MELBOURNE TO MILDURA

Dynnargh! - Welcome to our special 7 day Kernewek Lowender tour! After a personal pick up from our homes we transfer to meet our O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours crew and luxury coach to be on our way. We travel over the Westgate Bridge to Ballarat for morning tea, then via the Sunraysia Highway through the Pyrenees Ranges to Donald for lunch. This afternoon we make our way through the Wimmera-Mallee with an afternoon stop at Sea Lake, located on the southern shores of Lake Tyrrel, Victoria’s largest salt lake. We’ll take a quick peek at the silo art before continuing to Mildura for our first night on tour.

OVERNIGHT:  Best Western Chaffey International Motor Inn, MILDURA

THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN RIVERLAND

This morning we continue on to South Australia. We head to the historic hotel at Overland Corner for our lunch stop, and then continue to Burra, a town classified by the National Trust. Copper from Burra's “Monster Mine” saved South Australia from bankruptcy in the 1840s. It was the largest metal mine in the country employing 1,000 people. Cornish and Welsh miners flocked to Burra to work for the South Australian Mining Association and some set up homes in dugouts hewn out of the banks of the Burra Creek. We enjoy a tour here before the last leg of today’s journey. We base ourselves for the next four nights at the delightful Clare Country Club, an award winning property with splendid views overlooking lush fairways of the adjacent golf course and the sparkling waters of Inchiquin Lake.

OVERNIGHT: Clare Country Club, CLARE

THE YORKE PENINSULA - KERNEWEK LOWENDER

The Kernewek Lowender comes to the streets of Moonta today with the grand procession. Countless costumed participants, bands, entertainers and floats lead the crowd to the Moonta Oval for the Fer Kernewek Fair. The spectacle of all the colourful costumes and floats is exhilarating - a truly memorable event. The Fer Kernewek is a hive of activity throughout the day. We will see Cornish Pastie making competition – with the chance to taste one, and try a bottle of the specially brewed “Swanky”. There will also be musical entertainment to make it a most enjoyable day.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement

OVERNIGHT:  Clare Country Club, CLARE

*Please note that the full programme for Kernewek Lowender has not been finalised at the time of this publication. Some activities are subject to change.

THE YORKE PENINSULA - KERNEWEK LOWENDER

After breakfast we travel to Yorke Peninsula for the Kernewek Lowender Cornish Festival. Today the Festival will be officially opened in Kadina at the Village Green which features Cornish icon the maypole, the Furry Dance and the Gathering of the Cornish Bards. Hundreds of dancers wind their way down the main street of Kadina amid the buzz and excitement of the Cornish and local entertainment. The children of the Yorke Peninsula schools will present musical treats and be involved in numerous workshop activities that reflect on the past and present Cornish way of life. This procession will just whet our appetites for the days to come.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement

OVERNIGHT:  Clare Country Club, CLARE

THE YORKE PENINSULA - KERNEWEK LOWENDER

Following breakfast, we head back to the Yorke Peninsula for the last time this morning. The focus of the Festival today will be the giant cavalcade of cars and motorcycles that will journey through the region. More than 800 entrants are expected, making it largest regional motoring event in South Australia. At Wallaroo the foreshore will be transformed into the Fisherman’s Wharf. This year there will be some fantastic seafood experiences to be had, along with live cooking demonstrations, and all the wonderful aromas of the local world class seafood. Celebrity Chefs will take to the stage alongside local hospitality gurus to flex their culinary muscles and entertain the crowd. Late afternoon we return to Clare via Snowtown.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement

OVERNIGHT:  Clare Country Club, CLARE

CLARE TO HORSHAM

From Clare this morning we travel south to Gawler and then make our way through the Adelaide Hills via Mt Pleasant and Palmer to Coonalpyn, where we stop for lunch. Here we can admire the breathtaking images of 5 local children at play, painted on the town’s 30metre high Viterra grain silo by artist Guido Van Helten before continuing on across the border into Horsham for our final overnight stay.

OVERNIGHT:  Horsham International Hotel, HORSHAM

HORSHAM TO MELBOURNE

Before we depart this morning, we’ll take a look at Horsham’s silos, titled “Yangga Dyata”, which means “Walking on Country”. We now make our way to Murtoa to see a breathtaking mural featuring a flock of brightly coloured birds. The artwork is inspired by the James Hill taxidermy collection, combined with the discoveries of Dr John Cade, a psychiatrist who made significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of bipolar disorder. No visit to Murtoa would be complete without visiting the incredible Murtoa Stick Shed. Previously known as the Murtoa No. 1 Grain Store, it is the only remaining emergency grain store built during World War Two. This structure is an enduring testament to iconic Australian bush ingenuity and a symbol of the growth and strength of the Australian wheat industry. We’ll be amazed by what we see as we are taken on a tour. After lunch in Ararat, we drive back to Melbourne where, as always, our chauffeurs will be waiting to take us straight to our very door – a delightful way to finish our time away and all part of the great O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours service!