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Day 1: Wednesday 10 June 2020
Toowoomba to Charleville
Depart Toowoomba on a luxury Stonestreets 4x4 Tour Coach and head west through the Darling Downs to Chinchilla to Roma for lunch. Later, continue to Mitchell to view the murals under the Maranoa River Bridge. Then, on arrival in Charleville, check into your accommodation and enjoy dinner before heading to the Cosmos Centre to experience a never to be forgotten journey of the night sky. There’s nothing quite like seeing the distant stars and planets in the dark outback sky. Meals: LD
Stay: Waltzing Matilda Motor Inn

Day 2: Thursday 11 June 2020
Charleville to Ray Station
Start the day with a sightseeing tour of Charleville. See the Vortex Rain Making Guns and the Warrego River, then be fascinated at Corones Hotel over Stories and Scones. After lunch in Quilpie, see the Opal Altar and Font in St Finbarr’s Catholic Church. Then set your sights on Ray Station where Mark and Sandra Tully and their family will be sure to make you feel welcome. Meals: BLD
Stay: Ray Station (2 nights)

Day 3: Friday 12 June 2020
Ray Station
Mark and Sandra have arranged a full Tully-Durack Homestead tour with morning tea. After lunch, do the water run and visit station sites; 4 Mile, the Boundary Rider’s Hut, The Durack Tree, Pinkuna, Gidgea and Five mile. Tonight, enjoy a scrumptious 3 course country dinner followed by poetry, guitar and magic…… and maybe sit around the campfire. Meals: BLD

Day 4: Saturday 13 June 2020
Ray Station to Birdsville
Depart Ray Station and join the Diamantina Development Road. Stop at your first crossing of Cooper Creek before witnessing the solar farm as you approach Windorah. Continue west to the Birdsville Development Road where you’ll know that you’ve certainly hit the outback. The bitumen ends, and the gravel roads begin. From Deon’s Lookout, marvel at the expanse of the Australian Outback. Stop in the town that was – Betoota, see all that remains - the ruins of the old roadhouse hotel. Continue to Birdsville where you’ll stay at the iconic Birdsville Hotel for the next 2 nights. The pub is a destination in itself, an swagman’s palace where yarns have been spun for more than a century by characters as colourful as the surrounding desert landscape. Meals: BLD
Stay: Birdsville Hotel/Motel (2 nights)

Day 5: Sunday 14 June 2020
Birdsville
Explore this “Must-See” town where every September the population surges as around 8000 racegoers kick up the dust at the Birdsville Races. Visit the famous Racetrack, see the Burke and Wills Tree and travel out towards Munga-Thirri National Park; see the giant red sand dunes that this area is famous for. Meals: BD

Day 6: Monday 15 June 2020
Birdsville to Marree via Birdsville Track
The Birdsville Track is an icon amongst Australian Outback tracks. Traversing 517km from Birdsville to Marree, it leads travellers to remote, harsh outback country. Despite the extremely dry environment, the land along the track is considered good cattle country, and once the rare rain and floods inundate the region, there is an amazing transformation of the sunburnt, desolate landscape. The Birdsville Track is surrounded by deserts, The Tiari, Sturt’s Stony Desert, the Strzelecki and Simpson Deserts all line the track. Highlights along the track include the border crossing into SA, Mungerannie Gap, Cooper Creek and the MV Tom Brennan, homestead ruins and various artesian bores. Arrive Marree late afternoon, explore the town made famous by the Afghan Cameleers, the Old Ghan Railway and Tom Kruse, the Birdsville Mailman. Meals: BLD
Stay: Marree Hotel/Motel (2 nights)

Day 7: Tuesday 16 June 2020
Lake Eyre South and William Creek
Another famous track to tackle today, the Oodnadatta Track, heads west from Marree following the original Ghan Railway line. Cross the wild dog fence, the longest fence ever constructed in the world, then stop at the Lake Eyre South lookout. Visit the Ghan railway siding at Curdimurka before travelling through part of the largest cattle property in the World, Anna Creek Station. At roughly 6 million acres Anna Creek is nearly 2 million acres larger than its closest Australian rival and more than 7 times the size of the United States’ largest ranch in Texas. Optional scenic flights over Lake Eyre are available today. Stop at Mound Springs to explore the artesian springs which are formed by deep water within the Great Artesian Basin rising to the surface to form mounds of bubbling ponds. Meals: BLD
 
Day 8: Wednesday 17 June 2020
Marree to Innamincka via Strzelecki Track
Travel south to Lyndhurst before turning north-east to the Strzelecki Track. Although this is definitely part of the harsh Australian outback, the road is usually of a very good standard these days thanks to the continuing exploration of the Cooper Basin oil and gas exploration. 
The track has been constantly upgraded to handle the heavy vehicles travelling along the track to Moomba. Stop at the Oil and Gas viewing Platform near Moomba before arriving in the tiny town of Innamincka. Meals: BLD
Stay: Innamincka Hotel/Motel (2 nights)

Day 9: Thursday 18 June 2020
Innamincka
Situated next to Cooper Creek, Innamincka, with a population of around 12 certainly is about as remote as you can be in Australia - this town may be small on size but it’s big on hospitality. This morning enjoy an unforgettable 2 hour cruise along the shady “creek”. Be greeted by screeching corellas, pelicans and even seagulls (yes, they are this far inland) as you glide past the banks which are heavy with beautiful river gums. Return to town for lunch before sneaking back to Queensland to visit the Dig Tree. See the sad and forlorn reminder of the harshness of the region and the foolhardiness of the Burke and Wills expedition. Meals: BLD

Day 10: Friday 19 June 2020
Innamincka to Tibooburra
Follow the old Strzelecki Track along Cooper Creek, then south past the oil Derricks to Merty Merty Station where you will join the track to Cameron Corner. The journey to Cameron Corner is one you’ll certainly remember. Ride over the tops of over 120 desert sand dunes then make a stop at Cameron Corner for lunch at “The Corner Store”. See the point where South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales meet before continuing through Sturt National Park to the outback town of Tibooburra. Meals: BLD
Stay: Granites Motel (2 nights)

Day 11: Saturday 20 June 2020
Tibooburra - Bourke
Today, after a look around Tibooburra, head east through the cattle and sheep grazing country to the small town of Wanaaring. This afternoon on arrival in Bourke, visit The Back O’Bourke Exhibition Centre which is nestled in a spectacular natural setting amongst the river red gums on the banks of the Darling River. The centre allows you to experience a journey through life in the back country; rediscovering the stories of Australia through modern eyes, taking you from the rich cultural history of the past through to the future of the Australian Outback. This world-class centre employs a series of interactive installations and stunning visual screen displays to immerse visitors with stories of the Australian Outback. Engage and uncover stories of early exploration, the poets, local bushrangers, the grazing industry, Outback legends and conflicts. Meals: BLD
Stay: Darling River Motel

Day 12: Sunday 21 June 2020
Bourke–Western Plains Zoo – Orange
Today begin making your way back towards the more populated areas of eastern Australia, passing through Nyngan and Narromine before arriving at Taronga’s Western Palins Zoo. Enjoy lunch at the zoos Bakhita’s Café overlooking the Savannah Lake, then set off to explore the zoo by coach. The Zoo is home to over 700 animals including exotic and endangered Black Rhinoceros, Sumatran Tigers, Elephants and Giraffe which roam wide open spaces across 300 hectares of bushland. The zoo is widely recognised as Australia’s greatest which means you won’t notice the moats or barriers that keep you separate from the magnificent wildlife. Late afternoon, continue east to Orange, home for the night. Meals: BLD
Stay: Hotel Mercure, Orange

Day 13: Monday 22 June 2020
Orange - Sydney
Travel through the beautiful and scenic highland country to Bathurst where no visit would be complete without a lap of that famous; Mt Panorama. Next, travel through this historic gold town into coal country and the Blue Mountain to Katoomba for lunch. Visit the Three Sisters, the Blue Mountains’ most spectacular landmark, located at Echo Point. From here descend from the beautiful Blue Mountains to the coastal plains near Penrith, then into Sydney for your final night on tour. Meals: BD
Stay: Mercure Sydney Airport

Day 14: Tuesday 23 June 2020
Sydney – Toowoomba/Brisbane
This morning after breakfast, transfer to Sydney Airport in time for your flight home to Toowoomba or Brisbane. Meals: B

Meals: 13 Breakfasts, 11 Lunches, 13 Dinners

Flights: Economy Airfare: Sydney - Brisbane

Transport: Luxury 4x4 Coach

Accommodation: 

All entries to Attractions and Tours as follows:

• Cosmos Centre Experience, Charleville
• Charleville sightseeing tour
• Stories and Scones at Corones Hotel, Charleville
• St Finbarr’s Opal Alter in Quilpie
• Historic Ray Station 2-night stay including station and homestead tours
• View Cooper Creek near Windorah, Birdsville Track and Innamincka
• Historic Birdsville Hotel 2 night stay
• Birdsville sightseeing including the famous racecourse, desert sand dunes and Dingo Caves
• Travel the Birdsville Track, Oodnadatta Track & Strzelecki Track
• Historic Marree 2-night stay
• See Lake Eyre South
• Optional Lake Eyre Scenic Flight
• Cooper Creek Cruise at Innamincka
• Innamincka 2-night stay
• Historic Burke & Wills Dig Tree
• Traverse the many sand dunes from Innamincka to Cameron Corner
• Cameron Corner where Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia meet
• Back ‘o’ Bourke Centre, Bourke
• Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo
• Mt Panorama Motor racing track, Bathurst

Other Inclusions:

• Experience coach crew
• Home pickup and return – Toowoomba city area (Prior booking required)
• Free on-site parking available at Stonestreets Depot (Uncovered. Prior booking required)

WHAT OUR GUESTS HAD TO SAY ABOUT OUR LAST AUSSIE OUTBACK TOUR:

• Rob and Nick and Stonestreets organised a top tour. Good sightseeing, good meals and good weather after the first few days. The documentary was very interesting. - Fay and Sonya
• Very Enjoyable - Patricia
• The Driver and Host went the extra mile to give us a great holiday. - Marie
• All in all, a damned good trip. - Cliff and Jill
• Touring with Stonestreets is a wonderful experience. Great people great food and accommodation, with excellent Leaders - Ron and Ruth
• My sincere thanks (plus all the very friendly touring companions). A very pleasant interlude with like a minded group, totally Fun, Fun, Fun!!! - Jan

OUR GUESTS RATED THIS TOUR: 9.7/10 (26 REVIEWS)

Ray Station

Ray Station was settled in 1874 by Patsy and Sarah Tully. Sarah’s brother being the famous Patsy Durack from the book ‘Kings in Grass Castles’. He later urged them to follow him on his trek to the Kimberley – they declined, remaining in southwest Queensland and surviving the great drought of 1900. Ray Station remains one of a select few properties in Australia that’s never changed hands. It has been handed down from father to son and so remains with its unique history and within the original family.