Sinclair Tour and Travel Flinders Ranges Tour. 8 days $3,499 per person Single $ days $4,699 per person Single $780

Transcription

1 Sinclair Tour and Travel Flinders Ranges Tour Departs 4 th September or 12 days 8 days $3,499 per person Single $ days $4,699 per person Single $780

2 TOUR INCLUSIONS/HIGHLIGHTS Door to door transfers Airport check-in assistance Return flights to Adelaide Wadlata Outback Centre Head of Bight Nullarbor Whale Watching Bunda Cliffs Pildappa Rock Wilpena Panorama 2 nights Arkaroola Wilderness Resort Ridgetop Tour/Waterholes Tour Parachilna Prairie Hotel/Feral Foods Clare Valley wine region 2 nights Kangaroo Island Goolwa - Murray Mouth - Hahndorf 7 or 11 breakfasts and 7 or 11 dinners. 4 or 5 lunches Travel bag, luggage labels, water bottle, name badge. Nothing more to spend except lunch on a few days

3 Day One Tuesday 4 th September This morning you re picked up from your home and taken to Brisbane Airport for your flight to Adelaide. Peter will meet you at the airport and your Flinders Ranges adventure begins. We ll visit Wadlata Outback Centre, the essential first stop for visitors to this part of the world. Wadlata offers a memorable introduction to the area s culture, heritage, settlement and modern development. Learn about the aboriginal people, the explorers, stockmen, pastoralists and miners who opened up the outback and about the landscape, plants and animals. Pedal the radio as School of the Air students recite their lessons, have a go at Morse Code, see the Outback Picture Show, tour the Leigh Creek Coal Fields and Olympic Dam Mine and so much more. Our first stop is Pt Augusta where we ll have dinner and overnight. (D) Best Western Standpipe Pt Augusta (08) Day Two Wednesday 5 th September After a hot and hearty breakfast at our hotel, we ll travel on to Whyalla where the ocean meets the sea. We then travel on to Elliston, situated on Waterloo Bay. It s famed for beautiful sunsets, breath-taking scenery, salmon fishing at the nearby Locks Well and frequent sightings of whales, sea-lions and dolphins. We ll have a lunch stop here and then travel on to Streaky Bay, a picturesque coastal town on the west coast. It has a well sheltered port and the surrounding area has some of Australia s most spectacular coastal scenery and inland landmarks.

4 We ll visit the ancient and unique outcrop of wind worn pink granite boulders known as Murphy s Haystacks. These are said to be over 1,500 million years old and is a delight for photographers. Now what a change of scenery from the oceans to Ceduna the start of the Nullarbor. Ceduna is a corruption of the local Aboriginal word "Chedoona" and is said to mean a place to sit down and rest. For the traveller crossing the Nullarbor, in either an easterly or westerly direction, Ceduna is indeed a very welcome overnight rest stop. Located on the scenic shores of Murat Bay, Ceduna is a town of some 4000 people supported by a number of local industries, including wheat farming, gypsum mining, salt mining, and commercial fishing for a number of local fish species such as the much renowned King George Whiting, Snapper, Garfish, Prawns and Lobsters which are known to South Australians as Cray Fish. Recent developments have also seen the discovery of 6 heavy mineral sands deposits within the "Eucla Basin". This extensive mineral sands province ranges eastwards of Ceduna through to Western Australia. Locally, the Iluka Resources company has 2 particularly promising Zircon sands deposits within the Jacinth-Ambrosia and Dromedary tenements, and the development of these 2 mining prospects will soon see Iluka Resources become a leading exporter of rare Zircon sands to the steel industry, and "high tech" ceramics and electronics components manufacturers around the world. This is a fruit fly check point eat it or lose it! (B) (D) Ceduna Foreshore (08) Day Three Thursday 6th September After another delicious brekky, we drive through Penong, known as the town of 100 windmills a great photo opportunity. Penong is one of the main outstations of the vast Yalata sheep run. Between Nundroo and Yalata we ll cross a grid in the road which is part of the Dog Fence. Built about 60 years ago, the Dog Fence is believed to be the longest man made structure in the world. The fence starts on the cliffs overlooking the Great Australian Bight and winds its way for more than 5,400 kms across South Australia, NSW AND Qld, protecting Australia s sheep country from the dingo.

5 Then on to Head of Bight, located 78 kilometres west of Yalata and 20 kilometres to the east of Nullarbor Roadhouse. As a vantage point to view the Southern Right Whale the Head of Bight is impossible to beat. Between June and October of each year up to 100 Southern Right Whales frequent this area of the South Australian coastline to breed and give birth to whale calves. From the main viewing platform Southern Right Whales can be observed at close quarters displaying a variety of behaviour including tail slapping, breaching, blow-holing and rolling belly up. Frequently whale calves can be seen with their mothers lolling about or cruising beneath the 65 metre high Bunda Cliffs. What a fabulous experience! Maybe we ll even see a Great white Shark! 125 whale sightings were recorded on the day of our last visit! Lunch is included today at the Nullarbor Roadhouse. We ll drive through the Nullarbor National Park and enjoy the beauty of the Bunda Cliffs, a magnificent sight as they stretch in an unbroken line for 200 kilometres to the Western Australian border. The traditional owners of the coastal strip of land in this area of the Nullarbor were the Mirning people. Tentative European explorations of the Nullarbor commenced with Edward John Eyre's expedition of At the time Eyre and his 4 fellow expeditioners were engaged in a desperate quest for rich grazing lands and an overland passage to King George's Sound in Western Australia. South of Border Village, Eyre's expedition very nearly came to a calamitous end with the party forced to endure a waterless 5 day trek across the Bunda Cliffs. Salvation later came to hand when Eyre discovered native wells in the sandhills at nearby Eucla.

6 At the time of Eyre's explorations the territory lying between the Head of Bight and Border Village was held to be part of New South Wales. The "Bight Rectangle" as it became known stretched as far north as the Great Victoria Desert and the present day boundary of the Northern Territory. Isolated from the eastern coast of New South Wales it made good political sense to transfer the "Bight Rectangle" to South Australia's colonial government. Transfer of sovereignty finally occurred in December In 1866 E. Alfred Delisser surveyed the Nullarbor Plain and noted a marked absence of trees. Contrary to some popular opinions the word Nullarbor is not of Aboriginal origins. In fact the local Mirning people referred to the area as "Oondiri" which is said to mean "the waterless". Delisser derived the term Nullarbor from the Latin "nulla" for no, and "arbor" for tree. Hence the term Nullarbor meaning no trees. In the 1870s and 1880s vast areas of the Nullarbor were leased to sheep graziers with many sheep stations later being incorporated into the vast Fowler's Bay run that stretched from Streaky Bay in the East to areas even further west of Nullarbor Station - a distance of over 400 kilometres! Today just about all that remains are abandoned homesteads. Koonalda homestead is one such abandoned site that the traveller can visit and use as accommodation, or as a base to explore nearby Koonalda cave and other limestone sinkholes within the area. (B)(L)(D) Ceduna Foreshore Day Four. Friday 7 th September After another hot and hearty breakfast at our Hotel, we ll head out of Ceduna on the Eyre Highway. We travel through Wirrulla, Then on to Poochera, home of the primitive Dinosaur Ants. Scientists come from all around the world to study the world s most primitive living ant. We ll visit Pildappa Rock, the spectacular wave like formation and travel through Minnipa (gateway to the Gawler Ranges). Pildappa is a spectacular sight - a rock with the highest and longest wave formations on the Eyre Peninsula, rivalling those of Western Australia's famous Wave Rock.

7 The highest waves are near picnic areas - one on the northern side and one on the southern side of the rock. Long waves with platforms occur along the south eastern end of the rock. Pildappa offers beautiful views of the surrounding farming land, and an unbroken view of the Gawler Ranges and Blue Sturts to the north. Kyancutta is an important observation point for long range weather forecasters. Then on to Kimba half way across Australia. (home of the Big Galah) and Iron Knob (birth of the Australian steel industry) before arriving back in Port Augusta for the evening. We ll see lots of outback today. Picnic lunch today. (B) (L) (D) Best Western Standpipe (08) Day Five. Saturday 8 th September After breakfast this morning, we ll visit Quorn which, because of its location at the edge of the Flinders Ranges and its old style charm, has been the setting for many scenes in many movies - 'Gallipoli', 'The Shiralee', 'The Sundowners', 'Sunday Too Far Away' and 'Robbery Under Arms'. We then visit the unique Kanyaka Ruins and see many homestead ruins dotting the landscape. The Kanyaka ruins are of the once huge sheep run, Kanyaka Station in the pioneering era. In 1856 the Kanyaka Station leases totalled 365 square miles or acres (945 square km or hectares). In good seasons the property housed up to 70 workers and their families. The main homestead consisted of 16 rooms with 18 inch (46 cm) thick walls of stone and mortar construction. We journey on to Hawker, where you will have the opportunity to visit the Wilpena Panorama.

8 Superbly portrayed by local Hawker artist, Jeff Morgan, with special background music by Bruce Emsley, the "endless" painting can be viewed from the ground floor or from the staircase landing. It is as good as it gets - a 360 degree view of some of the most beautiful country in South Australia as seen from the highest point of Wilpena Pound, St Mary's Peak and the Flinders Ranges. We travel along the eastern side of the Flinders Ranges, to view the awe-inspiring mountains, together with countless magnificent River Red Gums, favourites of the acclaimed artist Sir Hans Heysen. Lunch in Hawker today (own expense). From Leigh Creek, a mining town which used to supply coal to Pt Augusta, we head east into the North Flinders Ranges through Copley before arriving at Arkaroola Tourist Resort where our stay will be for two nights. The journey in off the highway gives you plenty of opportunities to view the beautiful red river gums on the many creek beds we cross. You may like to visit the small museum at the resort before dinner tonight. Or go for a walk! (B)(D) Arkaroola Tourist Resort (08) Day Six Sunday 9 th September This morning, after a delicious brekky, we travel in open 4 wheel drive vehicles for our Ridge Top Tour undoubtedly an experience of a lifetime! Marvel at the rugged beauty that surrounds us in all directions are spectacular views of towering granite mountains, hanging rocks, deep shaded chasms and gorges abounding! Travelling in a specially designed open top 4WD vehicle, we spend time with specially trained tour guides who share their knowledge of Arkaroola s 1600 million year geological history, as we navigate steep slopes and hair raising ascents of the famous Ridgetop Track.

9 We climb Sillers Lookout for spectacular views, before returning to our resort and after lunch, we re all going on a fabulous Waterholes tour. This guided tour of the Waterholes along the Arkaroola Creek is designed to give you the best chance to see native birds and animals especially the elusive and endangered yellow footed rock wallaby. Shady River Red Gums and towering gorges guarantee a picturesque and relaxed bushland experience great for keen photographers. The remainder of the afternoon is free for the energetic to walk or climb, or just to relax by the pool! Optional flights over this incredible terrain are available this afternoon. Tonight, after dinner, you may like to visit the Observatory.(own expense) (B)(L)(D) Arkaroola Tourist Resort (08) Day Seven Monday 10 th September. After our last brekky at Arkaroola, we head back to Hawker, making a stop at Parachilna. Dine or drink at Parachilna's Prairie Hotel and there's every chance you will be in famous company. The pub is a hub for a growing number of international moviemakers, drawn to the hauntingly beautiful outback landscape. Famous visitors include Kate Winslet and Harvey Keitel, during the filming of 'Holy Smoke', Australian rock star Paul Kelly, Hollywood director Philip Noyce and cinematographer, Christopher Doyle, who wrote that "The Prairie Hotel is God's gift to cuisine and fellowship". The pub, first licensed in 1876, is one of few buildings in Parachilna.

10 The town has a population in the single digits and is located between the Flinders Ranges to the east and Lake Torrens to the west. It has got a sensational range of accommodation and a deserved reputation for 'Flinders feral food', including anything from kangaroo, emu and yabbie to quandongs, native limes and bush tomatoes. Lunch is included here today! Surprise! Then we drive on to Clare Valley, home to heritage towns, trails, boutique wineries, museums, galleries and beautiful scenery. (B)(L)(D) Clare Valley Motel Day Eight. Tuesday 11 th September Some of you may leave the tour today. If so, we ll take you to Adelaide airport for your flight home. For the others, we ll travel on to Victor harbour via McLarenvale Wine area, one of the great and oldest names of Australian wine, one that ranks with other classic regions such as Coonawarra and the Barossa. The birthplace of wine in South Australia, it lies just south of Adelaide and offers a multiplicity of soils which bask under a benign Mediterranean climate. We ll also visit Victor Harbour that has just about everything you want for a relaxing holiday sun, surf and sand, clear turquoise waters, stunning views and outstanding early colonial architecture. Nestled on a wide, sandy arc of Encounter Bay, Victor Harbour has been the summer holiday choice for generations of South Australians and is situated on the south coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula. (B) (D) Comfort Inn Victor Harbour (08)

11 Day Nine & Ten Wednesday 12 th September & Thursday 13 th September We farewell Victor Harbour after breakfast and drive to Cape Jervis where we catch the Sealink Ferry to Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island a comfortable 45 minute journey. You an get something to eat on board. In Flinders Chase National Park, we have the opportunity to view the spectacular Remarkable Rocks, huge weather-sculpted granite boulders, Cape du Couedic Lighthouse and Admirals Arch. Kangaroo Island is a natural habitat for platypus, goannas, seals and sea lions, Glossy Black Cockatoos, wallabies and the island s own species of kangaroo. Seal Bay Conservation Park is probably the island s most popular attraction. We ll see females nurturing their young, and bulls of all ages jostling for supremacy. There s an extensive boardwalk for viewing these magnificent creatures. Two of the most dramatic coastal views in Flinders Chase National Park are the huge, wind sculpted granite boulders, aptly named Remarkable Rocks that are perched on rounded cliffs, and Admirals Arch, the magnificent opening carved by the ocean beneath a land platform that looks over a colony of fur seals. And we ll see it all! We have a local guide who ll accompany us for two days and show us much of this fascinating island. We ll hear about the grim drama of shipwrecked sailors, the gritty industry of the whalers and the mysteries of the island s original inhabitants. There s something for everyone here. Dinner at our Hotel both nights. (B) (L) (D) Lunch included on second day only.

12 Aurora Ozone Kangaroo Island. (08) Day Eleven Friday 14 th September Sadly, we leave Kangaroo Island this morning and Return to the mainland again on the Sealink Ferry. We ll enjoy a scenic drive to Goolwa, an historic port at the mouth of the Murray River. Then enjoy a trip to Hahndorf, Australia s oldest surviving German settlement. Browse the incredible range of shops; from toys, antiques, books, clothing, shoes, minerals, cuckoo clocks, hand-crafted leather wares, natural beauty products and gift ware, right through to butchers, bakers and candle makers! Hahndorf really is a shopper's paradise. Overnight in Adelaide tonight. (B)(D) Sage Hotel Adelaide (08)

13 Day Twelve. Saturday 15 th September Last brekky together today. Back to tea and toast tomorrow! Peter will take you to Adelaide airport for your flight back home. Here a representative of Sinclair Tour and Travel will meet you at the luggage carousel. Then because you ve been so well behaved, we ll take you back to your front door! We do hope you enjoyed your tour with Sinclair Tour and Travel. Please tell your friends! That s how our business grows! And we look forward to traveling with you again very soon. (B) INCLUDED IN TOUR Air conditioned bus fitted with coach seats for your comfort. Door to door airport transfers. Return Air travel from Brisbane to Adelaide. Motel accommodation on a twin share basis. Breakfast (B), Lunch (L) and Dinner (D) as indicated. All entries as listed. Morning Teas. Name badge, luggage labels, water bottle & travel bag. GENERAL INFORMATION BOOKINGS Please phone for bookings. A Tour Booking Form will be sent to you for completion and return with a deposit of $ per person within 7 days to secure your booking. BALANCE PAYMENT Balance of payment is to be received at least 60 days prior to Tour Departure Date. For Tour Bookings made within 60 days of Tour Departure Date, full payment is required on booking. CHANGES TO ITINERARY Sinclair Tour and Travel reserves the right to alter any itinerary due to unforeseen circumstances beyond its control and to cancel any tour due to insufficient bookings. A full refund of fare will be made if tour is cancelled by Sinclair Tour and Travel

14 CANCELLATION FEES Number of days notice given More than 60 days Fee payable Nil days 50% of tour Price days 75% of Tour Price 8-14 days 100% of Tour Price Less than 8 days Day of Departure or during tour 100% of Tour Price 100% of Tour Price In addition to the above fee any moneys paid in respect of bookings with other tour operators, airfares, attractions, etc. on your behalf and which cannot be recouped will also be payable. A $50 administration fee (per person) will be charged on ALL cancellations regardless of the number of days notice given. To cover cancellations due to illness or for loss of baggage we strongly encourage passengers to have travel insurance. We can arrange Travel insurance for you as we sell Cover-More Travel Insurance. Phone us today for a brochure. Prices are very reasonable.