- Kuranda Scenic Rail
- Savannahlander Iconic Rail
- Lake Barrine Morning Tea
- Undara Lava Tubes
- Talaroo Hot Springs
- Cobbold Gorge Tour
- True Blue Visitor Information Centre Entry
- Gulflander Scenic Rail
- Barramundi Discovery Centre
- Seafood Sunset Dinner
- Kronosaurus Korner Twilight Visit
- Cassimatis Store Tour
- Qantas Founders Museum Entry
- Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame Entry
- Drover’s Sunset Cruise including Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show
- Spirit of the Outback Rail Journey
- Bobby Dazzler Mine Tour
- Lake Maraboon Tour
- Blackwater International Coal Centre Entry
- Tilt Train Rail Journey
Day 1: Friday – Cairns
Your adventure begins with a Welcome Dinner at our tour hotel. Meet fellow travellers and hear all about the adventures ahead with a comprehensive tour orientation by your Savannah Guides Operator driver and host. **Please check-in after 2.00pm. Overnight Rydges Esplanade, Cairns
Meals: dinner
Day 2: Saturday – Mareeba
This morning you will experience one of Australia’s most unique rail journeys, the Kuranda Scenic Railway. We’ll board in Cairns and travel through world heritage-listed rainforest to Kuranda in the Atherton Tablelands. This bucket-list rail tour winds its way through 15 tunnels and over 37 bridges and promises spectacular scenery. We’ll then drive to Dimbulah where we join the Savannahlander, a classic 1970s ‘Silver Bullet’ railmotor. It’s a wonderfully, relaxing way to explore the beautiful Atherton Tablelands region. Disembarking in Koah, we’ll drive to Mareeba. Overnight Cape Gateway Motel, Mareeba
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3: Sunday – Mount Surprise
The icing on the cake for our Atherton Tablelands touring will be a visit to Lake Barrine, a natural lake nestled in World Heritage rainforest. Gain a close-up view of one of the most amazing rainforest ecosystems in the world as you enjoy morning tea. Next we’ll continue on to Woodleigh Station for a tour of the original homestead built in 1876. Take a stroll around their expansive gardens and enjoy lunch with a view to their giant 100 year-old bougainvillea. Then it’s westward we go along the Savannah Way where adventure and incredible landscapes await at the Undara Experience. 2 nights Undara Experience, Mount Surprise
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4: Monday – Mount Surprise
This morning, we get to explore the breathtaking Undara Lava Tubes, part of the world’s longest lava flow from a single volcanic crater. These tubes were created when the Undara Volcano erupted over 190,000 years ago, pouring out enough lava to fill Sydney Harbour three times over. Join a highly skilled Savannah Guide for amazing insights into the tubes’ environmental, geological and historical features. You’ll have time to relax this afternoon in your unique accommodation at Undara Experience.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5: Tuesday – Forsayth/Georgetown
More amazing geological discoveries await today when we visit the Talaroo Hot Springs in time for a tour and morning tea. Formed over millions of years, Talaroo Hot Springs are unique in Australia. With water discharging at a scorching 62°C and flowing into pools and terraces across the mound, the springs are home to an extraordinary ecosystem with aquatic animals and plants found nowhere else on earth. Next we will travel to the hidden outback oasis, Cobbold Gorge. Enjoy a tour of the magnificent sandstone gorge on this privately owned cattle station. The gorge is stocked with a variety of native fish and freshwater crocodiles. On a guided cruise, you’ll glide silently between towering cliffs in a specially designed, battery powered punt. Join an optional walk to the top of the escarpment for awesome views of the gorge below from the glass bridge!
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6: Wednesday – Karumba
Our adventure along the Savannah Way today will take us to Croydon, a town born out of gold discoveries in 1885. Meet the passionate locals at the True Blue Visitor Information Centre for some town stories. Then it’s west to Normanton for a nostalgic Gulflander rail journey. Affectionately called the ‘Tin Hare’, the Gulflander was built to connect the once bustling river port of Normanton with the rich gold fields of Croydon. In Normanton, take a selfie with Krys the life-size statue of the largest saltwater crocodile ever caught. See the Purple Pub and Queensland’s earliest surviving and heritage-listed Burns Philp store. Arrive in Karumba in time to capture your first memorable Gulf sunset.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7: Thursday – Karumba
Discover the amazing secrets of the mighty barramundi at The Barramundi Discovery Centre, the only hatchery in the world to breed the Southern Gulf strain of this iconic fish. Your tour of this state of the art Interpretive Centre includes the opportunity to feed a Barramundi. Enjoy free time after lunch to explore the town or to simply relax and take in this beautiful location. Late afternoon, we’ll toast the sunset and feast on fresh seafood as spectacular twilight hues colour the skies.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 8: Friday – Richmond
We travel south along the Matilda Way to the Burke & Wills Roadhouse, so named after the route taken by the ill-fated explorers. After Smoko, we head down State Route 84 to Julia Creek, then follow the Overlanders Way to Richmond. Once part of Australia’s vast Inland Sea, Richmond is best known for its marine fossil discoveries. Enjoy twilight drinks and nibbles at the Kronosaurus Korner, Australia’s premier marine fossil museum. You’ll see the remains of ancient marine reptiles, fishes, ammonites and squids that once dominated Australia’s ancient inland sea. These fossils date back some 100-115 million years! Dinner tonight at your accommodation.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 9: Saturday – Longreach
We continue along the Overlanders Way to Hughenden before turning south onto State Route 19 to Muttaburra, home of the Muttaburrasaurus Langdoni dinosaur. Take a trip down memory lane with a visit to the restored Cassimatis General Store. This exceptional collection provides a fascinating insight into outback life during the early 1900s. Arrive in Longreach late afternoon with time to check-in and refresh. Tonight unwind on the Drover’s Sunset Cruise with tasty onboard nibbles, then take your seat at Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show. Relax under the stars savouring a table service two-course camp oven themed dinner, as our talented outback entertainer performs live on the river stage.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 10: Sunday – Longreach
This morning, we will explore the themed galleries of the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame. The newly revamped displays create an engaging and immersive experience for contemporary audiences by using digital technologies to help tell the epic stories of our outback heroes. Enjoy some free time back at your accommodation to relax. Visit the world-class Qantas Founders Museum, eloquently telling the story of the founding of Qantas. View interpretive displays, interactive exhibits, original and replica aircraft, and an impressive collection of genuine artefacts. Dinner tonight will be at Harry’s Restaurant.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 11: Monday – Emerald
This morning, we are in for a treat. We get to enjoy the best section of the Spirit of the Outback in daylight hours. Settle in to your comfortable, reclining seat and enjoy the spectacular scenery on the full day rail adventure to Emerald. You’ll pass through Barcaldine, Jericho and Alpha as well as the gem field town of Anakie. Arrive relaxed and recharged in Emerald in time for dinner at your accommodation.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 12: Tuesday – Rockhampton
Today we will take a short drive to Rubyvale for an underground tour of the famous Bobby Dazzler Sapphire mine. Learn the techniques used by pioneering gem miners to extract prize Sapphires buried in hard rock. Next, we’ll visit Lake Maraboon, Queensland’s second largest lake and a popular freshwater fishing destination. Continuing our drive east to Rockhampton, we’ll call in to the Blackwater International Coal Centre for an insight into this billion dollar industry and to see oversized machinery navigating massive open cut pits. Tonight in Rockhampton, we’ll celebrate our incredible journey with a farewell dinner in Rockhampton’s newest hotel (also our accommodation).
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 13: Wednesday – Brisbane
And so, we reach the last sector of our journey and the last of our iconic rail tours. After breakfast, you’ll board the Tilt Train, the most modern passenger train in Australia. This is the fastest narrow gauge train in the world, a world class standard of travel. As your journey east, enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery in Southern Queensland before arriving in Brisbane mid afternoon.
Meals: breakfast, lunch
Itineraries may be subject to change, due to circumstances outside of our control. If there is any itinerary change prior to departure of significance we aim to inform you prior to travel. Itinerary changes while on tour will be informed by your tour leader/guide while on tour.
Solos Mix
This tour is operated by Outback Aussie Tours. Book with Encounter Travel for your Solo Traveller Saving.
