Cost: $865 per person twin share

Hosts: Rod and Colleen Richards

Mildura & the Murray Outback will overwhelm your senses with a wide range of exciting landscapes. This is truly the accessible outback.

The mighty Murray River winds its way through the heart of Mildura Outback. The Darling River flows through Menidee & Kinchega National Park, all the way south to join the Murray at Wentworth. These massive waterways support an astonishing array of vegetation & wildlife along oasis-like corridors through this diverse outback country. Once a commercial highway for the working Paddle steamers, the Murray still retains the charm when you climb aboard the 1912, PS Melbourne in Mildura for a cruise. The Mildura region is often referred to as the Mediterranean in the outback, with its lush green golf course, citrus groves, vineyards & endless sunshine. Enjoy Mildura with its cosmopolitan flavour, mouth watering local produce and wines. No visit to the Murray Outback is complete without a little time spent exploring the historic river port of Wentworth at the junction of the mighty Murray and Darling Rivers. The oldest town in the district, Wentworth was once the busiest inland port in NSW and still retains the trappings of a bustling past.

Explore the mysterious desolate sand hills of Mungo National Park, a strange and beautiful landscape where you sense the spirit of the ancient peoples. Discover the Mallee with its abundant wildlife, rugged outback scenery and striking sunsets. Be amazed at the contrasting harsh beauty of the dry lands with the lush green countryside of the irrigation areas surrounding Wentworth and Mildura.

The journey from the Sydney Region & return is also a fantastic, scenic experience. Travel by the Riverina for an overnight stay, & on into Hay, with a visit to Shear Outback and the Australian Shearers’ Hall of Fame on the forward journey. On the return journey travel along the Victorian side of the boarder along the Murray River Highway through Swan Hill with a lunch at the historic Port of Echuca and then onto the Albury area for the final night

Mildura and the Murray Outback is a place of such diversity its hard to believe you can experience so much in one fantastic holiday.

Seven days and six nights touring including:

6 nights Quality Accommodation, including four nights at Mildura’s marvellous 4 star Boulevard Motor Inn plus quality overnight stays each way, with dinner and breakfast, in the Riverina on the forward journey and in the Albury region on the return journey.

Luxury return coach travel from Epping.

Delicious evening meals served in the Motel’s superb Reef and Beef Restaurant, Hearty county style breakfasts and light lunches every day.

Entry to all attractions as detailed in the itinerary

Friendly country hospitality and professional service.

Tuesday 18 September 2007. Sydney to the Riverina. This morning you will board your coach outside the Epping RSL in Rawson St and journey south to the beautiful Southern Highlands for morning tea. Lunch will be provided at a convenient location. After lunch leave the Hume Highway and travel west as journey through some of the best wheat growing areas in the county towards the Riverina ‘The food bowl of the Nation’ From sun dried tomatoes to rice, from the freshest orange juice to sumptuous wines, the ample waters of the Murrumbidgee River provides a bountiful harvest. Accommodation, dinner and breakfast will be provided in Leeton to give you a brief taste of this interesting region.

Wednesday 19 September. The Riverina and Hay to Mildura: This morning after you join the Stuart Highway and head west the countryside begins to change from the lush irrigated farming areas to the drier regions surrounding Hay where you visit the new ‘Shear Outback" which includes the Australian Shearer’s Hall of Fame with time for a visit & a shearing demonstration followed by lunch. Cross the famous Hay plains with their large cattle and sheep properties as well as expanses of rice. A comfort stop will be provided at Balranald as your journey continues into Mildura. You will be warmly welcomed at the Boulevarde Motor Inn by your hosts Derek and Carol Pritchard with time to settle into your accommodation before Happy Hour and dinner in the Motel’s superb restaurant. The new Centra Shopping centre is just a five minute stroll for the Motel on the next corner.

Thursday 20 September. Start the day with a guided tour of Mildura before visiting the state of the art Mildura Information Centre which provides you with an excellent audio visual presentation giving a brilliant insight into the history of the Chaffey Brothers and the European settlement in the area. Next enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Paddle Steamer Melbourne. Mildura’s only steam driven paddle steamer. Relive the sights and sounds of the pioneering days on this informative cruise which takes you through the mysterious workings of the river locks. A light lunch will be provided on board. After the cruise there will be some free time to explore the shopping area starting from the well know Grand Hotel. Everyone has heard of Stefano de Pieri, Mildura’s famous chef and his TV show "A Gondola on the Murray" Stefano’s renown Restaurant is situated in the former cellars of the Grand Hotel. Take time to call into his nearby 27 Deakin Café and Good Food store outlet just around the corner from the Grand. Treat yourself to a coffee as you check the wonderful range of Stefano’s products, Just along from 27 Deakin is the ‘Citrus Shop’ which is much more than just citrus. Around the other side of the Grand Hotel is the new Mildura Brewery. Highly recommended for the beer drinkers to sample the four local handcrafted varieties, (Mallee Bull, Desert Premium Lager, Murray Honey Wheat, and Sun Light) in a superb setting in full view of the modern brewing facility. Try the innovative tasting tray which provides a small glass of each variety for a very reasonable price. After the shopping time re join your coachfor the sohort drive to Ask Valley Estate for a tasting and to meet Ferdinando & Joanne DeBlasio. Using traditionalist winemaking methods and knowledge that has been handed down from father to son, combined with today’s modern techniques they produce quality wines of unique character. Every step of the production process is meticulously handled personally from vineyard to the bottle and you will see for yourself the commitment and care that is taken to produce their wines.

Friday 21 September: Mungo National Park There is no place more magical, mysterious and beautiful than World Heritage listed Mungo National Park. Remains of the earliest known humans to inhabit the Australian Continent have been found here. Until 15,000 years ago the region was a vast lake and a Mecca for a dazzling diversity of wildlife. The abundance of the lake made Mungo an ideal location for Aboriginal settlement and so Mungo is the site of one of the earth’s longest continuous human habitations. About 15,000 years ago the lake dried up. Over centuries winds swept storms of sand up from the lake floor creating the famous Mungo lunette and the spectacular ‘Great Wall of China’. Continued erosion has yielded stores of remains. It’s like a vast sandy museum peeling away layers of the past. It is said the spirits of the long departed whisper amongst the sand hills and the strange stone outcrops are like sentinels to a mystic dreamtime past. However there is much more to Mungo than the landscape, Its red, sandy county is home to a diverse array of animals, birds and plant life – look for the graceful Wedge-tailed Eagle and the big red kangaroo. All are here to be seen as you explore this extraordinary outback wilderness. Experience this magic with you own local tour guide today as you journey back in time to Mungo. A picnic lunch will be provided at Mungo.

Saturday 22 September: Orange World, Gemstones, Dried Fruit and Wentworth: Orange World is your first stop for today on the way to Wentworth. Meet Mario, Maria and Cat as they show you around their orchard. Travel by Tractor Train through the orchard and be entertained by their stories, as you gain some understanding of the citrus industry and what it means to the local growers. Learn about the picking, packing and marketing. Taste the delicious freshly squeezed orange juice and take the opportunity to purchase some fresh fruit direct from the orchard. It’s only a short drive to Wentworth and upon arrival you will enjoy a guided tour of Wentworth’s key attractions. Wentworth is located at the junction of two of Australia’s mighty rivers, the Darling and the Murray . In the 1880’s the river was alive with paddle steamers, and Wentworth’s location at the junction of the Darling and the Murray, made it one of the busiest inland ports in NSW. Today the town has many gracious buildings to remind us of its grand past including the Anglican Church, the Post Office, the original customs Officer’s house and the Old Wentworth Goal built in 1881. Lunch will be provided at a suitable location. As you return to Mildura you will call into Woodies Gem Shop, one of Australia’s largest gemstone cutting and jewellery manufacturing complexes. See the cutting of the gems, take a walk through Aladdin’s Cave and be tempted by the impressive range of over 6,000 pieces of jewellery on display. Nearby is the Angus Park shop with their extensive range of delicious sun ripened fruit and specially gift packs. The Coach will drop off at the shops and pick up at a designated time, while others return to the Motel for a rest.

Sunday 23 September: Mildura & Echuca to the Albury Region: Today your scenic adventure continues with an early departure as your journey takes you along the Victorian side of the mighty Murray from Mildura along the Murray Valley Highway though Swan Hill to the historic Port of Echuca for lunch and some time to explore this fascinating and colourful Port. Continue onto the Albury area for your overnight stay.

Monday 24 September. Homeward Bound. Today your coach heads north along the Hume Highway through some really marvellous countryside with a morning tea stop at a convenient location followed by lunch in the charming city of Goulburn. You journey home continues hopefully filled with wonderful memories of your journey the marvellous Murray Outback and your stay at the Best Western Motor Inn in Mildura.

 Tour organiser Wal Cooper phone 9876 4001