Birdsville Track Tour 2024

Immerse yourself in the true outback experience as we travel the iconic Birdsville Track. See the night sky, ancient landscapes and unique flora and fauna like never before.

14 Day Tour

Monday 1 July - Sunday 14 July 2024

Tour Cost (GST inclusive):
$6,325 per person twin share
$1,358 single supplement

Booking Enquiry

Inclusions

  • Luxury Coach Travel in our Business Class Coach
  • Historic Rosebank Station Tour with Outback Aussie Tours
  • Harry Redford Old Time Tent Show with Outback Pioneer
  • Drover’s Sunset Cruise including Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show with Outback Aussie Tours
  • Entry and show at Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame
  • Dinner at North Gregory Hotel
  • Ultimate Dinosaur Tour and lunch at Australian Age of Dinosaurs
  • Entry to Waltzing Matilda Centre
  • Guided town tour of Birdsville
  • Lunch at Mungerannie Hotel
  • Visit and lunch at Wadna
  • Guided tour of Burra
  • Guided tour and tastings at Orange World
  • Murray River cruise and lunch with PS Melbourne/PV Rothbury
  • Lunch at Picnic Point Lookout Café & Restaurant
  • 13 nights motel accommodation
  • 11 cooked breakfasts, 2 continental breakfast, 13 two course dinners, 11 lunches

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: (LD)

Brisbane to Mitchell

Mon 1 Jul 24

Welcome to our outback adventure featuring the iconic Birdsville Track. We travel through Outback Queensland to join the Birdsville Track to Marree before returning through rural South Australia and New South Wales. We join our friendly Blue Bus crew as we begin our adventure. We have a coach day where we can sit back and relax before reaching today’s destination Mitchell.

Day 2: (BLD)

Mitchell to Longreach

Tue 2 Jul 24

This morning we leave the Warrego Highway and meet up with the Landsborough Highway to continue our journey north. Stopping for lunch in Tambo, we make our way through Barcaldine and Ilfracombe where, time permitting, we can “wet the whistle” at the famous Wellshot Hotel or take a wander along the Folk Transport Museum. From here we head to our destination of Longreach where we can check in and freshen up before dinner.

Day 3: (BLD)

Longreach

Wed 3 Jul 24

This morning is a special experience as we gain an insight into the area through the eyes of local graziers and pioneer families. We meet the owners of a local property called Rosebank Station and learn about their operations while enjoying a delicious morning tea. We then head back into town and really step back in time at Kinnon & Co on the main street. Their Station Store has an amazing range of traditionally made leatherwear and a treasure trove of historic nostalgia. While we’re here we enjoy the wonderful “Harry Redford Old Time Tent Show”. It’s a hilarious hour of entertainment featuring animals, stockmen and improvised live theatre with a laugh a minute. Late afternoon we take a cruise down the majestic Thompson River. As the sunset fades into starlight, we enjoy Smithy’s Outback Dinner and Show for a great night of food and entertainment.

Day 4: (BD)

Longreach to Winton

Thu 4 Jul 24

At the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, we take in the Stockman’s Experience. The show encompasses modern day aspects of being a stockman as well as telling the tale of what it used to be like in the past. Wander the themed galleries proudly displaying the history behind some of Australia’s greatest and bravest. Saying goodbye to Longreach we see some dramatic and ever-changing scenery as we make our way to Winton. The area was once home to dinosaurs and is full of ground-breaking scientific discoveries and archaeological digs. It was here in Winton that Banjo Paterson wrote his famous poem about the swagman and the jolly jumbuck and “Waltzing Matilda” was heard for the first time in the North Gregory Hotel, which will be our dinner location tonight.

Day 5: (BLD)

Winton

Fri 5 Jul 24

Today we’ll have the opportunity to learn about this prehistoric phenomenon at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs. The centre hosts the largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils and the largest fossil preparation laboratory in the Southern Hemisphere. We then take a trip out to The March of the Titanosaurs Exhibition at Dinosaur Canyon. After lunch we visit the Waltzing Matilda Centre, the only museum in the world dedicated to a song. Here you’ll find a state-of-the-art interpretation and interactive displays telling the story and history of the Winton Shire including the Great Shearers Strike of 1891, the birth of Qantas and of course, the legend of Waltzing Matilda.

Day 6: (BLD)

Winton to Birdsville

Sat 6 Jul 24

This morning we set our sights on our next destination of Birdsville. This is a long travel day as we make our way through Boulia and travel past Carcory Homestead Ruins before arriving in Birdsville. Initially developed as a customs depot for livestock movement between South Australia and Queensland, Birdsville was formally known as Diamantina Crossing. Later the name Birdsville was adopted on account of the prolific birdlife in the district. Many of Australia’s pioneering European explorers travelled through the Birdsville district well before the town was gazetted. Monuments to acknowledge the feats of Captain Charles Sturt, Burke & Wills, Madigan and others are located throughout the town. For the next two nights we are staying at a quintessential outback pub, the famous Birdsville Hotel.

Day 7: (BD)

Birdsville

Sun 7 Jul 24

A local expert joins the coach this morning as we learn about the history and unique characters of Birdsville on a town tour. We head to Big Red, the tallest sand dune (40 metres high) in the Simpson Desert. Our afternoon is at leisure. You may like to visit the beautiful Birdsville Billabong, try a camel pie at the Birdsville Bakery, view the local artwork in a gallery or arrange a scenic flight (own expense).

Day 8: (BLD)

Birsdsville Track to Marree

Mon 8 Jul 24

Today we drive the iconic Birdsville Track. This track was once used by drovers following the cattle routes from north-west Queensland to Marree in the south. It is desolate but beautiful country with a trio of the nation’s most famous deserts – the Tirari Desert, Sturt Stony Desert and Simpson Desert. This drive takes on an unforgettably diverse landscape, winding through wetlands, gibber plains, sand dunes and desert. We stop for lunch at the Mungerannie Hotel. Late afternoon after passing through the Dog Fence, we arrive in Marree.

Day 9: (BLD)

Marree to Peterborough

Tue 9 Jul 24

This morning we make our way to Blinman, a tiny, isolated settlement on the edge of the desert, known as a historic copper mining town and the highest town in South Australia. Here we stop at Wadna Shop, an authentic Aboriginal arts and crafts gallery in the heart of the Flinders Ranges. It has beautiful local paintings, home-made handbags and jewellery made from emu feathers and quandong seeds. We enjoy lunch here before making our way through the stunning Flinders Ranges to Peterborough. The town was once a vast rail operation where over 100 steam locomotives passed through each day before heading to all corners of Australia.

Day 10: (BD)

Peterborough to Mildura

Wed 10 Jul 24

Making our way to Burra, a local guide will join us on the coach to provide us with an introduction to the town’s mining history. Copper from Burra’s “Monster Mine” saved South Australia from bankruptcy in the 1840s. It was the largest metal mine in the country at the time employing 1000 people. Cornish and Welsh miners flocked to Burra to work for the South Australian Mining Association and some set up home in dugouts hewn out of the banks of the Burra Creek. Following our tour we have free time for lunch – perhaps a Cornish Pasty from the local bakery and some time to wander the main street. This afternoon’s journey takes us through South Australia’s Riverland and across the Victorian border to Mildura.

Day 11: (BLD)

Mildura to Hay

Thu 11 Jul 24

After breakfast, we visit Orange World – a working 50 acre citrus property. We will enjoy an informative citrus train tour around the picturesque property of avocado trees, numerous citrus varieties and tree grafting areas. Our lunch break will be cruising along the Murray river aboard the PS Melbourne. A unique feature of this cruise is travelling downstream through Lock 11, built to bypass the weir across the river. Informative commentary of the river and its history, fauna and flora will be given and a delicious light lunch provided. Back on dry land, we make our way to Hay for our overnight stay.

Day 12: (BLD)

Hay to Dubbo

Fri 12 Jul 24

This morning we hit the road and head through Barellan to view the “Big Tennis Racquet” erected to commemorate former number one tennis play Evonne Goolagong-Cawley. From here we visit the Weethalle Silo, the first to be competed in New South Wales. Painted by Melbourne based artist Heesco Khosnaran, the mural is a tribute to the rich agricultural heritage of the community. We stop in Ungarie to see the “Big Football”, a heartfelt tribute to AFL legends, the Daniher brothers. From here we continue to Dubbo for our overnight stay.

Day 13: (BLD)

Dubbo to Goondiwindi

Sat 13 Jul 24

Following breakfast, we hit the road again travelling via Gilgandra and Coonabarabran on our way to Narrabri where we stop for lunch at the Outback Shack which is full of historical memorabilia and featuring a stunning mural. We travel through the rich agricultural areas surrounding Moree and arrive late afternoon in Goondiwindi for our final night on tour together.

Day 14: (BL)

Goondiwindi to Brisbane

Sun 14 Jul 24

With our bags packed full of wonderful memories, we begin our journey home, travelling through Millmerran to Toowoomba. Lunch is at the Picnic Point Lookout, where we’ll be rewarded with stunning views of the Lockyer Valley and Tabletop Mountain. Making good time today, we arrive home after an incredible outback tour.

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