Darling River Run ... the Condamine to the Coorong
Travel one of the country’s most iconic touring routes, the Darling River Run, as we follow the entire ‘source to sea’, from the Upper Darling Catchment in Queensland, the Darling River Run in New South Wales and to the Lower Murray in South Australia. We finish with something special – Kangaroo Island, home to an incredible amount of wildlife and unbeatable scenery.
13 Day Tour
Tuesday 26 April - Sunday 8 May 2022
Tour Cost (GST inclusive):
$5,650 per person twin share
$925 single supplement
Inclusions
- Guided tour of Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps
- Guided tour of Bourke, entry to Back o’ Bourke Exhibition Centre and ride on Paddleboat Jandra
- Guided tour of Cobar & entry to Great Cobar Heritage Centre
- Guided tour of Broken Hill, entry to Living Desert & Sculptures and Pro Hart Gallery
- Guided tour at Silver City Mint & Art Centre
- Guided tour of Silverton & entry to Silverton Gaol Museum
- Guided tour of Menindee Lake and Kinchega National Park
- Darling River Cruise with River Lady Tours
- Long Point to Goolwa Cruise with Spirit Australia Cruises
- Ferry crossing to Kangaroo Island
- Guided tour at Clifford’s Honey Farm
- Guided tour at Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery
- Guided beach walk with National Park Ranger at Seal Bay
- Entry & Birds of Prey demonstration at Raptor Domain
- Wine Tasting and platter at Shingleback Wines
- Economy Flight from Adelaide to Brisbane and coach transfer from airport to pick up point
Tour Itinerary
Day 1: (D)
Brisbane to Moree
Tue 26 Apr 22
Welcome to our Darling River tour featuring spectacular landscape and history. Our epic journey across three states follows the beautiful Darling to the mighty Murray. We have a travel day ahead as we make our way to Warwick. Here we see the Condamine River which is part of the Balonne catchment that forms part of the Murray Darling Basin. We continue through Goondiwindi before arriving in Moree. The district is well known for its artesian bore baths that are used by people far and wide and renowned for relieving rheumatic and other muscular complaints. Relax in the pools before our welcome dinner at our hotel.
Lunch at own expense | Dinner at accommodation
Day 2 : (BLD)
Moree to Bourke
Wed 27 Apr 22
We make our way through Walgett and onto Brewarrina to visit the Brewarrina Fish Traps that are estimated to be over 40,000 years old and one of the oldest man-made structures on earth. The elaborate network of rock weirs and pools stretching for around half a kilometre along the riverbed was built by ancient tribes to catch fish at the swamp upstream. We experience a Dreamtime story told by Aboriginal elders, watch how the local Aboriginal children still catch their fish the traditional way and engage with the history with our local guide. This afternoon we head to Bourke, situated on the banks of the Darling River.
Breakfast & Dinner at accommodation | Packed lunch included
Day 3: (BLD)
Bourke
Thu 28 Apr 22
We are joined by a local guide for a tour of Bourke before a visit to the Back o’ Bourke Exhibition Centre to hear the tales of early exploration, bush poets, local bush rangers, farmers and the paddleboat trade. We also learn about the local Aboriginal people of the region and Afghan cameleers. After lunch at the Port of Bourke Hotel, we board the Paddleboat Jandra and recapture the romance of the old-river steamers as we cruise along the quiet waters of the Darling River.
Breakfast & Dinner at accommodation | Lunch at Port of Bourke Hotel
Day 4: (BLD)
Bourke to Cobar
Fri 29 Apr 22
This morning we make our way to Cobar, a modern and highly productive mining town. After lunch we explore the Great Cobar Heritage Centre where we are taken through the region’s history from the time of the local Aboriginal Ngiyampaa people to the mining era. Marvel at historic artefacts and an outstanding collection of exhibits which date from the early 1870s to the present day. For incredible views of the town and an open cut mine, we head to the viewing platform of Fort Bourke Hill Lookout, the historic site of the New Cobar Gold Mine.
Breakfast & Dinner at accommodation | Lunch at Empire Hotel
Day 5: (BLD)
Cobar to Broken Hill
Sat 30 Apr 22
From Cobar we travel west across the vast outback plains of NSW to Wilcannia where we stop for lunch. Continuing our journey, we make our way to Broken Hill. The town is like a living, breathing time capsule where the great mining prosperity of yesteryear blends seamlessly with a rising modern art scene. A local guide joins us on the coach this afternoon and points out some historical buildings including the Court House, Trade Hall, and Town Hall. Dominating the town is the “Line of Lode” which sits side by side with the Miners Memorial. Our visual senses will be delighted at the Living Desert. Nestled amongst the Barrier Ranges, twelve sandstone artworks highlight the skyline, all with a story to tell. Located on a majestic hilltop, this unusual attraction was created by the finest sculptors from around the world.
Breakfast & Dinner at accommodation | Lunch at Wilcannia Golf Club
Day 6: (BLD)
Broken Hill
Sun 1 May 22
We begin our day at Pro Hart Gallery – we’ll be amazed by the lush colours, sense of space and spiritual quality of the outback captured in ways only few artists are able to emulate. We then visit the Silver City Mint and Art Gallery for a guided tour of the impressive Big Picture. The large acrylic painting will draw you into its huge skies and red rock earth of ancient riverbeds dotted with gums, leading to the distant Flinders Ranges. We continue to Silverton, which was the largest town in the Barrier Ranges for some time. Today it’s virtually a ghost town but a number of historic buildings still remain. More recently, Silverton has hosted film crews such as Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Mad Max 2. We enjoy lunch at the iconic Silverton Pub before stepping back in time at the Silverton Gaol Museum. Virtually every aspect of life in Silverton’s heyday is represented with literally thousands of items on display.
Breakfast & Dinner at accommodation | Lunch at Silverton Pub
Day 7: (BLD)
Menindee Lake & Kinchega National Park
Mon 2 May 22
Today’s drive takes us to the Menindee Lake and the Kinchega National Park. Our local guide will take us into Kinchega National Park, which is an oasis for wildlife amidst the dry, red sand plains and surrounding semi-arid region. The serenity of the lake is disturbed only by the multitudes of waterbirds and wanderings of red kangaroos and emus. We enjoy lunch at Maidens Hotel before experiencing the Darling River aboard the celebrated River Lady to discover the outback from the stunning perspective of the river. We return to Broken Hill for dinner at the iconic Palace Hotel.
Breakfast at accommodation | Lunch at Maidens Hotel | Dinner at The Palace Hotel
Day 8: (BLD)
Broken Hill- Wentworth - Berri
Tue 3 May 22
This morning we make our way to Wentworth, the junction of the Darling and Murray Rivers. We enjoy lunch at the Crown Hotel, a local favourite since 1861 before making our way to Berri. The area is known as Australia’s fruit bowl and has some of the country’s best regional produce.
Breakfast & Dinner at accommodation | Lunch at Crown Hotel, Wentworth
Day 9: (BLD)
Cruise along the Coorong
Wed 4 May 22
At Meningie, we board the “Spirit of the Coorong” for a delightful and relaxing luncheon cruise across the spectacular Coorong National Park. Derived from an aboriginal word ‘karangk’ meaning narrow neck, it is one of the most breathtaking national parks in Australia. Catching up with our coach in Goolwa, we drive through Port Elliot to lovely McCracken Country Club for our overnight stay.
Breakfast & Dinner at accommodation | Lunch onboard cruise
Day 10: (BLD)
Victor Harbour to Kangaroo Island
Thu 5 May 22
Up at sparrows call today as we travel to Cape Jervis for our ferry crossing to Kangaroo Island. On arrival we visit some interesting attractions unique to the island. First, we visit Clifford’s Honey Farm – home to the island’s own population of Ligurian Bees (the only pure strain in the world). Nearby is Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery where we take an interesting tour of the equipment used to make eucalyptus oils and products followed by a delicious lunch. Our final visit is to Kangaroo Island Brewery, a relatively new addition to the island’s food and drink culture. The rustic, yet neat and modern complex has an amazing story to tell and not just about the beer, which we will taste during our time here.
Breakfast & Dinner at accommodation | Lunch at Emu Ridge
Day 11: (BLD)
Kangaroo Island
Fri 6 May 22
Kangaroo Island has an abundance of incredible wildlife and today we have a chance to get up close and personal. Our local guide will join us on the coach today as we travel to the world famous, Seal Bay. We’ll be taken into the heart of the colony where our experienced guide will teach us about the wonderful Australian Sea Lion. There is nowhere else in the world where you can listen to an expert give their unique insight while walking amongst the colony. We visit Raptor Domain and see the interactive and inspiring Birds of Prey demonstration before lunch. This afternoon, we explore all that Flinders Chase National Park has to offer. The park’s coastal scenery includes Admirals Arch, Remarkable Rocks, and an excellent boardwalk where we see a colony of New Zealand Fur Seals below. What a day of truly exceptional wildlife experiences!
Breakfast & Dinner at accommodation | Lunch at Raptor Domain
Day 12: (BLD)
Kangaroo Island to Adelaide
Sat 7 May 22
Sadly, we farewell Kangaroo Island as we board our ferry back to the mainland. We make our way to McLaren Vale, known as the birthplace of South Australia’s wine industry. We have time to explore the McLaren Vale township where you might like to indulge your sweet tooth at Medlow Confectionery (famous for the state favourite Fruchocs) or enjoy one of the many coffee shops dotted along the main street. Set amongst the gorgeous vines is Shingleback Winery. Relax in this beautiful location as we enjoy a wine tasting over a delicious platter lunch. We continue to Adelaide for our farewell dinner in our hotel.
Breakfast & Dinner at accommodation | Lunch at Shingleback Winery
Day 13: (B)
Adelaide to Home
Sun 8 May 22
This morning we are transferred to Adelaide Airport for our flight back to Brisbane and coach transfer back to our pick-up points. We return home from a sensational tour following the Darling River.
Breakfast at accommodation | Lunch at own expense