The Dolly Parton Express

This morning after breakfast and checking out, we’ll return to the station and reboard our private train, travelling through Narromine and Nyngan to the end of the line at Cobar and the heritage listed Cobar Railway Station, a bit over 350 kms away. 

This great railway journey unfolds over a number of legs, the first of which takes us past the vast new rail hub and junction of the massive Inland Rail project just west of Parkes. We then continue along the newly built section of the Inland Rail from Goobang Junction to Narromine, to join the original Great Western Railway that once upon a time would’ve taken you all the way to Bourke. After passing Trangie and Nevertire, we’ll stop at the junction town of Nyngan for a pub lunch and visit the museum at the station. The last leg takes us onto the freight-only Cobar branch line all the way to Cobar, the end of the line.

Known affectionately as ‘The Copper City’, Cobar is a fascinating town rich in mining heritage and natural attractions. In the late 1800s, the Great Cobar Copper Mine was Australia’s leading producer of copper, with more than 2,000 workers operating the huge smelters and its 64-metre chimney stack. Today, remains of the smelter foundations are visible and several fine heritage buildings from the late 1880s/early 1900s settlement are still in existence, including the Great Western Hotel (which claims to have the longest pub veranda in New South Wales), the Post Office, the Court House and Court House Hotel, as well as the Cobar Heritage and Visitor Information Centre, located in the former Mines Office. We’ll visit all these significant sites during our time here.

Upon arrival in Cobar, we’ll transfer directly to our hotel and check in before embarking on a special sunset excursion to the unique Cobar Sound Chapel, lovingly referred to as ‘the singing silo’. Opened in 2022, it’s a permanent multi-disciplinary artwork created by composer and sound artist Georges Lentz in collaboration with architect Glenn Murcutt. Created inside a ten-metre-tall disused water tank from 1901, and consisting of a five-metre concrete cube with an oculus in its ceiling and speakers embedded in the walls, it’s the permanent home of Lentz’s digital 24-hour surround-sound ‘String Quartet’, a composition inspired by the outback landscape and its starry night skies. Other artistic influences include an aboriginal dot painting, the art and poetry of William Blake, blue corner windows created by Cobar Indigenous artist Sharron Ohlsen, and the local graffiti on the water tank exterior. 

We’ll return to town for dinner at a local pub.

Overnight: Cobar Central Motor Inn , Cobar (B, L, D)

After checking out and breakfast at a local cafe, we’ll embark on a tour of this interesting town, starting at the Cobar Heritage Centre for a wander through the museum to understand Cobar’s history from the time of the local Aboriginal people to the mining and agricultural era. We’ll then head up to the Fort Bourke lookout to view the vast open cut mine and the town beyond. 

After having a drive past the significant heritage buildings in town, we’ll reunite with our private train at the station for the journey back down the line, stopping at the Nevertire pub for lunch – it’s an ‘occasion’ for the locals when we pull up, disembark via stairs, and walk across the road to the pub! 

Back on board we’ll roll on through Narromine to Dubbo, our home for the next two nights. After checking into our comfortable accommodation and taking some time to freshen up, we’ll head out to the National Trust property of Dundullimal Homestead, constructed around 1842 and widely regarded as the oldest surviving slab hut homestead in Australia, for dinner. 

Overnight: Quest, Dubbo (B, L, D)

This morning after enjoying breakfast at a nearby cafe, we’ll reboard our private train and head back to Narromine, arriving in time for the Dolly Parton Festival street parade and party that kicks off the festival in the late morning. As the town then ‘rests’ before the afternoon and evening festivities kick off, we’ll jump back on our train and go a bit further up the line to Trangie for a delightful pub lunch at the historic Imperial Hotel, just a short stroll from the station. 

After returning to Narromine by train, we’ll wander over to the main festival area and settle into our VIP area for the afternoon and evening events, and the main concert including the Dolly tribute artists. There’ll be plenty of food options available, so finding some dinner at leisure won’t be a problem. After the conclusion of the main act on stage, our coach will be standing by to take us back to Dubbo. 

Overnight: Quest, Dubbo (B, L)

This morning after breakfast and check out, it’s back on our private train for the journey to Katoomba via Orange. Just after leaving Dubbo you’ll spot a railway yard full of red trains – this is the home and maintenance centre for the new ‘R’ sets that will eventually replace the current XPT and Xplorer services in use on long distance routes in NSW.

Along the way, we’ll pass through Stuart Town and cross the Macquarie River at Wellington before arriving in Orange, where our coach will meet us and transfer us to a local culinary institution, the Agrestic Grocer, for lunch. 

The local food movement in the central west is all about partnerships and the Agrestic Grocer is a brilliant example of this – local produce is everywhere you look on the menu and in the store. For example – locally roasted coffee by Orange Roasting Co. is paired with the iconic central west family-owned Little Big Dairy Milk company. Little Big is one of the very few single origin, ‘direct-from-farm’ dairies in Australia, so you know your coffee will not only taste better but will also be putting more back into the pockets of the farmers – right where it belongs. You’ll also find Badlands Beers, Second Mouse Cheeses, Agrestic Preserves and a whole host of regional products and fresh produce – everything from unwaxed apples to beer soap to olive oils, cult status salad dressing from Di Ridge, Spencer & Origin Chocolates, free range eggs, freshly milled peanut butter, local wines and much more are at your fingertips. 

After reboarding our train, we’ll head back over the Blue Mountains to Katoomba, disembark, say goodbye to our train and wonderful crew, and stroll the short distance to our accommodation – the historic Carrington Hotel. Dating back to the 1880’s, a golden age of tourism in the Blue Mountains, this iconic hotel has been restored in a manner that has virtually retained all of its period features and decoration.

After some time to freshen up, we’ll regroup and transfer to Echo Point and the stunning ‘The Lookout’ restaurant for a celebratory farewell dinner with spectacular views over the surrounding valleys and to the world famous Three Sisters. Drinks will be on us!

Overnight: The Carrington, Katoomba (B, L, D)

Today we’ll enjoy a lazy breakfast and a gentle morning before checking out and embarking on an excursion to the Scenic Railway at Katoomba – officially recognised in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s steepest passenger railway. The track features a maximum incline of 52 degrees (a gradient of about 128%), dropping around 310 metres through a cliff-side tunnel and into the lush Jamison Valley rainforest below. The ride is short but intense – taking you from the clifftop escarpment down into ancient Jurassic-era rainforest in just a couple of minutes. At the bottom, you can connect to the 2.4 km elevated Scenic Walkway boardwalk through the rainforest before heading back up via the railway or the nearby Scenic Cableway – you’ll have time to explore it all.

After some free time for lunch at leisure back in town, we’ll board our private coach for a fast transfer back to Sydney’s Central Station arriving in the mid afternoon, heralding the end of our time together.

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