The Tours

"Rail Cruising" - The Tours

The main tour package is a 16 day train-based tour, but shorter variations of this tour are offered, as well as 4 day add-ons to Cairns (by the Reef) or Brisbane (near the Australian Zoo) via flights to the east coast.

16 Day Explorer	12 Day Panorama	11 Day Transcontinental
7 Day Explorer	7 Day Getaway	Cairns Add-on Brisbane Add-on

16 Day Explorer

DAY 1 SYDNEY One of the most beautiful cities in the world, Sydney is cosmopolitan and vibrant. The tour starts with a welcome, and an introductory meeting at the appointed hotel at 8.30am. Soon after, we depart for our tour of Sydney. We start with the historic first settlement at the Rocks, move to the Opera House and then go on to the adjacent Botanical Gardens for the perfect photo background. Next we take a Harbour cruise said to be the best way to see Sydney. The cruise ends at the Sydney Fish markets - the ideal place to have lunch. In the afternoon you have two touring options to choose from:

Option One - Highlights of Sydney

After exploring Darling Harbor we drive past lovely bays to where the first settlers’ fleet made its landing. We stop for awesome views of the heads – the entry to the harbour - then we motor down to famous Bondi for some beach culture.

Option Two - "North Sydney & Beaches"

We cross the Harbour Bridge (affectionately known as "The coat hanger" and briefly stop at Kirribilli for different views of the bridge and Opera House. We visit regal Balmoral Bay, stop at Middle Head for an historic short walk with great views, then go on to Manly, another popular Sydney beach with a scenic promenade and the shopping Corso. Your afternoon tour ends with a transfer to the Blue Mountains where you will board our private train. You're in for a magical wilderness experience among endless eucalyptus forests, ageless mountains, cascades and canyons. The blue haze and the intense silence are all-encompassing.

DAY 2 BLUE MOUNTAINS

Option One - "Circular Highlights Tour"

We start with the mine museum at our doorstep, and an informative tour of Lithgow and its attractions. We will stop at historical Hartley and Blackheath. Blue Mountains villages are renowned for their arts and crafts shops and their farm stalls. We will enjoy the forest views of Gosse Valley from Govett's Leap. At Katoomba, we will visit Echo Point for majestic views of the Three Sisters and Jamison Valley. We will ride the cable car to the bottom of the gorge, stroll deep into the Eucalypt forest on a boardwalk and enjoy the spray of the Katoomba Falls. Today we will also visit Mt Tomah Botanical Gardens where cool-climate plants abound.

Option Two - "Bushwalk and Highlights Tour"

Morning hike: See crystal-clear streams and rock pools and majestic views of the valley as you walk through groves of huge tree ferns. There is a selection of walking trails. During the rest of your day, your group will tour parts of the circular highlights option.

Optional Extras

DAY 3 CANBERRA Canberra, our capital city, is acknowledged as the best-landscaped capital in the world. The National Capital Exhibition Centre is an essential first stop as we begin to learn the history of Canberra. The War Memorial, with exhibits from Galipoli to East Timor, and memorials of Anzac Parade, will give us an insight into Australian Military History. Next, we go on to Parliament House, the most impressive building in Canberra, which contains stunning gardens and an impressive collection of Australian contemporary art. We finish with a visit to the National Gallery permanent exhibition.

Visit a family run working farm and watch a display by working sheep dogs. See the sheep shearing and learn about wool classing. Enjoy a typical Australian farm barbecue lunch. (Lunch costs $15.)

Walk amongst the koalas and kangaroos. See the emu and platypus interpretive displays. Go on bushwalks amongst fern gullies and cascading streams and experience a peaceful haven 40 minutes from the city centre.

We visit a walk-in aviary to view over 150 varieties of Australian parrots and other birds. Next, we visit the Botanical Gardens and the Aboriginal plant trail. We'll also visit a replica of an ancient Serbian church as well as the Indonesian Cultural Centre, where we will view the beautiful stairway and characters of Hindu Deities. At the National Library we stop briefly for the exhibits of old maps and Captain Cook's journal. We end the day with a drive to a lookout for views of the city.

DAY 4 MELBOURNE Voted to be one of the world's most livable cities, elegant and European-influenced Melbourne has something for everyone.

We start with a short mid-town walkabout tour to learn the city's history and experience the city's pulse today. We will choose to do some of the following: visit the Queen Victoria market, Parliament House, Shrine of Remembrance, take a stroll along the Yarra River, spend time in the cultural precinct, visit the immigration museum, view architectural highlights, and visit the botanical garden. Some of the itinerary can be set aside for leisure/shopping.

After a brief highlight tour of Melbourne, we will drive to the Yarra valley where we will call in on two local wineries for wine and local produce tasting.

After a brief highlight tour of Melbourne, we depart south to the Mornington Peninsula on the coastal road to Frankston, then inland to Phillip Island for close encounters with seals, koalas and - at sunset – penguins coming out of the ocean to roost. Please note that because of the length of the outing, dinner will be taken on Phillip Island.

DAY 5 The GREAT OCEAN ROAD The Great Ocean Road is considered to be one of the most scenic drives of Australia.

We start from Queenscliff for alternative views of the bay, and visit the fort built to defend Melbourne from possible Russian attack in 1882. At Otway National Park we stop for a stunning, short rainforest walk, and then proceed to Port Campbell National Park to experience the beauty of the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge.

Our destination today is the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge, and along the way we will enjoy a short walk at Melba Gully State park, with ancient mossy trees, and cool fern gullies, as well as a short, interpretive walk in a stunning rainforest at Mait's Rest. We will also visit the famous Cape Otway light station for a bit of history and breathtaking scenery.

DAY 6 ADELAIDE / KANGAROO ISLAND / ENCOUNTER BAY Adelaide, city of parks. Options one and two are rich in unique natural beauty.

We cross the Fleurieu Peninsula to Encounter Bay where explorers Baudin and Flinders had their historic meeting. We stop at a winery en route to Victor Harbour and Goolwa, where options abound. These were historically busy ports handling the trade for the Murray River. Today the area is known for whale watching, and its penguin colony. Choose to take the afternoon at leisure on the beach, or explore further, visiting Signal Point Centre to learn about the canoemaking techniques of the indigenous people. You can also take the horse-drawn carriage across the causeway to Granite Island. An alternative afternoon option is to take a cruise to the Murray River mouth and Coorong National Park, known for its bird life and resident pelican colony. We may even have close encounters with whales (June - October). At the end of the day we will observe the penguins coming out of the sea to roost on Granite Island before we return to Adelaide.

An early start is needed. We drive to Jervis Bay for the ferry to Kangaroo Island, and a day of wildlife and fresh air. From Penneshaw we stop at a eucalyptus oilextracting farm, then travel to Seal Bay to see the resident sea lion colony. We'll make a brief stop at Little Sahara, an area of white sand dunes, and enter the Flinders Chase National Park - here's an opportunity to see koalas in the wild. We will see the weather-sculptured Remarkable Rocks, the Admirals Arch – a spectacular natural arch below the Cape du Coeudic lighthouse - and the seal colony. The park is known for its population of kangaroos, sea eagles and black cockatoos. On the way back, if time permits, we will stop at Pelican Lagoon to see the local colony. Our return to Adelaide will be a late one.

Here's a more laid-back option with less kilometres to travel. We journey in the morning to the nearby Hahndorf historic German village for a touch of Europe. Explore quaint art and crafts outlets, galleries, farm stalls, German cake shops, a chocolate factory, a strawberry farm and a pub for German beer. We return via Mount Lofty Lookout for spectacular views. In Adelaide City we will do a city tour with drop-off options at the museum for the Best Collection Aboriginal art and Antarctic/Australian history; the National Wine Centre with 150 Australian wines to taste; the Bradman exhibit for cricket history, or a short stroll along the promenade at the River Torrens. We end the day with a visit to Glenelg at the seaside.

DAY 7 ADELAIDE, BAROSSA AND MURRAY RIVER Adelaide is the city of parks. Parks were an integral part of Colonel Light's 1837 plan for Adelaide, and today comprise around 45 percent of the city. Guests who took the Adelaide option the previous day will be offered an alternative drop-off for the morning in Adelaide.

This is a short tour of Adelaide City's highlight attractions with a choice of drop-off points for special interest choices, as in Day Seven. We then depart for the 80km drive to Murray River Bridge. Our river cruise will meander through the bends of the river with colossal sandstone cliffs and ancient red gum trees on its shores. Experience the magic of the Murray River, where time stands still. The lazy flow of the water and the bird life will give you a taste of bygone days when the river used to be the main highway for trade from the interior.

The unique and peaceful Barossa district has the fresh vitality of Australia, combined with a rich European heritage. It is known for its fine wines, gourmet food, magnificent old stained-glass church windows, wineries and cottages. We will visit the Barossa wine centre for a little winemaking history, call in on one or two wine farms for wine-tasting, visit a keg-making factory, climb a lookout for amazing views of the valley, and stop at the Whispering Wall to enjoy nature at play.

DAY 8 PORT AUGUSTA / FLINDERS RANGES Ruggered mountain scenery, peaceful treelined gorges and a range of wild life and flora - a magnet for nature lovers.

Departing Port Augusta we travel along the scenic route to Quorn - The gateway to the Flinders Ranges. Your guides will then take you on an adventure exploring the flora & fauna of this magnificent National Park. Here you will view kangaroos, emus, an array of lizards and a range of bird life, you will also experience some spectacular landscapes that you will cherish for life.

Mt Remarkable is located north of Port Pirie, between Melrose and Wilmington on the southern edge of the Flinders Ranges. Today we will visit the historical town of Melrose, Hancocks lookout, Port Germein and Mambray Creek.

DAY 9 COOBER PEDY Our day will begin at the underground cinema for an introductory film on the history of Opals. We'll move on to visit an underground church, museum and an underground private home. We stop at a mine and "noodle" for our own opals and then visit an opal-cutting workshop where guests can purchase opals. Later, we will take a 70km loop to the Breakaways reserve, location for films like Mad Max III and The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. We will also come across the dog fence, a two metre high wire barrier which stretches for 5 300 km across three states to protect the sheep in the south from the Dingo.

DAY 10 AYERS ROCK/ULURU (KINGS CANYON) No matter how many pictures you have seen, nothing can prepare you for the spiritual experience that will overwhelm you when visiting Uluru. The initial awe never fades. It grows stronger as you explore its surfaces and its role in Aboriginal culture. This morning we head out to the "Rock" where you can go on a climb (optional), take a walking tour of the Mutjitjulu water hole and cave paintings, or walk around Uluru's base. You can also visit the cultural centre for a view of Uluru from the perspective of Aboriginal culture. To many, the higher Olgas are even more mystical than Uluru. We will visit the 36 domes and you can enjoy them from a viewing platform and take the short walk, or the longer "Valley of Winds" walk through the bases of some of the domes.At sunset we head back to Ayers Rock to enjoy a glass of champagne as the sunsets over this awe inspiring site.

Their panoramic landscapes are captivating; their immensity and colours of burnt orange, mauve and purple are magnets for explorers. We will travel the Nama Tjira Road and visit Simpson's Gap and Standley's Chasm with its cathedral-height walls and narrow passageway. We'll take a short stop at ochre pits, used for paintings and body decoration, and go on to Glen Helen resort to rest and maybe take a dip at the permanent water hole. On the return trip we will stop at Ormiston Gorge with its 250m sheer walls above its own rock pool, and Ellery Creek, with its big waterhole and a short Dolomite walk.

Lying in the East MacDonnell Ranges, Trephina Gorge is noted for its sheer quartzite cliffs and River Red Gum lined watercourses. Two gorges dissect the range: Trephina, with its wide views and sandy creekbed, and another narrow one at John Hayes Rock Hole. Water holes in this area attract much wildlife, including a diverse range of birdlife.

DAY 12 ALICE SPRINGS Alice is a fascinating oasis town in the heart of Australia.

Alice is a fascinating oasis town that quickly makes you feel welcome. In the morning we will join an Aboriginal guide on a desert park discovery walk. We will be introduced to the Dreamtime stories of relationships between Aboriginal people and the land. We will watch demonstrations of boomerang and spear-throwing and learn about traditional medicine and sources of food. We continue to the cultural centre to experience a mixture of dance, music and story telling. During the rest of the day the group will visit the telegraph station where the original Alice Springs waterhole is located, the School of the Air which broadcasts to isolated communities, and the Flying Doctor Service. Time to walk about and shop.

This is similar to the above option, but instead of going on the desert park discovery guided walk, we will give you a taste of the MacDonnells, visiting Simpson's Gap and Standley Chasm at midday when the high walls and narrow passage of the chasm blaze a fiery red from the overhead sun's reflection. The morning and afternoon will be used to tour Alice as option one.

DAY 13 KATHERINE Containing the first permanent running water north of Alice Springs, Katherine has always been an important stopping point. It is a bustling little place where the highway branches off to the Kimberleys.

We have a choice of a morning or afternoon cruise on the Katherine Gorge at Nitmiluk National Park. The gorges are quite majestic and full of Aboriginal legends. You will glide over the crystal waters, surrounded by breathtaking scenery through sheer walls of sandstone often decorated by Aboriginal rock art. There are short walks and longer hikes as well as a visitor's centre. In Katherine we will visit the hot springs. Huge trees surround these pools with a constant temperature of 32 degrees making them perfect for a relaxing swim - this a shaded breakaway will be most welcome. We will also visit the old rail station - the first failed attempt to span the north to the south.

DAYS 14 & 15 KAKADU This world heritage area is a marriage of cultural as well as natural beauty. See the rugged escarpment, the extensive woodlands, the vast wetlands teaming with life, and possibly the most extensive collection of rock art in the world. Today's itinerary will vary between the wet and dry seasons. Today we visit the Warraddjan Cultural Centre, then continue to Nourlangie Rock art site for rock art that you will carry within you forever. Next we go to Mirrai Lookout for endless views of central Kakadu. See Anbangbang Billabong, a haven for water birds that is crowded with water lilies. We also enjoy a cruise for close encounters with saltwater crocs, and walk which highlights the bird life. At sunset we travel up to Ubirr Rock to watch the sunset over the Arnhem Land Escarpment.

DAY 16 DARWIN Darwin is Australia's pioneering outpost, and is a gateway to the north and the rest of the world.

The morning begins at The Northern Territory Museum and Art Gallery to see the Cyclone Tracey Exhibit and famous Southern Pacific art section. Then we'll do a walkabout of the esplanade area to take in its memorial and heritage sites and great views of the bay. We'll stop at Lyons cottage, the base of the British Australian Telegraph, and Government House, which dates from 1870 and has been damaged by just about every cyclone to hit Darwin. Then, we go on to Christchurch Cathedral and the Botanical Gardens for a short interpretive walk on Aboriginal plant uses. We visit Fannie Bay Gaol and the Pearling Exhibition - a fascinating insight into the development of the pearling industry - and we finish off at East Point Reserve for the wonderful vistas.

The first part of the tour will be similar to the Darwin Highlights Tour. In addition we will visit the WWII Oil Storage Tunnels, which run under the city and house a photographic display of wartime activity. At East Point Reserve we will go to the Military Museum, which showcases Australia's history.

The first part of the tour will be similar to the Darwin Highlights Tour, though more time will be spent in the botanical gardens on a boardwalk excursion. We'll visit Charles Darwin National Park that was developed to show visitors the rich mangrove habitats of Darwin Harbour. At Doctor's Gully walkway we will stop at Aquascene for a rare sight - hundreds of fish come to the shore to be fed by hand. At the end of the day we will visit East Point Reserve to capture Darwin's sunset and catch glimpses of the resident wallabies.

Rates in AU$:
Rosella and Parakeet Class - AU$6500 or AU$6600 including Kings Canyon
Kookaburra Class - AU$6825 or AU$6925 including Kings Canyon
Pelican Class - AU$8100 or AU$8200 including Kings Canyon

Departure Dates: 2004 - 11 Feb., 4 March, 12 April , 4 May, 12 June, 4 July, 12 August,
4 September, 12 October, 4 November
2005 - 12 January, 4 February, 12 March, 4 April

This tour is as days 1-12 above - Sydney to Alice Springs or reverse, ending after touring on day 12.

Rates in AU$:
Rosella and Parakeet Class - AU$4900 or AU$4995 including Kings Canyon
Kookaburra Class - AU$5145 or AU$5245 including Kings Canyon
Pelican Class - AU$6100 or AU$6200 including Kings Canyon

Departure Dates: 2004 - 11 Feb., 8 March, 12 April , 8 May, 12 June, 8 July, 12 August,
8 September, 12 October, 8 November
2005 - 12 January, 8 February, 12 March, 8 April

11 Day Transcontinental

Rates in AU$:
Rosella and Parakeet Class - AU$4500 or AU$4600 including Kings Canyon
Kookaburra Class - AU$4725 or AU$4825 including Kings Canyon
Pelican Class - AU$5600 or AU$5700 including Kings Canyon

Departure Dates: 2004 - 18 Feb., 4 March, 19 April , 4 May, 19 June, 4 July, 19 August,
4 September, 19 October, 4 November
2005 - 19 January, 4 February, 19 March, 4 April

7 Day Discoverer

Rates in AU$:
Rosella and Parakeet Class - AU$2890
Kookaburra Class - AU$3035
Pelican Class - AU$3590

Departure Dates: 2004 - 11 Feb., 4 March, 12 April , 4 May, 12 June, 4 July, 12 August,
4 September, 12 October, 4 November
2005 - 12 January, 4 February, 12 March, 4 April

7 Day Getaway

Rates in AU$:
Rosella and Parakeet Class - AU$2890 or AU$2990 including Kings Canyon
Kookaburra Class - AU$3035 or AU$3135 including Kings Canyon
Pelican Class - AU$3590 or AU$3690 including Kings Canyon

Departure Dates: 2004 - 20Feb., 4 March, 21April , 4 May, 21June, 4 July, 21August,
4 September, 21October, 4 November
2005 - 21January, 4 February, 21March, 4 April

Cairns Add-on

Day 1 - Tjabukai Cultural Park - today you will travel to Cairns (at your own expense), where you will be welcomed and transferred to your hotel. In the evening you will be taken to the Tjabukai Cultural Park for the gala show and dinner.

Day 2 - Great Barrier Reef - This moring you are picked up for a full day cruise on the Great Barrier Reef. Explore the wonders of the Reef in our glass bottom viewing boats. Lunch is included.

Day 3 - Daintree National Park - Today we travel through Port Douglas and Mosman Gorge on our way to the tropical rainforest in Daintree National Park.

Day 4 - Today is free to explore the shops or take advantage of the optional activities. In the afternoon you are transferred to the airport.

Price:
3 star hotel = AU$650 per person twin, single supplement = AU$180
4 star hotel = AU$790 per person twin, single supplement = AU$350

Brisbane Add-on

Day 1 - Brisbane Sightseeing - today you will travel to Brisbane (at own expense), where you will be welcomed and transferred to your hotel. In the evening you are taken on a city tour which includes dinner and a river cruise.

Day 2 - Fraser Island - this is the largest sand island in the world and is rich in aborigine culture and history and it offers an array of wildlife - dingoes, dolphins and whales may be spotted.

Day 3 - Australia Zoo - today you will travel by train to the Australia Zoo - home of the "Crocodile Hunter", Steve Erwin.