Graeme has travelled Australia and much of the world, by all manner of transport. Whether it be by countless trains, motorcycles, or cars, and once through Africa in a ‘worse for wear’ Kombi van. Originally from Sydney, his work and…
ROBERT KINGSFORD SMITH has had a passion for Railways since he was a child, and so began a quest to record on film the world’s disappearing steam locomotives. His often adventurous travels have taken him to over forty countries. The…
This magnificent journey takes you across the entire breadth of the state all the way over the mountains, across the central west to Broken Hill and down to the Riverina in a giant loop, including special treats like a lavish private dinner at Abercrombie House in Bathurst, exploring the rich history of Broken Hill, and time in the stunning Lake Mungo World Heritage site.
Our tour starts bright and early at Sydney’s Central Station,where we’ll take our first class seats on the 7.19am XPT train to Bathurst. While riding over the mountains in the morning light, your tour leader will share the background of this historic mountain line – the Lithgow to Bathurst section of our journey is full of charming rural scenery, villages and stone arch remnants of the original 1860’s permanent way.
Bathurst holds a significant place in the history of New South Wales. Established in 1815 by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, it was originally founded as a key military outpost during the early colonial expansion into the continent’s interior. The town quickly became a centre of activity during the Australian Gold Rush in the 1850s, drawing thousands of prospectors eager to seek their fortunes. This influx of people and wealth spurred rapid development, transforming Bathurst into the bustling hub of commerce and industry that it is today.
After our mid morning arrival, we’ll step into the brilliant Bathurst Railway Museum to explore the wonderful collection housed in this new state-of-the-art museum, and enjoy time for morning tea. Then it’s on to the excellent Australian Fossils and Minerals Museum, the permanent home of the world class Somerville Collection of fossils and minerals – the lifetime work of Warren Somerville AM. Containing over 5,000 objects, the collection features some of the finest and rarest specimens of mineral crystals in the world and fossils from every major stage of life on Earth, one of the only collections in the world to achieve such a feat.
It’s then some free time to explore the town centre and have some lunch at leisure, after which we’ll meet our private coach and transfer to the hotel.
After checking in, you might like to pop into the National Motor Racing Museum adjacent to our hotel (as our guest). This unique Museum celebrates the rich history of Australian motor sport, with a particular focus on Bathurst and Mount Panorama as the spiritual home of Australian motor racing. From humble beginnings as a temporary display, the Museum, then known as The Bathurst Motor Racing Museum was officially opened in 1988 by the late Peter Brock. The collection has grown substantially since then to cover all facets of motor sport from the 1920s to the present.
This evening, we’ll head out of town to enjoy a special evening soiree at the grand baronial homestead of Abercrombie House. Built with granite in 1878 by English expatriate William Stewart, who held the post of Lieutenant Governor General of New South Wales, the house is considered to be of extreme historical significance and is listed on the National Trust Register. It’s also on the New South Wales Heritage Register and the Australian Heritage Database described as “an outstanding example of Victorian Tudor style architecture”. Our hosts, the current owners, will take you on an informative and entertaining journey through the ages before serving us a lavish dinner in the grand ballroom.
Overnight: Rydges, Bathurst (D)
After breakfast and check out, our private coach will take us the short distance to Millthorpe, located between Orange and Blayney. A picturesque and historic village classified by the National Trust, it has managed to retain a 19th century charm with its cobbled, bluestone-bordered streets and heritage buildings. Here, there’ll be time to visit the Museum, have free time to wander the heritage village and have lunch at leisure before heading off through the towns and villages of the Central West slopes to Parkes, named after the iconic statesman Sir Henry Parkes, the Father of Federation, and home to the famous Parkes Observatory, fondly referred to as “The Dish” and the annual “Parkes Elvis Festival”, paying homage to the great star of rock and roll.
After check in, we will have dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Parkes International, Parkes (B, D)
This morning after breakfast and check out, our coach will be on hand to provide a ‘hop on hop off’ service to enable you to visit the various museums at the Henry Parkes Centre, including one dedicated to Elvis, check out the iconic Dish and the associated small museum there, and have a quick lunch at leisure (or buy snacks for the train) before delivering you all to the railway station where we’ll board the ‘Explorer’ train to Broken Hill.
Spectacular scenery, classic red soil and deep blue skies are a constant companion as we roll across the plains past towns like Condobolin, Ivanhoe and across the Darling River at Menindee Lakes and on to Broken Hill, arriving around 7pm and transferring directly to our centrally located hotel to check in.
Dinner tonight is at leisure. There are numerous pubs and restaurants just a short walk away and a cleansing ale may be just the ticket to settle the dust.
Overnight: Red Earth Motel, Broken Hill (B)
Today is a full day of sightseeing in and around Broken Hill. We start by heading out to Mundi Mundi Plains and Silverton, billed as Australia’s liveliest ghost town. After the arrival of gold prospectors in the 1860’s, a lode of silver was discovered in 1875, and Silverton was recognised as a town in 1880. Once a vibrant centre servicing these industries and the pastoralists of the region, Silverton is best known in modern times as a movie set, being seen in several productions, including Razorback, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The Flying Doctors, Dirty Deeds, and the iconic Australian blockbuster Mad Max films. From a railway perspective, the area is well remembered for the historic Silverton Tramway, a 58-kilometre-long narrow gauge railway line constructed in the late 1880’s to connect Broken Hill to South Australia. One of only two privately owned railways in the state, it served the Broken Hill mines and Silverton area until 1970, when it was closed.
Lunch today will be at the historic Silverton Pub, where you can check out photos of the many films, TV shows and advertisements it has featured in – you might spy some famous faces!
Back in Broken Hill we continue our tour covering the main sights of the city starting with the moving Line of Lode Miners Memorial, where we hear about the enormous impact the ‘Silver City’ had on the development of our great country. We’ll stop in at the Sulphide Street Railway and Heritage Museum, and then take in the array of heritage buildings, churches, hotels, miner’s cottages and modern homes, enroute out to one of Broken Hill’s most popular sights, the Sculpture Symposium, where some of the world’s leading sculptures are on show in a magical outback setting.
Dinner tonight will be at the iconic Palace Hotel, made famous by the movie “ Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”.
Overnight: Red Earth Motel, Broken Hill (B, L, D)
This morning is at leisure – sleep in and relax at the hotel or head out and visit a couple of the excellent art galleries dotted around the town centre. Early lunch will be at leisure before we reunite with our coach and go off the beaten track to Menindee Lakes and Kinchega National Park located on the banks of the Darling River.
Upon arrival in Menindee, we’ll check in to our hotel before we head out for a sunset Wetlands cruise on the incredible ‘Menindee lakes’, a spectacular lake system more than three times the size of Sydney Harbour. Our boat, the River Lady, is a purpose built vessel designed with a shallow draft to allow us to access all parts of the lakes to maximise your enjoyment of the abundant bird life and other natural wonders of this extraordinary part of the world.
Upon our return to town, we’ll all head across the road to the Maidens Hotel for dinner, ordered directly from their good old pub menu.
Overnight: Burke and Wills Menindee Motel (B, D)
After breakfast at a local cafe we’ll depart Menindee and head south, following the course of the Darling River to Pooncarie and on to Lake Mungo, famously home to Mungo Woman and Mungo Man, the world’s oldest human cremations. Upon arrival, we’ll enjoy lunch in the restaurant at Lake Mungo Lodge while we wait for our rooms to be ready. After checking in, we’ll meet our guide and embark on an exploration of this World Heritage area, including sunset at the captivating Walls of China, a unique feature on the southeastern edge of the Lake Mungo lunette and one of Australia’s most unforgettable sights.
Back at the lodge we’ll enjoy a hearty dinner and a relaxing evening in the heart of the isolated NSW Outback.
Overnight: Lake Mungo Lodge (B, L, D)
This morning after breakfast and check out, we leave Lake Mungo and travel south to the border of Victoria and the vibrant city of Mildura. We arrive in time for you to have some lunch at leisure before checking into our hotel and enjoying some free time to relax.
We’ll then head out to explore some of the sights of the city on a town tour, before boarding a relaxing cruise on the mighty Murray River, followed by dinner.
Overnight: Quality Hotel Mildura Grand, Mildura (B, D)
We’ll be off early this morning on our journey to Griffith, stopping first in Balranald for a morning coffee break and a look at the Murrumbidgee River, before getting to Hay in time for lunch, and a bit of an exploration of this important colonial city, significant first as a transport hub for the river trade and later in the nineteenth century, the railway. Hay was significant for another reason too. In May and June 1940, Winston Churchill’s government detained thousands of ‘enemy or dangerous aliens,’ previously determined not to be a risk, in the belief that this would stop any spies among them from forming a ‘fifth column’ in the event of an invasion by Germany. Most were German or Austrian, and most were Jewish, having fled to Britain in the 1930s to escape Hitler’s Reich. They were to be interned in Britain or deported to Canada or Australia, where they would be held for the duration of the war. 1,984 of these poor souls were interned at the Hay Internment & Prisoner of War Camp. While many of these men survived the camp and went on to become valuable members of the Australian community, Churchill later described the arrest and internment of these men, now commonly known as the ‘Dunera boys’, as ‘a deplorable mistake’.
Further along, after leaving Hay, we come to Darlington Point, a quiet little historic town on the Murrumbidgee. Like many destinations in the Riverina, ‘The Point’ began its life as a river-crossing town before being developed into an agricultural hub, producing fruit, vegetables, grains and rice.
Upon our arrival in Griffith we’ll take a short city tour before checking into our hotel for some time to relax.
We’ll then take a short walk to a popular Italian restaurant for our special farewell dinner.
Overnight: Gem Hotel, Griffith (B, D)
This morning after an early breakfast and checking out, we’ll walk to the railway station and settle into our first class seats on board the Explorer train departing Griffith at 7:25am for our journey back to Sydney, taking the day to traverse a great chunk of NSW on its way back to Sydney. The changing landscape reveals the extraordinary nature of NSW from the plains up the slopes and over the highlands to the coast. Lunch can be purchased on board and your first-class seats offer a comfortable journey along the line. We arrive in Sydney in the late afternoon, where we say goodbye to our fellow travellers until the next great journey. (B)
8 nights in comfortable, centrally located accommodation
Breakfast daily, two lunches and seven dinners
Drinks included with welcome and farewell dinners
Private chartered coach transport throughout the tour
Comprehensive sightseeing with expert local guides
All excursions and entrance fees to attractions, as listed in the itinerary
Meals and services not mentioned in itinerary
All other personal expenses such as drinks, phone calls, laundry services, camera fees where applicable
Excursions listed as optional and extra in the brochure
The best train trips possible, private luxury coach for off-train travel, guided walking where suitable, and other appropriate and appealing options to make exploration easy
Hand-picked hotels and resorts based on location, customer feedback, value and atmosphere. Please Note: Hotels of a similar standard may be substituted.
Hear from some of our adventurers that have already ridden the rails with us.
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Reserve your place on this exciting exploration of The New South Wales Outback.
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We acknowledge the traditional owners of country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them, their cultures, and to the Elders both past and present.
