Central Australia &
Corner Country

’Shear Outback’ Hall of Fame – Mungo National Park

This morning we depart Wagga Wagga and make our way along the Sturt Highway following the Murrumbidgee River to Hay, home to the ‘Shear Outback’ Hall of Fame and the historic Murray Downs Woolshed. Here we learn about shearing history and look through the historic Woolshed. After lunch and some time to explore the museum we continue on to Balranald. From here we head north into the World Heritage Listed Mungo National Park and spend the night at the Mungo Lodge

Exploring Mungo – Menindee – Broken Hill

This morning we explore Mungo National Park which was World Heritage Listed in 1981 in recognition of its rich Aboriginal heritage. Remains of the earliest humans to inhabit the Australian continent have been found in Mungo National Park and have recently been dated at more than 60,000 years old.

After departing Mungo National Park we travel through Pooncarie and on to Menindee, a town of 1,000 people on the banks of the Darling River and home to the ‘Menindee Lakes’. The town has ties to several Australian Explorers, including Burke and Wills, Charles Sturt and Major Mitchell. Later this afternoon we arrive into Broken Hill and check-in to the Royal Exchange Hotel. This charming boutique hotel dates back to 1889 and has been tastefully refurbished over the years. Dinner this evening is at the Broken Hill’s premier restaurant, Broken Earth, located on the highest point of the Line of Lode remnant mullock dumps which traverse the city.

Broken Hill Sightseeing – Depot Glen Tibooburra

This morning we visit the Albert Kersten Mining and Minerals Museum which for an insight into Broken Hill’s unique geology. Also visit Silverton which has starred in many films, including Mad Max and Mission Impossible 2.

After lunch we head north along the Silver City Highway through the village of Packsaddle to Milparinka. Visit some of the town’s old colonial buildings, including police barracks and cells have been lovingly restored as part of the Milparinka Heritage Precinct. Continue west to Depot Glen, named by Captain Charles Sturt on his 1845 expedition to find an inland sea. The stranded expedition team camped at this waterhole for months on end, waiting for the summer heat to abate.

This afternoon arrive at the small outback village of Tibooburra where we spend the night at the Family Hotel/Motel, which has a fantastic outback atmosphere.

Cameron Corner – Innamincka

We depart Tibooburra this morning to venture into the vast Sturt National Park. We make our way west through the park to a place called Cameron Corner, where QLD, NSW and SA all meet. The area of Cameron Corner was first surveyed by James Cameron from the NSW Lands Department in 1879. The area is also home to the longest fence in the world, The Dog Fence, stretching from the Great Australian Bight to Jimbour near Brisbane (5600km). After enjoying some lunch at the Corner Store we continue heading west towards the Strzelecki Track and then onto the village of Innamincka, set on the banks of the Cooper Creek. We spend the next 2 nights at the Innamincka Hotel in comfortable motel units.

Innamincka Sightseeing – Cooper Creek Cruise

Innamincka is a small village with a population of no more than 50 people. The township once played a major role in early explorations of Australia’s unknown interior. With its reliable water source, it made an ideal base camp or resting place for expeditions and cattle drives from the east and the south.

This morning we cross the border into QLD to visit the ‘Dig Tree’, located on the banks of the Cooper Creek. This is where explorers Burke and Wills tragically perished after returning from their expedition to the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1861.

After returning to Innamincka for lunch at the hotel, we embark on a new activity in the area – a cruise on the Cooper Creek. This cruise operates for an hour and a half and is a highlight of your expedition through the Corner Country. Enjoy expert commentary from your cruise guide and learn about this incredibly unique river system – one of the last unregulated systems in the world.

We return to the hotel late afternoon for our second and final night at the Innamincka Hotel.

Strzelecki Desert – Birdsville Track – Mungerannie

This morning we depart Innamincka and make our way west through the oil and gas fields around Moomba. Cross the Cooper Creek at Walkers Crossing before arriving at the Birdsville Track. Once we’re on the Birdsville Track we head south down to the small village of Mungerannie where we spend the night in comfortable motel units with shared bathroom facilities.

Kalamurina Wildlife Sanctuary – Birdsville

This morning we venture out to Kalamurina Wildlife Sanctuary, owned and operated by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. Kalamurina is a vast desert wilderness, stretching from the northern shore of Lake Eyre to the southern boundary of the Simpson Desert reserves. Kalamurina covers a remarkable 1.7 million acres and is a property of exceptional conservation value, providing a haven for several endangered species and containing a range of habitat types not represented in any national park. Kalamurina thus provides a vital link from Lake Eyre National Park to the Simpson Desert reserves.
Upon our arrival we are given a briefing from one of the sanctuary’s managers in regards to past and present conservation projects on Kalamurina. You’ll learn about the significance of this conservation work and the AWC’s mission to halt the appalling rate of species extinction across Australia.
We return to Mungerannie for lunch before departing for Birdsville. We head north up the Birdsville Track, arriving at the Birdsville Hotel late this afternoon for our 2 night stay. Enjoy modern, quality accommodation at the pub along with friendly outback hospitality.

Simpson Desert & “Big Red” – Birdsville

Birdsville is a township of approximately 100 people and was originally named Diamantina Crossing in 1881 after the Diamantina River, which runs to the east of the town. The town however was renamed Birdsville in 1885 by the owner of Pandie Pandie Station who was amazed by the diversity of birdlife which inhabited the area. The town hosts a famous outback horse race on the first weekend of September which boosts the town’s population from 100 to 7,000! Birdsville is also situated on the edge of the Simpson Desert National Park, which is characterised by huge red sand dunes. There are approximately 1,100 sand dunes running North-South, the most famous and photographed being “Big Red”. This massive sand dune is a popular place for tourists to put their four-wheel-drive vehicles to the test. After a visit to “Big Red” we return for our second and final night in Birdsville.

Bedourie – Boulia

This morning we bid farewell to Birdsville and continue our travels north through Queensland’s Channel Country to the small township of Bedourie. Bedourie is the main administrative centre for the Diamantina Shire, the second largest shire in Queensland after the Cooktown Shire. After some lunch we continue onto to Boulia, known as the capital of the Channel Country. The area is also known for the mysterious Min Min Light which has now been sighted for almost half a century. This afternoon we visit the Min Min Encounter Visitor Centre. Enjoy a unique theatrical experience and learn the story of the Min Min Light. Tonight we overnight at the Boulia Desert Sands Motel.

Boulia – Northern Territory Border – Alice Springs

We depart Boulia this morning to make our way west towards the Northern Territory Border. We travel along the Plenty Highway through Harts Range and Gemtree to arrive into Alice Springs late this afternoon. We spend the next two nights at the 4.5 star Chifley Hotel.

Alice Springs Sightseeing

Today we take a leisurely tour around Alice Springs which includes a visit to the Alice Springs Desert Park, The Old Telegraph Station and the Royal Flying Doctor Base Museum. This afternoon can be spent at your leisure. Tonight we celebrate our trip through the Corner Country and enjoy our final dinner together.

Alice Springs – Home

This morning we all enjoy breakfast together before being transferred to the airport or to your accommodation if you are staying on in Alice Springs. Bon Voyage!