QUEENSLAND SPIRIT: HEART OF THE OUTBACK

 

Select a departure date

From 23 April 2022

$4225 Adult Twin

$5140 Single

$3805 Child

 

Departs                  Returns

23 Apr 22               29 Apr 22    Departure

21 May 22              27 May 22   Departure

02 Jul 22               08 Jul 22     Departure

Day 1  Brisbane - Roma

It doesn’t take long for the towers of Brisbane to give way to bucolic countryside, fading from rainforest to the vivid hues of the outback. Small in population but big in personality, Chinchilla is the first chance to stretch your legs. The ‘Big Watermelon’ hints to the fact this is the melon capital of Australia. Grab a slice, or a more hearty bite to eat, at the historic Club Hotel (fun fact: it’s the only hotel in town that hasn’t burnt down) before you journey on to ravishing Roma. The horizons here extend for days, only matched in expanse by the smiles of locals – expect plenty of country hospitality, not at the least from Charles and Amanda who own your accommodation for the night. Toast the end of the day with them over a glass of wine and regional fare at your welcome dinner.

 

  Hotel: Overlander Homestead Motel Roma

  Included Meals: Dinner with Wine

 

Day 2  Roma - Quilpie

The further west you travel in Queensland, the slower the outback lifestyle. As evidenced in Charleville, which is a slice of natural paradise for the endangered bilbies and wetland birds. The locals will happily reveal the best places to spot wildlife, ideally over a cold beer and a pub meal at heritage-listed Hotel Corones. The stories that get told here… The countryside from here to Quilpie is mesmerising – long stretches of road and vast expanses of nothing can be humbling. And welcoming, as you’ll discover when Mark and Sandra throw open the doors of Ray Station. The family has owned this estate since 1874, and designed the rooms you’ll bed down in – set in restored shearers’ quarters. But before then, there’s a campfire dinner and tunes on the tin piano to be enjoyed.

 

  Hotel: Ray Station, 2 nights

  Included Meals: Dinner with Wine, Breakfast

 

Day 3  Ray Station, Quilpie

There’s something about being in the country that whets your appetite. Wake, and look forward to a delicious breakfast prepared by your hosts. You won’t go hungry here – they’re also thinking about what to cook you for lunch and dinner. It’s this kind of generosity that flows naturally into eye-opening, and entertaining, stories about the property, including previous caretakers, and how they tended the land. You can even discover more about their fascinating history: at the family cemetery. Head out on a tour, fossick for boulder opal, and revel in the vastness of Quilpie – certainly one of the best places to visit in Queensland’s vast outback.

 

  Included Meals: Dinner with Wine, Lunch, Breakfast

 

Day 4 Quilpie - Longreach

If you’re looking for the centre of Queensland, Longreach is pretty much it. After waving goodbye to station life, you’re bound for this patch of outback perfection, all red dirt and spinifex and blazing sunsets. There’s plenty of things to do in Longreach, like visiting the Qantas Founders Museum, which pays homage to the fact this is the spiritual heart of Australia’s national airline. If the idea of glimpsing 100+ years of aviation history gets your heart racing, then the vast swathes of nature that surround your glamping tent for the night will slow it down. Switch off, relax and enjoy your eco-friendly cocoon, replete with creature comforts including air-conditioning, ensuites and dreamy beds. There’s also a kitchenette, so you can enjoy a BBQ on your private deck. Or venture out for more country flavour at an optional outback dinner and show.

 

  Hotel: Mitchell Grass Retreat, 2 nights

  Included Meals: Breakfast

 

Day 5 Longreach - Winton - Longreach

For a petite town, there’s an impressive number of things to do in Winton. The biggest attraction of all are the dinosaurs that once roamed here, leaving behind the country’s largest collection of dinosaur fossils. Follow in their (large) footsteps at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs, part museum, part working laboratory, where you’ll go behind the scenes. Winton’s other claim to fame is the fact Banjo Patterson wrote ‘Waltzing Matilda’ here in 1903. He’s not the only creative drawn here. Graeme Leak created a fence that can be played as an instrument (aka the Musical Fence), and Arno Grotjahn erected a quirky art wall studded with every household object imaginable. The unexpected stories continue at Camden Park Station, a 7,300-hectare sheep and cattle station where fifth-generation farmer ‘Outback Dan’ will tell you about life on the land… including the visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. They didn’t have a three-course dinner awaiting them in historic shearing shed; you do.

 

  Included Meals: Dinner with Wine, Breakfast

 

Day 6 Longreach - Brisbane

Australia has its fair share of epic outback train tours that let you witness the wild beauty of a region while travelling the historic routes taken by past generations. Among them is Spirit of the Outback, your chariot back to Brisbane on the last leg of your adventure. Exclusive access to the train’s Shearers Rest Lounge means you can enjoy a glass of bubbles while remote towns and vast stretches of bush zip by outside, the click-clack or the rails a meditative soundtrack. Dinnertime in Tuckerbox Restaurant celebrates Queensland’s culinary bounty. And then your plush cabin awaits. Sweet dreams.

 

  Hotel: Spirit of the Outback, Private Cabin

  Included Meals: Dinner, Lunch, Breakfast

 

Day 7 Brisbane

Wake up to vistas of the Queensland outback and savour the scene over coffee and your final breakfast in the train’s dining carriage. As the Brisbane River and the city’s gleaming towers come into view, you know your adventure is about to end. But what joy it has sparked for future outback tours.

 

  Included Meals: Breakfast

 

Your Guided Holiday includes a range of quality accommodation for your comfort.
The accommodation you will enjoy on this tour includes:

 

Overlander Homestead Motel Roma

The Overlander Homestead Motel Roma is your home away from home. Beautifully manicured gardens, pool and entertainment areas and boasts well-appointed rooms to meet your every need.

Ray Station

Ray Station remains one of a select few properties in Australia that's never changed hands since white settlement. The rooms are original, restored buildings.

Mitchell Grass Retreat

Mitchell Grass Retreat is located in the heart of Outback Queensland, Longreach. Take in stunning views from the luxury ensuite tents.

Spirit of the Outback, Private Cabin

Onboard the Spirit of the Outback, travelling through the historic authentic outback towns, ever-changing scenery and rugged terrain between Brisbane and Longreach.

To ensure your holiday is filled with memorable experiences, we have included a range of quality Optional Excursions for you to choose from and partake in, if you wish, during your holiday. The excursions can be booked on tour through your Travel Director.

 

Outback Dinner Add-On: Smithy’s Outback Dinner and Show (Longreach)

That free evening on day four? How better spent than enjoying a camp-oven dinner beside the river in Longreach. Enjoy drinks at sundown before sitting down to a two course meal. As tasty as the food is, this experience is all about the entertainment, with Smithy’s crew entertaining with songs and stories that speak to the soul of the Queensland outback. If the billy tea and damper don’t win you over, then the bedazzlement of stars overhead surely will.

 

 

What's included

• • Specialist highly experienced Travel Director and Driver
• • Local Specialists (Guides) at Ray Station, Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum and Camden Park Station
• • Mixture of unique accommodation, including glamping tents and ‘shearers’ restored quarters’

What to Bring

• • Comfortable walking shoes
• • Camera
• • Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat

Fitness Requirements

• • Low level of fitness required

Dining

• • 6 Breakfasts
• • 2 Lunches
• • 1 Dinner
• • 4 Dinners with wine

Flight Information

• • Day prior – flights to arrive anytime into Brisbane Airport
• • Day 7 – flights to depart after 15:00 from Brisbane Airport