11 Days – Monday 26th to Thursday 6th May 2027
Accommodation: Mildura Golf Resort, Griffith Motor Inn, Bushmans Motor Inn Parkes, Matilda Motor Inn Dubbo, All Settlers Motor Inn Tamworth, Breakout Motel Cowra, Aalana Motor Inn Cowra, Bishops Lodge Hay, Tooleybuc Motel
Welcome to the Tamworth & Outback NSW journey, an extraordinary 11-day coach tour departing from Mawson Lakes. The extensive itinerary promises an unforgettable journey into the heart of Australia’s rich agricultural regions, deep outback history, and legendry country music heritage. Travelling through diverse and breathtaking landscapes, this tour offers a perfect balance of guided exploration, comfortable travel and engaging historical insights. Over eleven days, you will traverse state borders, starting from South Australia’s picturesque Riverland, journeying up through Victoria and travelling deep into the vibrant regional centers of New South Wales.
Prepare to experience a multitude of iconic Australian destinations. You will step into the fascinating Shear Outback in Hay, marvel at the towering Parkes Radio Telescope and immerse yourself in the Elvis and Sir Henry Parkes museums. We spend a full day exploring the renowned attractions of Dubbo, including the spectacular Taronga Western Plains Zoo and the Royal Flying Doctor Service base, before making our way to Tamworth, the country music capital of Australia. In Tamworth, you will discover the Big Golden Guitar, the Walk a Country Mile Museum and beautiful Bicentennial Park. The journey also highlights stunning public art with various painted silo stops across the outback and rich aviation and pioneer history in Temora. With comfortable daily coach travel, carefully selected motel accommodations and an opportunity to make friends with fellow travellers over shared meals and extraordinary sights, this tour is designed to create lasting memories.
Highlights of the tour:
- «Gather at Innovation House in Mawson Lakes. We board our luxury touring coach as we leave the suburbs behind and head toward the beautiful South Australian countryside.
- «Our first stop of the day is for a relaxing morning tea in the charming town of Truro, where travellers can stretch their legs and get acquainted.
- «Stop in Berri to enjoy our picnic lunch along scenic Marina Drive.
- «While on our way to Mildura, take a moment to admire the fantastic RM Williams mural painted on the Yeats menswear building, celebrating true Australian outback heritage.
- «Our first overnight stay is in Mildura and we will finish the day with a two course dinner.
- «Cross the border and journey deep into New South Wales.
- «Travel through to Hay stopping in Hay for lunch time.
- «Upon arriving in Griffith, we are treated to a special guided bus tour led by a local expert, providing insights into the area’s rich agricultural and cultural history.
- «Journey through the heart of the fertile Riverina and Central West regions of New South Wales, travelling from Griffith to the historic town of Parkes.
- «As we make our way into Parkes, we dive into the nation’s political history with a visit to the Sir Henry Parkes Museum and enjoy a light lunch. Situated on Peak Hill Road, this excellent museum explores the life of the “Father of Federation”.
- «Visit the fantastic Elvis Museum, a tribute to the town’s connection with the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
- «Take a short drive to one of Australia’s most iconic scientific landmarks, the CSIRO Parkes Observatory, affectionately knowns as “The Dish”. Here we will marvel at the monumental 64 metre radio telescope that played a crucial role in broadcasting the Apollo 11 moon landing. We will explore the visitor centre and sit down to watch an engaging series of 3D short films about the universe.
- «Arrive in the major regional hub of Dubbo and another iconic Australian institution: The Royal Flying Doctor Service Visitor Experience. Here, after enjoying lunch at the Outback Trek Cafe, we will engage in a comprehensive 1.5hr hour visit featuring an introductory talk, a short video and an impressive museum that highlights the vital medical lifeline provided to remote outback communities.
- «Explore the magnificent attractions of Dubbo. Our first major highlight of the morning is a visit to the world-renowned Taronga Western Plains Zoo on Obley Road. Uniquely designed with wide open space, we have the luxury of driving our comfortable coach right around the zoo’s extensive circuit, allowing for incredible views of elephants, rhinos and big cats without the strain of excessive walking.
- «Following our wildlife safari, we step into local colonial history at the nearby Dundullimal Homestead for a guided tour. Built in the early 1840s, this is one of Australia’s oldest and most sophisticated surviving timber slab homesteads.
- «To round up our spectacular Dubbo experience, we spend the late afternoon enjoying the tranquility of the Dubbo Regional Botanic Gardens on Corinthian Drive, taking a peaceful stroll through the beautiful traditional Japanese gardens. Alternatively you can choose to spend the remaining afternoon browsing the Orana shops mall.
- «Travel north to Newell Highway towards Gilgandra. Here we visit the Coo-ee Heritage & Visitors Centre, a fascinting historical hub that details the famous 1915 Coo-ee March, where local men marched to Sydney to enlist for World War I, where we will explore their special exhibition room.
- «Arrive at Gunnedah which is a town rich in art and poetry, we will take time to view the striking local Silo Art, the beautifully painted water tower at Anzac Park and visit the Dorothea Mackellar Centre which honours the author of the iconic poem “my country”.
- «Begin our musical pilgrimage in none other than the Country Music Capital of Tamworth. Start at the famous Big Golden Guitar Visitors Centre on Ringers Road. This towering monument is a must-see photo opportunity! While here, we will also explore the adjoining Wax Museum, featuring lifelike figures of country music stars
- «See the Joy McKean mural and have time to stroll the main street to admire the numerous statues dedicated to music legends.
- «Visit the Walk a Country Mile Museum, housed within Australian Country Music Hall of Fame. Enjoy a guided tour that details the rich history, legendary artists and fascinating stories that put Tamworth on the global map.
- «View the Country Music Pioneers Parade honoring the greats of the industry at Bicentennial Park on Kable Avenue.
- «Drive up to the Oxley Scenic Lookout. The panoramic views of the city and the Peel River Valley from this vantage point are truly spectacular.
- «We journey back southward. The drive takes us though some of the most picturesque and productive agricultural lands in New South Wales.
- «Drive through to Dunedoo, an area that has embraced the wonderful silo art trail. We will marvel at the impressive Winx painted silo, a massive and beautiful tribute to the legendary Australian racehorse.
- «We arrive in Cowra and stop at the visitors centre to see the hologram video, giving us a perspective on the wartime town history.
- «We will immerse ourselves in history and tranquility at the renowned Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre. These stunning gardens are the largest of their kind in the Southern Hemisphere. We will pay our respects as we pass the Japanese War Cemetery.
- «Travel towards the town of Temora, arriving lunchtime at the world class Temora Aviation Museum. This outstanding facility is home to an incredible collection of ex-military aircraft, many of which are still in flying condition.
- «Explore the incredible history at Bishops Lodge Historic House. Built in 1888, this remarkable corrugated iron building features an extraordinary design intended to combat the extreme outback heat and the surrounding rose gardens are truly lovely.
- «View the striking Silo Art located at the corner of Pine and Brunker Streets, adding another magnificent mural to our trip’s collection.
- «Visit the renowned Shear Outback, located at the corner the Sturt and Cobb Highways. This fascinating multi-purpose centre celebrates the rich history and vibrant culture of the Australian shearing industry. During our visit, we will enjoy an authentic shearing demonstration, wander through the Shearers Hall of Fame and browse the unique gift shop. A light lunch will be included at the Shear Outback Cafe.
- «After a brief comfort stop at Balranald, we cross into Victoria before stopping at Andrew Peace Wines in Piangil. Established by the Peace family with vineyards planted in 1980, it crushes over 43,000 tonnes of grapes annually, making it one of the country’s largest family-owned wineries and a major exporter.
- «On our final day we cross the beautiful Mallee region of South Australia.
- «Stop to view the beautifully painted silo in Walpeup, featuring the sad yet familiar story from WWI era of a 16 year old local boy, Harold Bell who lied about his age and went off to war.
- « Our final group lunch break will be in Lameroo, whilst still here we will be treated to the sight of not one, but two magnificently painted silos.
- «We arrive at back at Innovation House in Mawson Lakes where we disembark and we take with us incredible memories of outback history, country music legends, stunning art trails and the wonderful new friendships forged over 11 unforgettable days on the road.
Inclusions
- « Morning tea provided on Day 1
- « Cooked or Continental breakfast Days 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11
- « Lunch on Days 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10 and 11
- « Two course dinner on Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10
- « Entrance to Museums/attractions listed
- « Fully escorted with a tour host
- « Deluxe coach travel