MELBOURNE TO HORSHAM

Welcome to our Autumn tour based in Murray Bridge on the River Murray. With chauffeured pickup from home, we are transferred to meet our O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours coach and crew. Today is a travel day so sit back and enjoy the facilities aboard our 5 Star Touring Coach as we depart Melbourne and travel the Western Highway via Beaufort and Ararat to Halls Gap in the Gariwerd (Grampians) National Park. At the Boroka Lookout, we gain extensive views across the Halls Gap Valley and Mt William Range. We continue on to Horsham, our first overnight stay.

OVERNIGHT: Horsham International Hotel, HORSHAM

HORSHAM TO MURRAY BRIDGE

Today we continue our journey towards the South Australian border. Our lunch venue is the Morning Loaf Bakery in Bordertown. You may not know that Bordertown is the hometown of former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke! This afternoon, we continue on the Dukes Highway through many small farming towns, stopping at Coonalpyn to view the magnificent artwork on the towns’ grain silo, before seeing the Murray River near Tailem Bend. The last leg of our travels today takes us to Murray Bridge, our base for the next four nights. The delightful newly redeveloped Bridgeport Hotel proudly overlooks the mighty Murray River.

OVERNIGHT:  Bridgeport Hotel, Murray Bridge

MONARTO SAFARI PARK AND HAHNDORF

We begin our day with a visit to the nearby Monarto Safari Park, the largest open-range safari experience outside of Africa and is home to more than 50 species of exotic and native animals. The zoo plays a major role, nationally and internationally, in breeding programs for rare and endangered species. We’ll be joined on board our coach by a qualified guide for a safari tour of the park. Our next stop is the Adelaide Hills and the delightful village of Hahndorf. We enjoy a light lunch at the newly renovated Beerenberg Farm, with some time to sample the delicious jams and spreads! We then have some time for a wander down the main street before our last appointment for the day at “The Cedars” – the house built in 1908 by Hans Heysen in the style of a Bavarian Chalet. This was his base as he painted extensively on site in the hills around Hahndorf and in the Flinders Ranges. We enjoy a guided tour of the house and studio. It should be a great day!

OVERNIGHT:  Bridgeport Hotel, Murray Bridge

GOOLWA AND THE COORONG

We drive first to the quaint, historic town of Strathalbyn. “Strath” as the locals know it, has some beautiful heritage buildings and picturesque parklands on the banks of the River Angas. From here we drive to the river port town of Goolwa, an aboriginal word meaning elbow, situated on a bend in the Murray River. Here we enjoy a delightful lunch cruise to see the remote and wondrous wetlands of the Coorong. We cruise on past the Murray Mouth and into Storm Boy country- of course, the movie Storm Boy, a film about a young boy’s friendship with a pelican, was shot on the Coorong - passing by a quaint fishing village of Coorong shacks before pulling up onto the beach for a optional guided walk through the dunes. We walk along a rich cultural interpretation and bush-tucker trail to infamous 90-Mile Beach and see the roaring Southern Ocean. Learn the 'Coorong Shuffle' and dig for pipis on the beach before returning back to the vessel and continuing our cruise past Storm Boy filming sites and towering dunes. Afternoon tea is served on the meandering return journey back to Goolwa. Reboarding the coach, we return to our hotel via the wine producing region of Langhorne Creek.

OVERNIGHT:  Bridgeport Hotel, Murray Bridge

CRUISING ON THE MURRAY

This morning, there will be a coach transfer for anyone wishing to attend the ANZAC Day Dawn Service. After breakfast, we begin our days touring—sit back and relax as we journey down the picturesque Murray River. We are welcomed aboard the Four Knots Murray River Cruises and get up close with unique birdlife, towering cliffs and gorgeous flora and fauna of the riverbanks. We enjoy interesting commentary and learn about the heritage of the area before a lunch at the Pretoria Hotel.  The hotel has an interesting history. There are photos documenting how the beer was still being served during the 1956 flood when the first floor was completely underwater - from the second storey balcony!!  We’ll have time to explore Mannum before returning to Murray Bridge.

OVERNIGHT:  Bridgeport Hotel, Murray Bridge

MURRAY BRIDGE TO MOUNT GAMBIER

This morning we say farewell to our hosts and head south east to Meningie for our morning break on the shores of Lake Albert. We’ll see a different view of the Coorong National Park on our right. The whole area is a superb natural bird sanctuary with vast numbers of waterbirds. Arriving in Kingston we see The Big Lobster and stop for lunch at the Royal Mail Hotel. This afternoon, we continue along the coast with some time to enjoy the seaside town of Robe, enroute to Mount Gambier for our final overnight stop.

OVERNIGHT: The Barn, MOUNT GAMBIER

MOUNT GAMBIER TO MELBOURNE

This morning we travel back into Victoria and into the very picturesque area of Victoria’s Western District, stopping for lunch at Mortlake. Crossing the “great volcanic plain” of Victoria’s Western District, we travel alongside miles of fascinating dry-stone walls which are a feature of the countryside and known as the stony rises. The walls were built in the 1860s by highly skilled “wallers” from Ireland and Scotland. We continue on to Melbourne, where our chauffeurs will be on hand to take us straight to our door – all part of the O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours superior service.