MELBOURNE TO BRISBANE

Welcome to our fabulous new holiday to Outback Queensland to “meet the locals”.  With chauffeured pickup from home, we travel to Melbourne Airport.  Here we’ll be greeted by an O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours representative who will assist us with check in and see us onto the plane for our direct flight to Brisbane. Arriving at Brisbane Airport, we will be welcomed by our coach crew who will assist us with our luggage, then transfer to our overnight accommodation.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement / Refreshments inflight

OVERNIGHT:  Hotel Grand Chancellor, BRISBANE

BRISBANE TO ROMA

Today we travel north-west from Brisbane along the Warrego Highway to Queensland’s Garden City, Toowoomba, stopping for morning tea at Picnic Point, best known for its expansive views across the Great Dividing Range. Continue along the Adventure Way to Chinchilla, home of the Chinchilla Melon Festival and Miles, a vibrant rural township.  We arrive in Roma, the heart of beef country late afternoon with time to check-in and refresh at our accommodation. This evening we celebrate the triumphs of our pioneering oil and gas industry at The Big Rig. Join the ‘Roma Rigger' guide for the The Night Show Sunset Experience. Listen to captivating stories and toast the sunset with a delicious regional Port. Then take your seats for the enthralling Sound and Light Show.

OVERNIGHT:  Best Western Bungil Creek Motel, ROMA

ROMA TO CHARLEVILLE

We travel further west towards Charleville, where we head downtown to the famous Hotel Corones – built in stages, the hotel was completed in 1929 during Charleville’s wool industry boom. Here we join a guided tour with exclusive access to normally restricted areas of the hotel and hear the rags to riches story of local character Harry Corones, followed by lunch in the hotel dining room.  This afternoon, we’ll check into our accommodation for the next two nights.

OVERNIGHT:  Mulga Country Motor Inn, CHARLEVILLE

EXPLORING CHARLEVILLE

Following breakfast, we uncover the mysteries of Charleville with a Top Secret World War II Tour. With the help of our guide, we unlock the stories of the United States military base and how they lived when 3,500 personnel arrived in town. Next we head to a local Date Farm just out of town and hear all about the farms production, how dates are grown and sample some of the dates in our morning tea. After lunch, we visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service, where we gain an incredible insight into the remote medical service. Later this afternoon, we call into the Bilby Experience, where our guide will reveal to us Australia’s native animal extinction crisis, discover the breeding program and hopefully see the unique little creatures. This evening we visit the Cosmos Centre. Here our guide will build our knowledge on the formation of the stars and galaxies, reveal the beauty and meaning behind coloured stars and the fascination of planets and our moon. We enjoy nibbles and drinks before the open-air observatory viewing of the outback night sky.

OVERNIGHT: Mulga Country Motor Inn, CHARLEVILLE

CHARLEVILLE TO QUILPIE

Today we’ll visit one of the smallest towns in Australia to retain its own postcode.   Cooladdi, taking its name from an Aboriginal term for ‘black duck’, was once home to 270 residents. On arrival in Quilpie, our first stop is the Visitor Information Centre, Museum and Gallery where a local guide will board our coach for a town tour. Discover the history and unique landscapes of Quilpie town, Baldy Top Lookout, St Finbarrs’ Opal Altar and Quilpie Airport mini museum. Lunch today is at the Quilpie Brick Hotel (aka The Brick) which has been carefully restored to its original splendour. After lunch we continue to the Eromanga Natural History Museum where we join an experienced guide on a tour of the workshop laboratory and collection centre.  We’ll meet titanosaur sauropods Cooper and George, the largest dinosaurs to have ever been found in Australia. Guides will demonstrate how to prepare fossilised bone and we’ll see the incredible Eulo megafauna fossils. From here we’ll drive to Toogunna Plains Farmstay where we’ll meet 5th generation grazier hosts Fiona Ferguson and Adam Murray at their deluxe farmstay. We enjoy the glorious colours of the Channel Country with sunset drinks and canapes overlooking the rolling red Kyra Sandhills, before a sumptuous 2 course dinner in the homestead garden. Following dinner relax around the firepit for some marshmallow toasting and stargazing. We’ll sleep well tonight!

OVERNIGHT:  Toogunna Plains Farmstay, TOOGUNNA PLAINS

TO CUNNAMULLA

This morning, we enjoy a gourmet breakfast in the bush kitchen, followed by a snapshot of the station’s morning activities. Then its off via Quilpie to Toompine Pub, dubbed a pub without a town! The pub circa 1893, was a Cobb & Co staging point and is all that remains of what was a once bustling Frontier opal town. After time to explore the pub and an early lunch, we continue on to the tiny town of Eulo often described as the ‘Montville of the Outback’. At the Eulo Queen Hotel, we’ll take a break for a drink (own expense) and learn of the legend of the Eulo Queen – a glittering opal trader, hotelier and madam! We then travel on to Cunnamulla for our overnight stay. Want to spoil yourself? Perhaps enjoy a well-earned soak at the newly opened Cunnamulla Hot Springs. Relax in the healing waters of the open air geothermal mineral ponds, followed by a dip in the cold plunge pool!

OVERNIGHT:  Club Boutique Hotel, CUNNAMULLA

CUNNAMULLA TO ST GEORGE

We’ll be joined on the coach this morning by a fourth generation local for a guided tour of Cunnamulla. We see the huge natural sand dunes and learn how they came to be and gain an insight into the region’s first inhabitants, early pioneers and quirky characters. Continuing east we travel along the Balonne Highway to the turnoff for Charlotte Plains, a family owned and operated sheep station established back in the 1860s. Property owner Robyn Russell will board our coach for a guided tour of the station, home to Merino Sheep and Dohne Rams as well as the more recent Aussie White Sheep. We’ll see the historic bore, sunk into the Great Artesian Basin to a depth of 561m, tour their historic woolshed and enjoy a relaxed lunch on the old homestead verandah. We arrive into St George early afternoon with time to refresh before joining a leisurely sunset cruise on the Balonne River with Sandytown River Cruises. An experienced guide will entertain us with interesting stories about the river and native birdlife.

OVERNIGHT:  Merino Motor Inn, ST GEORGE

EXPLORING ST GEORGE

We start the day off with a leisurely breakfast before heading to The Unique Egg, a fascinating gallery featuring hand-carved, illuminated emu eggs. Next, we embark on a scenic drive along the Balonne River, taking in the peaceful riverside views. Stop for a photo with Murray the Cod, a giant fish sculpture celebrating St George’s fishing heritage, or step out briefly at Jack Taylor Weir for a stunning lookout. By midday, we enjoy a guided wine tasting at Riversands Winery, where we can relax in the shaded courtyard with a delicious cheese and fruit platter. In the afternoon, we tour the town’s rich history from the comfort of our coach, stopping at landmarks like the Old Police Station and Cobb & Co stop. As the day winds down, we take a sunset drive along the river before finishing with dinner at the hotel. If the night sky is clear, step outside for a breathtaking view of the Milky Way, the perfect ending to a peaceful day in the heart of Queensland’s outback.

OVERNIGHT:  Merino Motor Inn, ST GEORGE

ST GEORGE TO BRISBANE

Today we travel along the Moonie Highway, through the Kinkora State Forest, to Dalby where we’ll stop for our lunch break. From here we re-join the Warrego Highway back to Brisbane for our last night on tour.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement

OVERNIGHT:  Hotel Grand Chancellor, BRISBANE

BRISBANE TO MELBOURNE

What an exciting trip it’s been! We’ve seen lots of local colour and met some amazing characters, but now it’s time to head home. We transfer to the airport to connect with our flight home to Melbourne.  Upon arrival, our chauffeurs will be waiting to transport us home with many interesting stories to tell of our Outback Queensland adventure.  See you next time!

Lunch at own expense and arrangement / Refreshments inflight