Northern NSW by Train

This morning after breakfast and check out, we’ll board our coach for an exploration of the Warrumbungle National Park on a round trip of this spectacular ancient volcanic mountain range. This spectacular park, Australia’s only Dark Sky Park, is famous for its dramatic volcanic rock formations, deep valleys, and excellent bushwalking trails, and is a haven for wildlife.

Our first stop will be the world-famous Siding Spring Observatory and the home of Australia’s largest optical telescope facility. The observatory offers fascinating insights into the universe, and you’ll get to learn about the important role this vast telescope has played in the world of Astronomy. We’ll then call into the Warrumbungle National Park Visitors Centre which contains interesting displays, a shop and a cafe for that all-important coffee. 

Continuing our journey, we head to the western side of the mountain range, where we’ll stop in at Emu Logic, a unique and family-friendly emu farm offering visitors a fascinating look into the world of Australia’s largest native bird. Here, you’ll get up close and personal with emus at all stages of life, learn about the  history, farming, and conservation of emus in Australia – their cultural significance, their adaptations to the harsh outback, how emu farming supports sustainable agriculture, and learn about the magnificent properties of the oil they produce. 

Lunch will be hosted at the Tooraweena pub, a classic Aussie gem, after which we’ll travel around  the southern side of the range back through Coonabarabran and north into the Pilliga Forest. Here we’ll find another hidden gem, Pilliga Pottery, a family-run pottery studio, famous for its beautiful, hand-made ceramics inspired by the Australian landscape and wildlife. Artists from all over the world come to work the clay here and create the masterpieces you’ll see. 

It’s then further north to the regional city of Narrabri,  where we’ll settle into our motel and enjoy an evening at leisure. 

Overnight: Adelong Motel, Narrabri (B, L, D)

This morning after breakfast and checkout, we’ll make a visit to the CSIRO Australian Telescope Compact Array, one of Australia’s premier astronomical research facilities, and home to a world-class radio telescope, considered  to be one of the most important radio telescopes in the Southern Hemisphere. The observatory contributes to major global space research, including mapping distant galaxies, black holes, pulsars, cosmic radio waves, monitoring space weather, and searching for signals from deep space.

Back in town, we’ll visit the old gaol and museum, a fascinating historical site that offers visitors a glimpse into Australia’s colonial past, local history, and life behind bars. Housed in the former Narrabri Gaol, built in 1882 and operational until 1982, this museum is one of the best-preserved examples of a 19th-century country prison in New South Wales. There’ll be some free time to graze for lunch in town before we reboard our private coach for the journey to Moree, taking the scenic route.

North East of Narrabri the impressive volcanic plugs of the Kaputar Mountains rise from the surrounding plain. Geologically related to the Warrumbungles, you’ll recognise similar characteristics of the landscape as we drive along the mountain road through the Mt Kaputar National Park, admiring peaks that reach almost 1500 metres high. Further on we pass the village of Terry Hie Hie, notable for its rich Aboriginal heritage and natural beauty. The area holds deep cultural importance for the Gamilaraay (Kamilaroi) people, having served as a significant ceremonial and gathering place.

We’ll arrive in Moree in the mid-afternoon and go directly to our riverside accommodation to check in. Moree is known for its artesian hot springs, rich agricultural heritage, and strong Indigenous culture and there’ll be time to enjoy a highlight of our resort – its open-air artesian thermal pool, maintained at a soothing 38 to 40°C, offering a unique and relaxing experience. Additionally, the property features a refreshing saltwater swimming pool and six indoor artesian thermal baths.

This evening we’ll enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant.

Overnight: The Phoenix Resort and Spa, Moree (B, D)

We’ll start the day early this morning with breakfast at a local cafe so we can be at the railway station in time to catch our 8.05am train, travelling on the Inland Rail back to Narrabri and on to our first stop for the day, Werris Creek, is a small yet historically significant town with a rich rail heritage and a welcoming country charm.

Once a major railway hub, ‘the Creek’ as it’s colloquially known, was established in the late 1870’s as a railway town and its grand station, built in 1885 and still operational, is one of the most beautifully preserved heritage railway stations in NSW.  We’ll take some time here to explore the Rail Journeys Museum, which beautifully showcases the history of rail travel in Australia, and the Australian Railway Monument, honouring all the railway workers who contributed to the development of the industry over hundreds of years.

Rather than wait around for a few hours for our next train, we’ll board our coach and take a short little drive down the line to Quirindi, in the agricultural heartland of the Liverpool Plains.  We’ll go directly to ‘Bob’s Shed’, a quirky and nostalgic museum featuring classic cars, Peter Brock memorabilia, and vintage Aussie collectibles for a good look around and some lunch.

After lunch, we’ll take a look around the Quirindi Rural Heritage Village & Miniature Railway dedicated to preserving and showcasing the rich agricultural history and culture of the Liverpool Plains region, before heading down to the grand Quirindi Railway Station, a beautifully preserved historic station built in 1885 and still in use today.  Here, we’ll board our train to Armidale for a journey that takes us north over the Peel River, through Tamworth, and climbing to the high Tablelands on a pleasantly scenic section of the line. 

Upon arrival in Armidale we’ll be met by our coach and transferred to our hotel to check in for the next two nights. Dinner this evening will be at a local restaurant.

Overnight: Rydges Hotel, Armidale (B, L, D)

This morning after breakfast, we’ll embark on a full day of sightseeing around this charming regional city. Armidale is a picturesque city known for its heritage colonial architecture, cool climate, stunning waterfalls, and vibrant arts scene and offers a unique mix of history, culture, and natural beauty. The city is recognised as an education hub, home to the University of New England (UNE) and prestigious boarding schools, and has a strong arts and music scene, with concerts, galleries, and festivals throughout the year.

First off, we explore Saumarez Homestead, a heritage-listed Edwardian mansion, once owned by the White family and now managed by the National Trust of Australia.  We’ll start with a delicious morning tea in the cafe before enjoying a guided tour of this authentic country estate.  Designed by architect John Wiltshire Pender, (who famously designed many of the grand buildings in the Hunter region, the property includes a fully furnished 30-room house, largely untouched since the Edwardian era, and 15 other buildings dating from 1880 to 1910, which, along with collections of farming equipment and household items, illustrate the story of pastoral life from the 1870s to the 1970s.  The homestead is surrounded by nine picturesque gardens, designed to reflect New England’s distinct four seasons. Luckily for our tour, Mary White’s Garden comes alive in early spring with colorful bulbs, cottage flowers, and spreading wisteria. 

We’ll then head back into town for a visit to the wonderful New England Regional Art Museum. Established in 1983, NERAM is a prominent cultural institution renowned for its extensive collection of Australian art – it houses over 4,500 works, making it the second-largest regional public art collection in New South Wales.

Back on our coach, we’ll dip a short way down the highway to Uralla. While the town’s history dates back at least 50,000 years, with the Anaiwan people being the traditional custodians of the land, it was in the mid-19th century that it became widely notable as the home of Captain Thunderbolt, one of Australia’s most famous bushrangers. Here, we’ll enjoy lunch at the volunteer-run McCrossin’s Mill Museum, a heritage-listed former flour mill that has been meticulously restored to serve as a museum, gallery, and function centre. After a lovingly prepared lunch, the incredible volunteers who keep this place alive will take us on a guided tour. Built in 1870 by Alexander Mitchell for John McCrossin, the three-storey granite and brick structure stands as a testament to the town’s rich history. The museum offers a diverse range of exhibits that delve into various aspects of Uralla’s history including the life and exploits of Captain Thunderbolt, artefacts and stories related to the Chinese community in the region, the early settlers and aboriginal heritage.  

You’ll then have the choice of either returning directly to Armidale for the rest of the afternoon at leisure, or you can opt to return through the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park via Gostwyck and Dangarsleigh. 

Dinner tonight is at leisure.

Overnight: Rydges Hotel, Armidale (B, L)

This morning after breakfast and checking out, we’ll reunite with our coach for the journey to Port Macquarie. While you can get there by a bus/train combination, it is a 15-hour journey via Coffs Harbour rather than a few picturesque hours on the coach!  Taking this route enables us to stop in at a few interesting places along the way.  

Our first stop will be at Ebor on the eastern edge of the New England Tablelands and the impressive Ebor Falls close by. At an elevation of about 1,298 metres, it is one of the highest settlements in the state.  We’ll then drop down into Dorrigo, a charming little town situated on the Dorrigo Plateau amidst lush rainforests and rolling farmlands.  Just outside of town we discover Dangar Falls, a 30 metre drop set amongst the lush scenery, and take a drive past a vast collection of old railway rolling stock – while the site isn’t open to the public, we’ll take a drive by to see the extent of the collection before heading to the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre, located on the edge of Dorrigo National Park, and part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area.  The park is renowned for its rich biodiversity and ancient rainforests. We’ll have a light lunch in the cafe here and take some time to explore the centre and do one of the shorter stunning rainforest walks. 

Further down the mountain we come to Bellingen and then it’s onto the city of Port Macquarie to check into our hotel. Later in the afternoon we’ll enjoy a sunset cruise before returning to our hotel for a jolly farewell dinner in the hotel restaurant. 

Overnight: The Mercure Hotel, Port Macquarie (B, L, D)

After an early breakfast and checking out, we’ll transfer the short distance to Wauchope Railway Station for the 8:44am XPT train to Sydney, arriving around 4.00pm. This XPT service has a buffet car and comfortable seats with big windows to take in all the magnificent scenery on the way down through the coastal ranges, the lower Hunter Valley and the mighty Hawkesbury River. 

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