9 Day Tour - 'Outback Queensland'
(CAIRNS - SYDNEY)

"Bush Lodge”/Budget Motel Accommodation

Experience the many highlights along this unique outback drive from Cairns to Sydney

Departing Cairns: 5th August 2008
(CAIRNS - SYDNEY)

PRICE: $1550 per person, twin share. Single supplement $160
 

INCLUDES:
• Travel in modern 4WD coach
• 4 x nights “Bush Lodge” accommodation, 4 x nights budget motel accommodation
• Admissions to attractions as listed
• National Park Fees
• Meals as shown (B–breakfast, L–lunch, D–dinner)
• Services of experienced Driver/Guide and Hostess/Cook
• GST

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Atherton Tablelands and Crater Lakes
• Forty Mile Scrub
• Outback cattle stations
• Porcupine Gorge
• Flinders Discovery Centre in Hughenden
• Longreach
• Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame
• Qantas Founders Outback Museum
• Sunset and dinner cruise on the Thompson River
• Channel country
• Grawin opal fields
• Warrumbungle National Park
• Skywatch Observatory
• Black Stump
• Mudgee vineyards
• Blue Mountains

Day 1:  Cairns – The Lynd Junction  
Depart from City Place, Cairns at 9:00am and drive up to the Atherton Tablelands. Stop at Mareeba for morning tea and a visit to the excellent museum. Next we travel on through the lush rainforests and fertile farmlands on the tablelands to the Crater Lakes for a rainforest walk and picnic lunch. From here we drive out into the Savannah country and the thermal springs, gem fields and unique forty mile scrub vegetation. Our first night’s “Bush Lodge” accommodation is in the Tourist Park in The Lynd Junction.  (L,D)

Day 2:  The Lynd Junction – Hughenden 
Today’s drive is along the dirt surfaced Kennedy Development Road through vast outback cattle stations with the highlight being a visit to Porcupine Gorge which is often referred to as Australia’s Grand Canyon. Tonight our “Bush Lodge” is established in the camping park in Hughenden.  (B,L,D)

Day 3:  Hughenden – Longreach
Before departing Hughenden we visit the Flinders Discovery Centre and see the Muttaburrasaurus dinosaur skeleton and sound and light show. On departure from Hughenden we again travel back roads passing through Cameron Downs and Muttaburra to Longreach. The “Bush Lodge” is set up for us in the Gunnadoo Caravan Park with great facilities.  (B,L,D)

Day 4:  Longreach
This morning we visit the Australian Stockmans Hall of Fame with it’s tribute to settlers, explorers and inhabitants of Australia’s outback. After a picnic lunch we inspect the Qantas Founders Outback Museum and after time to freshen up we enjoy a sunset dinner cruise on the “longreach” stretch of the Thompson River.  (B,L,D)

Day 5:  Longreach – Quilpie
We head southward into the Channel Country along the Thompson Developmental Road via Jundah and Windorah then onto the Diamantina Developmental Road to Quilpie. Tonight we are accommodated in the local motel.  (B,L,D)

Day 6:  Quilpie – Lightning Ridge 
We drive eastward along the Bulloo Developmental Road through Cunnamulla then the Balonne Highway before veering south through cotton country around Dirrambandi, over the border into NSW at Hebel and into Lightning Ridge where we settle in to our motel accommodation for the next two nights.  (B,L)

Day 7:  Lightning Ridge
Today is spent away from the main tourist opal fields of Lightning Ridge, to the Grawin opal fields and we spend the day with the local “characters”. We see the ingenuity of their mining operations and enjoy lunch in the bush “Club”.  (B,L)

Day 8:  Lightning Ridge – Coonabarabran
From Lightning Ridge we travel via Walgett and Coonamble and then into the mountainous terrain of the Warrumbungle National Park where we enjoy some short easy walks. Our last night on tour is in motel accommodation and after dinner in the motel dining room we visit the Skywatch Observatory for a guided astronomy tour and telescope viewing of the night sky.  (B,L,D)

Day 9:  Coonabarabran – Home  (B,L)
Homeward bound with a stop at the famous Black Stump near Coolah then via Gulgong, Mudgee and the Blue Mountains with drop-offs at Strathfield Railway Station at 5:00pm, Sutherland (Flora St) 6:00pm, Wollongong 7:30pm, Nowra 8:30pm and Milton at 9:30pm.  (B,L)