction to the spectacular Menindee Lakes System, which is many times larger than Sydney Harbour. We then enjoy a relaxing cruise on Lake Wetherill in the ‘River Lady’ – enjoy the abundant birdlife that call the wetlands of the Menindee Lakes home and marvel at this spectacular outback waterway. Leaving Menindee behind we follow the meandering Darling River towards our next stop at Warrawong on the Darling.
Accommodation: Warrawong on the Darling
Inclusions:Lunch, 2 Course Dinner, Cooked Breakfast 1 x town tour
Day 4 – Wilcannia to White Cliffs
After Breakfast we will take the time to explore the historic stone buildings which are vivid reminders of what used to be a bustling inland port of NSW. Whilst here, we’ll take the opportunity to learn more about the history of Wilcannia and delve more into the Indigenous culture of the area before heading to our next stop on our journey to the unique outback opal-mining town of ‘White Cliffs’ – the first opal field in Australia. This tiny community lives underground, whilst above ground there is an eerie lunar landscape, which has been created by years of mining for the elusive opal. Our tour of White Cliffs gives us the opportunity to meet some great outback characters!
Places of interest include the Solar Power Station and a variety of mines and museums (depending on seasonal availability). Why not try your luck ‘noodling’ for opal, or perhaps buy a special piece from an underground shop. House Tour and Underground Mine tour in the afternoon before heading back to the Underground Motel for Nibbles, drinks at sunset at the astronomy deck above the underground motel.
Accommodation tonight is at the famous Underground Motel – an experience you will never forget. (share facilities).
Inclusions: Lunch, 2 Course Dinner, Cooked Breakfast & Drinks package, Star show, 2 x Interest Tours
Day 5 – Mutawintji NP to Mundi Mundi
We start the day heading into Mutawintji National Park. Enjoy a homemade morning tea along the way in a spectacular dry creekbed. Mutawintji National Park is within the rugged Byngnano Ranges, with its beautiful gorges and creeks lined with majestic River Red Gums. Mutawintji means ‘place of green grass and waterholes’. The presence of shelter and water means this idyllic place is home to a wide variety of birds and wildlife.
Among the gorges and cliffs are the secrets of an ancient culture. The Park reveals examples of rock carvings, paintings and stencils that provide evidence of aboriginal occupation of the area that dates back more than 8000 years. In September 1998 Mootwingee NP was formally handed back to its traditional owners. Today the area is called by its traditional name, Mutawintji.
Our time at Mutawintji will be spent in the restricted access Historic Site. This area is where ceremonies and initiations took place. Listen to the story of Kullawarra, and learn about the creation of Mutawintji in the dreamtime. We then embark on interpretive bush walks to the Engravings Site and the Stencils Site. The remnants of fireplaces and stone toolmaking give us an insight into traditional life in the area.
Enjoy a stop over to Packsaddle Roadhouse for lunch before heading towards the veldt where the new $20 note is dedicated to Vedt Station, a photo from the late 1940’s taken on the station, a big part of Broken Hill’s history. We continue on our journey towards Broken Hill were we will head towards Eldee Station for the night where you will experience a working sheep station located on the edge of the Mundi Mundi Plains and the Barrier Ranges. Spend the rest of the day exploring the property: meet & chat with the owners, learn about the station history, meet some of the station animals, walk along a dry creek bed lined with majestic river red gums, and marvel at an outback sunset. Settle into the fully refurbished shearer’s quarters (with ensuites!!) for the night and enjoy a traditional Aussie outback dinner. You may wish to take advantage of the opportunity to have a heated outdoor spa on the deck, with great views of the Barrier Ranges and Mundi Mundi Plains or a refreshing dip in the plunge pool. After dinner take the time to explore the wonders of an outback night sky.
Accommodation: Edlee Station
Inclusions:Lunch, 2 Course Dinner, Cooked Breakfast, 2 x Interest Tours
Day 6 – Silverton to Broken Hill
A full day tour designed to highlight the diversity of the Silverton area and Broken Hill. Marvel at the vast expanse of Mundi Mundi Plains before heading towards Silverton, almost a ghost town, and the setting for movies such as Mad Max 2 and A Town Like Alice. Enjoy a cold drink and Lunch at the famous Silverton Hotel. Meet some of the artists at their quirky galleries and much more. We will visit the Broken Hill Camel Farm just out of Broken Hill, where you will experience your very own camel ride (45min) before a stopover at the spectacular Sculpture Symposium on the edge of Broken Hill for a final chance to take in our breathtaking landscape.
Through Broken Hill we will take you through some of our famous art galleries, the Big Picture and the Line of Lode, before viewing some of Broken Hill’s heritage listed architecture, and exploring the diversity of parks, gardens, mines and homes in this outback oasis and a visit to the one of Australia’s most renowned sculpture collections and an experience not to be missed. Your last stop over will be at the Broken Hill Outback Resort where you will enjoy a 2 course dinner before your Sky Show at Outback Astronomy. Your accommodation will be in a Deluxe Cabin with Spa bath looking out at the Barrier Ranges, your last night before departing the next day.
Outback Astronomy Sky Show Experience just outside Broken Hill.
Starting from 7:45pm, be enchanted and amazed by the clarity of the outback sky at night. Arrival will include a drink and a grazing platter to share and a night cap before departure. Depending on the lunar cycle, enjoy a very dark sky that focuses on the Milky Way Galaxy or an outback moonlit sky that incorporates Moon viewing up close.
Sky shows celebrate views of the clear, vast outback sky in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. If the weather is cloudy, an alternative entertaining astronomy program is available indoors, or outdoors, incorporating opportunistic telescope viewing if possible. Camp fires in winter! Aboriginal astronomy highlights! You guide will collect you at conclusion and take you back to your accommodation at the Broken Hill Outback Resort.
Accommodation: Broken Hill Outback Resort
Inclusions: Lunch, Dinner , Cooked Breakfast, 3 x Special interest Tours, Sky Show
Day 7 – Depart Broken Hill
Depart – Farewell Breakfast Transfers to Train and Airport incl.
Package is all inclusive of touring, morning teas, breakfast, lunch, 2 course dinners and drinks package during pre and post meal service.
Includes: 6 nights’ accommodation, meals
as indicated (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner), morning tea each day,
entry fees, transfers and travel in our fully equipped 4WD vehicle.
Departures: Tours are booked on demand for a minimum of 4 adult passengers, subject to availability. Departure time is 8:00am – 8:30am – pick up from your Broken Hill accommodation.
Tour pre and post travel is not included in price, this tour departs from Broken Hill and you will be required to organise your own travel to Broken Hill. Transfers from airport and trainstation included in package.