9 Day Flinders Ranges & SA Outback Adventure

Transcription

1 9 Day Flinders Ranges & SA Outback Adventure 11 th th 19 th August 2016 Day 1:- 1 Melbourne to Renmark (MT/D) A big day of travel ahead, as we depart for our 9 Day Flinders Ranges & South Australian Outback Adventure. Our first stop will be in the lovely town of Lockwood for Morning Tea served off the Coach and a chance to stretch your legs. Lunch today will be in Charlton, where you will have the opportunity to purchase something to eat and have a wander through the shops. Onward bound to our destination for the night, the Renmark Hotel Motel. Dinner tonight will be three courses in the Motel Restaurant. Day 2:- 2 Renmark to Wilpena Pound (B/MT /MT/D) /D) After enjoying a hearty breakfast we head off for another big day, as we make our way to Wilpena Pound or The Pound as it is locally known. Passing through many small towns like Devlins Pound, Pooginook, Qualco and Maude, before reaching the small Murray River port town of Morgan - once one of the busiest South Australian Murray River ports, where we will enjoy Morning Tea prepared by your Coach Captain. Our next stop will be Burra, where you will have the opportunity to take a wander and purchase some lunch (at own cost) before we pick up our guide for a fascinating one hour guided coach tour of this historical copper mining town. Our last stop for the day will be Wilpena Pound Resort, our home for the next two nights. Enjoy a two course dinner in the Resort dining room. Day 3:- 3 Wilpena Pound After breakfast a local guide will join us on-board the Coach for a 4 hour tour of the stunning Flinders Ranges National Park. Although well known for the wild flowers, the Flinders Ranges has spectacular gorges that are the real highlights of the area. We are taken on a tour to visit two such gorges Brachina and Bunyeroo Gorge (subject to weather & road conditions). Keep an eye out for the rare Yellow Footed Rock Wallaby while taking in the rugged beauty of this very special place.

2 This afternoon we return to the resort for lunch and some free time to take a walk or perhaps an optional flight over the Pound. We meet up later for our transfer to Stokes Hill Sundowners for our Sunset Spectacular Tour, where we ll marvel at the vast ancient landscape and observe the ever changing colors of sunset over Wilpena Pound, while enjoying refreshing pre-dinner drinks and canapes before heading back to the resort for dinner. Day 4:- 4 Wilpena Pound to Arkaroola This morning we head back to Hawker and then travel north to Parachilna Gorge and up to Leigh Creek for lunch at the local Hotel. We ll also learn a little about the local mining operation. This afternoon we drive to Balcanoona and onto Arkaroola in the Gammon Ranges National Park. Largely unknown, Arkaroola is one of Australia s true tourism gems. The Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is an ancient uplifted seabed and now is home to the most rugged chain of mountains in the Australian outback. We will be spending the next two nights at the award winning Arkaroola Wilderness Resort & Sanctuary. With its beautifully clear night sky s Arkaroola is the perfect place for star gazing and after dinner tonight you will have the opportunity to visit Australia s largest privately-owned Astronomical Observatory. Entry is optional (at own expense) and dependant on availability and local weather conditions. Day 5:- Arkaroola This morning we enjoy a delicious breakfast on the terrace overlooking the stunning rock escarpment. Remember to take your camera today, as we partake in the spectacular 4WD Ridge Top Tour. We travel in specially constructed open-top 4WD vehicles through some of Australia s most spectacular rugged countryside. Our tour guides will share their knowledge of this area s 1600 million year geological history as they navigate the steep slopes of the Ridgetop Track. We will enjoy a break at Sillers Lookout the lofty pinnacle at the end of the track before returning to Arkaroola for lunch. This afternoon is free to enjoy the area or for the more adventurous, take an optional 35 minute scenic flight (at own expense), over the Flinders Ranges.

3 Day 6:- Arkaroola to Roxby Downs (via Maree) This morning we depart Arkaroola, and head to Roxby Downs via Maree. With very few small towns between Arkaroola and Roxby Downs, you will get a feel for the expanse and isolation of the South Australian Outback. Roxby Downs is a mining town located in northern South Australia. The town was purpose built to service the Olympic Dam mine which contains one of the largest known ore bodies in the world today. We will be stopping for lunch along the way at the local hotel in Lyndhurst, an historic railway town at the crossroads of the Strzelecki and Oodnadatta Tracks before reaching Roxby Downs. Heading off after lunch we drop in to visit Talc Alf an eccentric local, famous for his Talc Stone carvings, before passing by the Ochre Cliffs an ancient Aboriginal quarry which is a wonderful display of the rich colours of the desert. The Ghost Town of Farina with its rusting machinery is another highlight of today s journey. Upon arrival at the Roxby Motor Inn our accommodation for tonight you will have time to freshen up before dinner. Day 7 :- Roxby Downs to Port Augusta After breakfast this morning, we head to the Visitors Information Centre to meet our guide for The Olympic Dam Discovery Tour, which includes a DVD presentation and a virtual underground tour after which we will be taken by bus to the dam site for a surface mine tour. Opened in 1988, the Olympic Dam Mine is a large poly-metallic underground mine and is the fourth largest copper deposit and the largest known single deposit of uranium in the world. Approximately 70% of the mine's revenue comes from copper, 25% from uranium, and the remainder from silver and gold. BHP Billiton has owned and operated the mine since The mine was previously owned by Western Mining Corporation. Enjoy lunch at the Roxby Tavern, before boarding the coach for our next stop, Woomera. Take some time to look through the Woomera Heritage Museum and at the dormant rockets on site at Woomera or "Woomera Village" as it has been unofficially known. Since its establishment in 1947, Woomera has always been and continues to be the domestic support facility for the Woomera Test Range (formerly called "the Woomera Rocket Range") and covers an area of approximately 122,000 sq kms (as of November 2014). On to Port Augusta and our stay for tonight, at the Acacia Ridge Motor Inn. Dinner tonight will be a three course meal in the Motor Inn dining room.

4 Day 8 :- Port Augusta to Bordertown (B/D) We depart Port Augusta today for Bordertown, stopping along the way at the beautiful German Village of Hahndorf. Take some time to wander around the Village and purchase your lunch (at own expense). Hahndorf is a small town in the Adelaide Hills region. German influence is very apparent in Hahndorf and is seen physically in the traditional fachwerk architecture of the original surviving buildings. There are also many restaurants in the town serving German cuisine. We will reach the Bordertown Motor Inn, Bordertown late afternoon, where you will have the opportunity to freshen up before dinner in the Hotel dining room. Bordertown is a small South Australian town near the Victorian border. It is where the Dukes Highway and the railway line, the two main routes between Adelaide and Melbourne, cross Tatiara Creek. Day 9 :- Bordertown to Melbourne (B) Sadly, this morning will be our last breakfast together, as we begin our journey back to Melbourne. Our lunch stop today is at the small township of Halls Gap, located in the heart of the picturesque Grampians National Park. You will have about 1½ hours to wander through the local shops and grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants and cafes in the area (at own expense). Arrival Back: We anticipate that we will be back at Southern Cross by 5.00pm and Sunbury at 6.00pm (times are approximate).

5 Inclusions: 5 star Coach Travel Qualified professional coach captain 8 night s accommodation Meals as per itinerary (8 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches and 8 Dinners) Morning Tea Day 1 & 2 All entries and attractions as per itinerary Cost: Cost: (Terms & Conditions apply) $ per passenger, twin/double share $ extra, single supplement All itineraries are subject to change due to occasional restrictions in opening times/days of some attractions, e.g. churches, wineries etc. We cannot be held responsible for any changes due to closures, inclement weather etc. Coach Tours of Australia / Melbourne Travel Club 9 McDougall Road, Sunbury 3429 Phone: (03) melissa@melbtc.com.au