16 DAY CAMERONS CORNER & LONGREACH TOUR
Premium Tour

$? per person twin share
ex Port Lincoln and Adelaide
$? single supplement

Welcome to our outback adventure with EP Bus Charters. Bags and akubras packed we have an early start as we have quite a way to go today. We make stops along the way including a stop to purchase lunch. Our afternoon is spent expressing to our first overnight stop, which is in Broken Hill.

Silver Haven Motor Inn, Broken Hill | 1 night

Dinner in the motel

There is not a lot to see on our travels this morning so this is the perfect time to chat to our travel friends or even read the end of that book we haven’t quite finished. We have our picnic lunches packed to enjoy along the way. Arriving into Tibooburra we are in the hottest and most isolated outback town in New South Wales. The town was originally known as The Granite or Granite Rush and came into existence with the discovery of gold at Mt Browne and then Tibooburra itself in 1881. That year nearly 1000 miners arrived in the town and the government, eager to provide services, surveyed the town site and built a post office. Yields were disappointing however, lack of water was a chronic problem and typhoid and dysentery took their toll. Nonetheless over the next decade the town got a school (1885), courthouse (1888) and hospital (1890). The Family Hotel (1883), with its famous murals and paintings and the Tibooburra Hotel (1890) both built of local stone are still standing in Briscoe St. Along with the courthouse they are regarded as the towns most significant historical buildings. We check into the motel and settle in for dinner.

Family Hotel, Tibooburra | 1 night

Breakfast and dinner in motel | picnic lunch included

The Strzelecki Track, named for the Polish Count Edmund de Strzelecki, used to be one of the driest and loneliest tracks on which to transport cattle to Adelaide. Today the track is mainly used by trucks transporting supplies for the nearby Moomba gasfields. We take the track some of the way before veering
off towards Cameron Corner – the intersection of the New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland borders. What a fantastic spot to take a group photo across all three states. The intersection is identifiable with a permanent marker, whilst the borders are physically constructed as the wild dog fence.
We make a stop here at the Cameron Corner Store to pick up lunch. The Innamincka region is best known historically because of its association with the tragedy of Burke and Wills expedition but more recently it has become identified as a gas and oil area. Set in a desert region, it relies heavily on water from North Queensland to refill Cooper Creek. We can imagine how hard it was for these explorers to negotiate their way around now can’t we? Time to count our blessings!

Innamincka Hotel/Motel, Innamincka | 2 nights

Breakfast and dinner in motel | lunch included

Today we explore the area of Innamincka. Surprisingly our first look around will be from the water, on Cooper Creek. We take a one hour cruise where we will be captivated as we meander along the creek and take in the stunning birdlife and marvel at the variety of plant life. Arriving at Kings Marker our coach will be there waiting for us to continue our discovery on land once again. The town had its origin in the failed attempt by Burke and Wills to return to Melbourne after having crossed the continent from south to north. In 1862 the government set an area aside near present day Innamincka for an Aboriginal mission station. However, due to a lack of finance, this was never established. Although still going, the town never had a population exceeding thirty people. To the east of the town is a monument marking the site of the death of John; Hara Burke, leader of the ill-fated Burke and Wills Expedition of 1861, whilst the site of Wills death is a few kilometres to the west of Innamincka.

Breakfast and dinner in motel

During our travel day we stop at the famous Dig Tree. This is the site of the cache of food left for the starving members of the South-North transcontinental expedition. A bit of time is spent in the coach today but that is all part of why we have joined this trip, to experience the vastness, remoteness and harshness of this amazing country we live in. We stop at the Noccundra Hotel for afternoon tea. Some people wonder why our population is so small for the size of the land we occupy, we are finding out the answer during these travel days. Don’t worry we are about to arrive at the Oasis in this desert region – The Oasis Motel that is. The pool will certainly look inviting on our arrival. Country hospitality promises a good home cooked meal, then off to bed in our basic but clean rooms for a good nights’ sleep.

Thargomindah Oasis Motel | 1 night

Breakfast and dinner in motel | picnic lunch included

Leaving right after breakfast gives us time to make a fantastic stop during the day. First time we hop off the coach is in Cunnamulla to see what life on the land is really like. We arrive at Charlotte Plains Station which is a genuine working sheep and cattle station steeped in history and unique memorabilia. Our time here will be made special by getting to know the owners during a talk and tour after which we savour the lunch that has been prepared for us. As we make our way through Cunnamulla take a look at the Cunnamulla Fella – a statue located near the Shire Hall gazing across the centre of town. The Cunnamulla Fella is an iconic Australian Bush character from a song written by Stan Coster and sung by Slim Dusty. The town erected the statue as a tribute to Stan and Slim and to the; ringers; of the bush. Late afternoon we
arrive in Charleville where we freshen up for dinner.

Mulga Country Motor Inn, Charleville | 1 night

Breakfast and dinner in motel | lunch at Charlotte Plains Station

After breakfast we continue north to Blackall, home to the legendary “gun shearer” Jackie Howe and where he set the almost unbelievable record of shearing 321 sheep with blade shears in a day. A bronze statue now stands as a monument to the man and the achievement. We will make a stop along the way to purchase lunch. At Ilfracombe we have time this afternoon to “wet the whistle” at the famous Wellshot Hotel. From here it’s onto Longreach, a town which has played a significant role in the early development of central Queensland and outback Australia. We check in to our accommodation where we can settle in as this will be home for the next 3 nights.

Albert Park Motor Inn, Longreach | 4 nights

Breakfast and dinner at the motel

What an exceptional day planned! Firstly, we get an insight to the area through the eyes of local graziers and pioneer families. Greeting the owners of Strathmore Station, we discover what it takes to meet the challenges of the land and how they were overcome. Back at the Homestead, we receive warm outback hospitality with a delicious home-baked morning tea. Then we must hold on to our hats as we travel back in time within a beautifully restored stagecoach! Hearing the pounding hooves of the magnificent horses on the outback road, there is no mistaking that we are now part of the pioneering past. Enjoy this exhilarating and entertaining experience as it’s the closest you can get to feeling what it would have been like being a pioneer. We enjoy a Billy-Can lunch and see the wonderful Harry Redford Old Time Tent Show at the Kinnon and Co store. Based on the traditional outback travelling shows, this is Aussie outback humour and ingenuity at its best! It’s a hilarious hour of entertainment featuring animals, stockmen and improvised theatre with a laugh a minute. Following our afternoon of entertainment we
have some free time in the township to explore.

Breakfast and dinner in motel | Billy Can lunch

First visit for the day is to the School of Distance Education – a classroom more than twice the size of Victoria, where the playground is as vast as the outback and the partnership between home and school is legendary. We now visit the Stockmans Hall of Fame, a fascinating tribute to the pioneering men and women of Outback Australia. Next we visit the historic 1922 QANTAS hanger at the QANTAS Founders Museum. The historic photographs, memorabilia and multimedia displays bring alive the inspirational stories of one of the world’s pioneering airlines. The complex houses the museum, theatrette and exhibition hall and visitor information centre. A Boeing 747-200, donated by Qantas Airways Ltd, forms a spectacular part of the museums outdoor display. Our guided tour provides us with an appreciation of the vision and achievements of the Qantas Founders, which is that Qantas would one day become one of the worlds’ greatest airlines”. We enjoy lunch here before returning to our hotel to freshen up before heading out for our sunset cruise and dinner on the banks of the Thomson River. Relax on the top deck of the Longreach Explorer and take in 360 degree views of the Thomson River. Enjoy entertaining and informative commentary detailing river and cultural stories. Unwind with complimentary nibbles platters and purchase drinks from the licensed onboard cash bar. As the sunset fades into starlight, we dock at Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show for a night of great food and live entertainment under the stars.

Breakfast in motel | lunch at QANTAS Founders Museum | Outback dinner and show

We will see some dramatic and ever-changing scenery as we make our way to Winton. The area was once home to dinosaurs and is full of ground breaking scientific discoveries and archaeological digs. Today we will have the opportunity to learn about this prehistoric phenomenon. The Australian Age of Dinosaurs is located on top of the “jump up” – a rugged mesa plateau formation that stands 75 meters above the surrounding plains. The centre hosts the largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils and the largest fossil preparation laboratory in the southern hemisphere. It was in the Winton area that Banjo Paterson wrote his famous poem about the swagman and the jolly jumbuck and “Waltzing Matilda”. On arrival in town we head straight to the Waltzing Matilda Centre for lunch and time to look through the museum. Tragically, it was burnt to the ground in 2015 and luckily for us, it has re opened and is now a world class museum and art gallery with displays focusing on the Australian landscape, channel country, the women of the homesteads and livestock/wool industries of the outback. We return to Longreach for our last night in the area.

Breakfast and dinner in motel | Lunch at Waltzing Matilda Centre

This morning we farewell Longreach and travel to Barcaldine, a town steeped in history of the early pioneers’ struggles and the evolution of Australia as a nation. We’ll hear about the shearers strike in the 1890s and see the Tree of Knowledge next to the Railway Station. This marks the spot where the Australian Labour Party was formed. Our lunch venue today is at the massive Wool Scour, housed in the Visitor Information Centre. This is the only steam driven wool scour (wool washing facility) remaining of the 52 once operating across the country. This afternoon we express through to our overnight destination of Charleville, the town situated on the banks of the Warrego River. We arrive in Charleville with time to settle into our motel before venturing out late this afternoon to Charleville’s best known attraction, the Cosmos Centre. The centre is an audio-visual extravaganza featuring hi-tech interactive displays that take you on an astronomical journey through the ages, unravelling many mysteries of our night sky. We enjoy some nibbles and drinks before the open-air observatory and viewing of the outback night sky.

Waltzing Matilda Motel, Charleville | 1 night

Breakfast and dinner at the motel | lunch at Wool Scour

We have a travel day today as we head due south, stopping for rest stops and our packed lunches along the way. Our destination today is Bourke. Due to its proximity to the Darling River, it was soon established as a trade hub for transportation industries that were setting up branches in the town. There was a Cobb & Co Coach Terminus, several paddle boat companies and in 1885 Bourke was also accessible by rail. Upon arriving into town we are joined by a local guide who will give us an introductory tour. We’ll see some of the wonderful historic buildings such as The Old London Bank (1888) Courthouse (1900) Post office (1880) and Post Office Hotel (1888). At the corner of Mitchell and Wilson Streets is the Carriers Arms Inn, frequented by Henry Lawson in the early 1890s and mentioned in some of his stories.

Darling River Motel, Bourke | 1 night

Breakfast in motel | picnic lunch included | dinner at Bowling Club

Rise and shine as we need to hit the road again. We have to travel approximately 6 hours to reach our next destination. We have a picnic lunch with us today which we will enjoy on the banks of the Darling River in the town of Wilcannia. Legends were made in this area and written about by some of Australia’s most famous authors. The Light Horseman horses of World War 1 were bred on these vast plains, history oozes from the scenery around us. Arriving in White Cliffs this afternoon we know we are in a unique part of the world. Residents here live mainly underground to escape the heat. The town is set in a moonscape- like landscape comprising of thousands of hillocks of earth that have been dug and discarded in the quest to find opals. We will hear more about this tomorrow but now we settle into our rooms before we meet again for dinner.

Underground Motel, White Cliffs | 2 nights

Breakfast and dinner in motel | picnic lunch included

We are in for a wonderful day and it begins when we meet our local guide. If he does not know something about this area, then it’s not worth knowing! Enjoy the local hospitality throughout the day as we learn how the residents live in this harsh environment and also why they love it. Following our tour we enjoy lunch at Red Earth Opal Café before returning to our motel for some personal down time.

Breakfast and dinner in motel | lunch at Red Earth Opal Café

We have a travel day today so don’t forget a good book or maybe some photos you want to sort through. We make stops along the way including one to purchase lunch. Arriving into Port Augusta we can freshen up for our last dinner together on tour with many stories to share.

Standpipe Golf Motor Inn, Port Augusta | 1 night

Breakfast and dinner in motel

Not only have we made wonderful new friends but we have explored parts of Australia that many don’t get to see and enjoy. The Aussie country hospitality is remembered and cherished as we head for home. Arriving home early afternoon ends a most wonderful trip to the Outback, where time has stood still in some parts.

Breakfast in motel

Fully hosted with old fashioned care. Husband and wife team.

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