Lake Eyre Spectacular 2011

5 DAY TOUR

$1950 per person (twin share)
$260 Single supplement

Scenic flight over lake Eyre & expedition to the lake’s shore , Clare Valley wine tasting, Flinders Ranges, Wilpena Pound, Brachina Gorge, Prairie Hotel, Oodnadatta Track, Coober Pedy, Breakaways, Arid Lands Botanic Garden

Every week:

• June 1, 15, 29
• July 6, 20, 27
• August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
• September 7, 9 ,14, 15, 21, 23, 28, 29
• October 5, 7, 12, 16, 19, 20, 26, 23
• November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Pick up from your Adelaide CBD accommodation or central bus station at approx 7.00 am and head north to the Clare Valley which is well renowned for its excellent wines, with time to visit the Seven Hill cellars, the oldest winery in the region established by the Jesuits in 1851.

We travel to Melrose, a lovely little town nestled in the foothills of the Flinders Ranges where we stop for lunch. Driving further north we arrive at Quorn which became the junction of the Sydney-Perth and Adelaide-Darwin railway systems in 1917.

After visiting Jeff Morgan’s Wilpena panorama in the town of Hawker, we arrive at Rawnsley Park late afternoon in time to see the sunset over Wilpena Pound as kangaroos and wallabies come out to feed. Tonight enjoy a campfire (fire restrictions permitting) and barbecue, o/n Ensuite accommodation Rawnsley or Hawker.

After breakfast we take a walk along the beautiful Wilpena Creek framed by huge river red gums, up to the Wangara lookout where we can see the mystical heart of the Flinders Ranges with stunning views over Wilpena Pound.

Continuing our journey exploring Brachina and Bunyeroo gorge we discover their priceless geological treasures, crystal clear water holes and an abundance of flora and fauna including the rare yellow footed rock wallaby.

We will have lunch at the Prairie hotel renowned for its great outback food before travelling into the desert country up the Oodnadatta Track. We follow the old Ghan railway line and arrive at Lyndhurst to explore the ochre cliffs followed by a visit to Talc Alfs Gallery. Late afternoon we arrive at Marree, a town at the junction of the famous Birdsville Track which is still populated by descendents of Afghan cameleers, and with a rich history as a staging post for the large camel trains carrying goods in the early days. O/n Ensuite accommodation at the Great Northern Hotel Marree.

We start the day with a visit of the Arabanna Aboriginal Centre(staff availability permitting )with its display of art, weapons and local information, back on the Oodnadatta track we explore artesian springs ecosystem, arriving at the shores of Lake Eyre, to marvel at this inland sea.

This is followed by lunch at William Creek. We then enjoy a captivating scenic flight over the expanse of Lake Eyre North, the best way to fully enjoy the impact of this amazing transformation. We then head for the opal capital of the world, Coober Pedy.

We will travel past the famous dingo fence and through the world’s largest cattle station, Anna Creek, before arriving in Coober Pedy, o/n ensuite accommodation Comfort Inn Underground Hotel or Lookout Cave.

This morning we start with a guided tour explaining the history of Coober Pedy and a 20 minutes award-winning documentary presented in an underground theatrette on three panoramic screens. We will learn about the opal industry including an opal cutting demonstration. This will be followed by visiting an underground dugout home and the Serbian underground church. We then head out to the breakaways reserve, a colourful land formation derived from the evaporation of an inland, ancient, Australian sea. We return to Coober Pedy for lunch via the dog fence and the moon plains.

Heading along the Stuart Highway, with tracts of desert scenery stretching out as far as the eye can see. We stop at Glendambo and then arrive at Woomera which was one of the world's busiest launch site for testing rockets and missiles during the 1950's and 1960's. O/n Eldo Hotel ensuite accommodation.

This morning we depart for Port Augusta, situated on the quiet waterways at the head of the Spencer Gulf. On arrival we will have a guided tour of the Arid Lands Botanic Gardens. Commanding superb views of the spectacular and ancient Flinders Ranges, it showcases a range of arid zone environments within an area of more than 200 hectares. Also featured are special conservation areas where natural flora can be enjoyed. After lunch we head south and stop at Port Germein, once an important transport hub for the surrounding districts following the opening of its jetty in 1881 - at the time known as the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere (1680m, about 100,000 bags of wheat were loaded per year).

We arrive in Adelaide at around 6.30pm and drop you off at your hotel.

A deposit of 25% is required at the time of booking, either by Bpay direct payment, credit card or cheque.

Full payment is due 15 days prior to departure to secure the reservation.

All prices are in Australian dollars and include Australian government Goods and Services tax (where applicable).

• At 30 days and more of the departure of the tour, 25% of the total cost
• Between 30 and 15 days of the departure of the tour, 50% of the total cost
• Between 14 and 7 days of the departure of the tour, 75% of the total cost
• Less than 7 days of the departure of the tour, 100% of the total cost