Follow the Mighty Murray

Day 1

Home - Adelaide - Goolwa
Your tour begins with a flight to Adelaide, where your Coach Captain and Hostess will be waiting to welcome you on board. Travel to McLaren Vale for lunch before continuing to the charming and historic town of Strathalbyn, known as the 'unofficial' antique capital of South Australia and home to St Andrews, one of Australia's most beautiful and photographed churches. This afternoon, travel to Goolwa, where we will settle in for the next two nights.

Day 2

Mundoo Island - Coorong Cruise
This morning we travel to Hindmarsh Island to view where the mighty Murray and the Southern Ocean meet, from the Mouth of the Murray Lookout. After morning tea, enjoy a cruise on the PS Oscar W, an authentic wood fired paddlesteamer and one of only a few original Murray River paddlesteamers still in operation today. On this unique river experience, watch the stokers fire the boiler and see the original steam engine at work, as you cruise part of the lower Murray River from the historic Goolwa Wharf. Take some time to purchase your own lunch and discover the Wharf Precinct before travelling to Victor Harbor. This afternoon, take a ride on the Steam Ranger Historic Railways Cockle Train which travels along the oldest steel railed railway in Australia.

Day 3

Goolwa - Mannum
Today we travel via Strathalbyn and Wellington to Tailem Bend. See what life was like for the settlers of South Australia at the Old Tailem Pioneer Village, where shops are stocked with original items, packets and hardware. Continue to Murray Bridge, the major centre on the river, north of Lake Alexandrina. After lunch travel to the broad reaches of the Lower Murray and the township of Mannum. This afternoon, discover another part of the Murray River from on board the PS Mayflower before taking a guided tour of Mannum. Late afternoon, check into our accommodation in Mannum.

Day 4

Mannum - Renmark
After breakfast, travel to Walker Flat with its dramatic ochre-coloured cliffs and a superb lookout. Walker Flat is one of the most spectacular spots on the river and is where we board the ferry that crosses to Swan Reach. At Big Bend see the tallest cliffs along the entire length of the Murray before visiting the Swan Reach Museum to browse the fascinating collection of memorabilia reflecting on the early European history of the river and local communities. From here, continue on to Blanchetown for lunch before following the Sturt Highway to Renmark, Australia's oldest irrigation settlement, and the location for our overnight stay.

Day 5

Renmark - Mildura
Today we spend some time discovering more of the Murray and its infrastructure. Visit Paringa Painted Silos to see the four different silos, each depicting a significant person or icon of the area's history. See Murray River Lock 5 and Paringa Bridge which carries traffic from Remark to Paringa and is part of the Sturt Highway. Return to Renmark for a cruise on the historic PS Industry Paddlewheeler before enjoying some free time to purchase your own lunch. This afternoon, we will cross the border and make our way towards Mildura, stopping for a visit to the Australian Inland Botanic Gardens along the way.

Day 6

Mildura - Swan Hill
This morning our journey takes us via the town of Wentworth, situated on the junction of the Darling and Murray Rivers, where we visit a unique venue that has replica riverboat models, all hand crafted by Riverboat Rod. Continue on to Robinvale for lunch before travelling to Swan Hill for a visit and guided tour of the Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement, situated on the banks of the Marraboor River.

Day 7

Swan Hill - Barham - Echuca
Barham is an idyllic paradise located on the banks of the Murray River and in its early years, many paddlesteamers were built from wood logged in this area. A lift bridge across the river was built in 1904 and brought new life to the town. Take the opportunity to see this engineering marvel while enjoying a cuppa. Next, we visit The Border Flywheelers Museum, set up to collect, restore, record and exhibit the historical development of farm tractors, machinery, engines and other artefacts used by the farming community along the Murray-Darling Basin. Having crossed the border into New South Wales, this afternoon we will cross back into Victoria and join the PS Pevensey for a paddlesteamer cruise along the Murray River before. Late afternoon, check in for our overnight stay in Echuca.

Day 8

Echuca - Albury
Today learn about the Port of Echuca during a guided tour. We then make our way via Cobram to Koonoomoo visiting The Big Strawberry for lunch. Travel from these rich fruit growing areas to Rutherglen, a region where over 150 years of dedication and commitment have combined with a unique climate and skill, to create a wine region that is truly full of flavour. Visit the Rutherglen Visitor Information Centre before continuing on to Albury.

Day 9

Albury - Thredbo
Albury is a major regional city situated on the New South Wales side of the Murray River and Wodonga is on the Victorian side. This morning, be enthralled as you embark on a town tour of these twin cities with a local guide. Later, travel beside the Upper Murray via the towns of Talgarno and Jingellic to Khancoban, stopping for a picnic lunch as we make our way along the Alpine Way via Kosciuszko to Thredbo.

Day 10

Thredbo - Home
Our day begins with an early breakfast, as we make our way to Cooma, the largest town in the Snowy Region. See the Avenue of Flags, representing the 27 nations from which workers on the Snowy Mountains Scheme came from. Also in Centennial Park are sculptures and the Cooma-Monaro Time Walk, a series of mosaics depicting the history of the Monaro. We then make our way to Canberra airport, where our crew will assist with your check in, ready for your flight home.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner