10 Day Tour 20th - 29th December, 2018

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1 10 Day Tour 20th - 29th December, 2018 Friends to travel with... O Shannessy s Sorrento Travel Pty Ltd T/A: 2121 Point Nepean Road, Rye Vic enquiries@oshannessys.com.au Toll Free:

2 Price per person twin share $ 4,785 Repeat clientele twin share $ 4,735 SINGLE SUPPLEMENT $ 950 Tour Departs: Thursday 20th December, 2018 Tour Returns: Saturday 29th December, 2018 Deposit: $200 per person upon booking PLEASE NOTE: Balance due on invoice approximately 80 days prior to departure (Early October). Bookings may be taken after this date although they will be subject to availability of cabins Single travellers who are prepared to twin share will be matched with another passenger (of the same gender) or, if this is not possible, provided with single accommodation at the twin share fare. Tour Price Includes: Pick up from and return to your home - Greater Melbourne, Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong, the Bellarine and Mornington Peninsulas, Phillip Island and some areas of Gippsland. Travel by our own state of the art luxury coach, equipped with restroom, satellite phone, fold-down arm rests, seat belts and extra leg room. Our coach has a kneeling device and second door for ease of entry and disembarkation. Our coach is also fitted with Road Cam TV monitors which display in real time the road ahead. The coach offers a smooth quiet ride and views through large panoramic windows. 7 nights private ensuite accommodation aboard the Murray Princess. Each cabin has twin beds (no bunks), adjustable airconditioning, electric blankets, soaps, shampoo and towels; serviced daily. We reserve outside cabins which open onto the outside deck and have windows. Quality motel ensuite accommodation for 2 nights. All tours and interest venues as per itinerary. All meals: Full cooked breakfasts, restaurant dinners, lunches and morning teas. The following cancellation fees apply for this tour: 80 to 60 days BEFORE DEPARTURE 25% Refund of Tour Cost 59 to 30 days BEFORE DEPARTURE 10% Refund of Tour Cost Within 30 days of departure and on or after departure NO REFUND All passengers are required to co-operate with the seat rotation program determined by O Shannessy s Tour Directors. TRAVEL INSURANCE IS NOT COMPULSORY HOWEVER IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND IS AVAILABLE FROM OUR OFFICE. The Proprietors reserve the right to vary any accommodation, price or other features of the tour at any time at their own discretion.

3 Tour Highlights: Daylesford Ballarat Stawell Mannum Caurnamont Sugar Shack Conservation Park Morgan Waikerie Banrock Station Wine and Wetland Centre Traditional Christmas Day Lunch Swan Reach Hotel Swan Reach Museum Woolshed Show Native Wildlife Shelter Ngaut Ngaut Aboriginal Reserve Farewell Captain s Buffet Dinner Mount Gambier Hamilton Camperdown 7 nights upon the Murray Princess

4 Welcome to our special Christmas ten day tour, featuring the famous Murray Princess Cruise. The seven night cruise takes us north on the great Murray River from the historic riverport of Mannum to the Upper Murraylands. Experience the magic and majesty of the spectacular scenery, from towering cliffs to expansive wetlands. Along the way we ll see a great variety of Australian wildlife, including kangaroos and many of the 350 bird species that inhabit the riverlands.

5 DAY 1: Thursday 20th December, 2018 Stawell After being picked up from home and transferred to our O Shannessys luxury coach we will begin our festive tour. This morning we travel to nearby Daylesford, a delightful town north of Ballarat known as the spa centre of Australia. We have our morning break here and time for a wander along the main street before heading to Ballarat where we stop for lunch. This afternoon we travel along the Western Highway to Ararat for our afternoon break and a walk around Lake Alexandra. Our overnight stay is in Stawell, located on the outskirts of the Grampians National Park. OVERNIGHT: Magdala Motor Lodge, STAWELL DAY 2: Friday 21st December, 2018 South Australia - Mannum - Murray Princess This morning we travel through Dimboola and Nhill to South Australia. We arrive in Mannum, departure port of the Murray Princess. Mannum became a major port in the years of river trade, transporting wheat from the eastern Mount Lofty Ranges upstream to New South Wales and Victoria. We board the 67 metre (200 foot) luxury paddlewheeler for seven nights of relaxation. We enjoy the Captain s informative commentary, excellent meals and timeless scenery. Tonight, we also enjoy a welcome dinner and cruise upriver under floodlight to Caurnamont. You may see nocturnal wildlife on the riverbank.

6 Watch for grey kangaroos, hairy-nosed wombats, Murray longnecked tortoises, spoon-beaked echidnas and many other species. (Our on-board entertainer provides music for the night owls.) DAY 3: Saturday 22nd December, 2018 Cruise on Murray Princess - Sugar Shack Conservation Park Daybreak and time for the keen photographers to be out to capture the special light and the morning movement of wildlife. Prolific birdlife includes pelicans, wrens and swans. This morning, your discovery vessel awaits for a wildlife tour. Travelling in small, personalised groups, we explore the maze of the river and the birdlife is amazing. Watch for darters, herons and egrets feeding along the river s muddy edges. For those who choose to stay on-board, perhaps to partake in a game of bocce or compete in the fishing challenge before we cruise upriver past Walker Flat to Sugar Shack Conservation Park. Along the way, adventure seekers can also take a scenic tender boat ride. After dinner, enjoy being entertained by our talented crew.

7 DAY 4: Sunday 23rd December, 2018 Cruise on Murray Princess - Morgan We continue cruising upriver this morning as we enjoy breakfast and pass through one of 13 locks which maintain the flow and levels of water. Enjoy some free time before lunch and in the afternoon join in the fun playing a few games of bingo. Late afternoon, we secure at Morgan for our overnight stay. Tonight participate in the Table Quiz Challenge which is certain to entertain! DAY 5: Monday 24th December, 2018 (Christmas Eve) Cruise on Murray Princess - Waikerie Today we are transferred by coach to the Riverland town of Waikerie and Banrock Station Wine and Wetland Centre near Kingston On Murray. We have some free time in Waikerie and at Banrock Station delight in cellar door wine tastings followed by a delicious buffet lunch and DVD presentation. There will be time to take a stroll around the gardens and orchards enjoying the relaxing scenery. We return by coach to Morgan where we will board the Murray Princess and continue our journey upriver and stop at the 329km mark of the Murray River. This evening, enjoy the music of Christmas Carols to celebrate the festive season.

8 Day 6: Tuesday 25th December, 2018 (Christmas Day) Cruise on Murray Princess - Donald Flat Lagoon Merry Christmas everyone! Wake up Christmas morning to experience the magic of the Murray River. We delight in some Christmas festivities with a traditional Christmas Day lunch and celebrations. Take in the tranquillity as the landscape slides by as we start to cruise back downriver to Donald Flat Lagoon. This afternoon, experience the music of Christmas Carols and later this evening; enjoy being entertained by the Murray Princess Christmas Concert.

9 Day 7: Wednesday 26th December, 2018 (Boxing Day) Cruise on Murray Princess - Sunnydale After breakfast, we continue cruising downriver to picturesque Swan Reach. The town was first settled in the 1850s and was originally the largest of five sheep and cattle stations in the area and is now home to native flower and fruit growers. The original Swan Reach homestead is now the Swan Reach Hotel where we can enjoy an ale or cappuccino overlooking the Murray River (additional cost). You may also like to join the guided walking tour and visit the Swan Reach Museum (gold coin donation at entry). After lunch, take in the tranquillity as the landscape slides by or listen to the First Officer s talk in the Sturt Dining Room. When we arrive at Sunnydale, it s all ashore for the Woolshed Show as we recreate typical Australian woolshed history. Later we visit the Native Wildlife Shelter where some of South Australia s most interesting native animals are cared for. And then of course, there is the great Aussie Barbecue cooked and served in a bush setting on the banks of the mighty Murray River. An optional Nocturnal tour (additional cost) in a comfortable purpose built cart is available after dinner where you may see kangaroos, wombats, foxes, bats and owls.

10 Day 8: Thursday 27th December, 2018 Cruise on Murray Princess - River View Lodge After an optional Bush Tucker Breakfast (additional cost), we slowly cruise downriver past magnificent cliffs scoured by the river over millions of years. We reach Ngaut Ngaut Aboriginal Reserve, one of Australia s most significant archaeological sites, and step back in time - tens of thousands of years - for a guided boardwalk tour to view ancient rock carvings and to learn about aboriginal history in the area. We return to the vessel to cruise downriver to River View Lodge (near Piggy Flat/Coolcha). Along the way, you may take part in a Trivia Quiz or inspect the wheelhouse with the Captain. Tonight the Captain and his officers host a spectacular Farewell Captain s Buffet Dinner. Dress up and dance, if you wish! Day 9: Friday 28th December, 2018 The Coorong - Mount Gambier After another sumptuous buffet breakfast, we farewell our hosts and board the coach. Our travels today take us along the Coorong and into South Eastern South Australia. We visit Kingston S.E. and the holiday villages of Robe and Beachport. We take a look around Mount Gambier before retiring to our accommodation with time to relax before dinner. OVERNIGHT: Quality Inn Presidential, MOUNT GAMBIER

11 DAY 10: Saturday 29th December, 2018 Mount Gambier - Western District - Home This morning we travel the very picturesque area of Victoria s Western District via Casterton and Coleraine to Hamilton. Hamilton is set among the rolling hills which produce some of the finest merino wool in the world. The town has therefore adopted the slogan wool capital of the world. Heading for home we pass through Mortlake and cross to the Princes Highway with lunch at Camperdown. Camperdown sits on the great volcanic plain of Victoria s Western District and is surrounded by crater lakes and volcanic cones. We arrive at Geelong mid-afternoon and continue on to Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula to complete a wonderful time away. As always our limousines will transfer us home.

12 We trust you arrive home safely with memories of a fascinating and rewarding tour. We thank you for travelling with O Shannessy s Tours and look forward to your patronage again in the future! For details of other tours available Phone toll free on CONDITIONS OF TRAVEL Any special passenger requirements must be notified to O Shannessy s Tours at the time of booking. No passenger will be permitted to embark or continue on the tour while their mental or physical condition is, in the opinion of any representative of O Shannessy s Tours, such as to render them incapable of caring for themselves, or whereby they become objectionable to other passengers, or they become a hazard to themselves or other passengers. O Shannessy s Tours will not be responsible for expenses resulting in such persons being precluded from completing the tour for any such reason. It is also a requirement of O Shannessy s Tours that each passenger is able to negotiate coach steps without the aid of the coach crew or other passengers. Any passenger who requires assistance for any of the above is required to travel with a companion capable of providing all necessary assistance. If you are willing to twin share but are a smoker or have a CPAP machine or snore, you will need to pay a single supplement for a sole use room.