2020 Journey of the Gulf Savannah
This is your time to visit the Outback. Take in our natural beauty and sights. These 13 to 15 days packages will take you through the wonderful sights of Boodjamulla *Lawn Hill National Park, Cobbold Gorge, Undara Lava tubes and many more. Take a trip on the Gulflander and Savannahlander scenic rail journeys. I've experienced these and highly recommend them.
Tour Inclusions
- All en suite accommodation
- Travel by luxury 4WD coach from Longreach to Cairns
- Savannah Guides Operator driver & host
- All meals
- All entries/activities as per itinerary
- Arrival transfer from Longreach Airport or Railway Station
- One way First Class Overnight Rail Sleeper Brisbane to Longreach and Rail Bed Cairns to Brisbane – GULF15 only
Tour Highlights
- Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame*
- Qantas Founders Museum*
- Drover’s Sunset Cruise including Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show
- Crocodile Dundee’s Walkabout Creek Hotel
- Cloncurry Unearthed & John Flynn Place Museum – Royal Flying Doctor Service
- Guided Interpretive Tour of Boodjamulla National Park
- Lawn Hill Gorge Cruise
- Burketown touring
- Leichhardt Falls
- Normanton’s Purple Pub
- Sand Island at Sunset Cruise
- Barramundi Discovery Centre
- Gulflander and Savannahlander Scenic Rail
- Cobbold Gorge Tour and Cruise
- Undara Lava Tubes
- Woodleigh Station Lunch
- Lake Barrine Cruise
- * Qantas Founders Museum & Stockman’s Hall of Fame not included in the reduced 12 Day Tour (GULF12)
Departure Dates 2020 1 Departure left limited seats available on this option:
Departing Longreach – 
13 Days (GULF13):
30 September 2020
Departing Brisbane – 15 Days (GULF15) with return First Class overnight rail sleeper and rail bed:
- 29 September 2020
Departing Longreach – 12 Days (GULF12) with only 1 night Longreach & excluding Qantas Founders Museum & Stockman’s Hall of Fame:
- 01 October 2020
Prices (per person)
2020 Twin Share Single
13 Day Longreach - Cairns (GULF13) $6,799 $8,099
15 Day Brisbane - Brisbane RETURN RAIL (GULF15)
Return First Class overnight rail sleeper and rail bed $7,495 $8,795
12 Day Longreach - Cairns (GULF12 includes only 1 night in Longreach & excludes Qantas Founders Museum & Stockman's Hall of Fame) $6,594 $7,834
Minimum tour numbers apply. Itinerary subject to change.
*Rail subject to availability. Rail price based on Aust. Govt. Senior Card Holder fares in a First Class sleeper on the Spirit of the Outback from Brisbane to Longreach, and in a Rail Bed on the Spirit of Queensland from Cairns to Brisbane.
Please ask for Queensland Pensioner and Full Adult rail fares. Fly/Rail Packages and Return Fly Packages also available.
Prices do not include: air or rail fares unless specified in the itinerary or price; travel insurance; meals not specified in the itinerary; drinks; laundry; optional activities; and items of a personal nature.
ITINERARY
Day 1: Wednesday – Longreach
Arrive in Longreach, the heartland of Queensland’s Outback. You will be met by your Savannah Guides Operator driver and host at either Longreach Railway Station or Longreach Airport and transferred to your central accommodation for the next two nights. Meet fellow travellers at our Welcome Supper and hear about the adventures ahead with a comprehensive tour briefing by your driver and host.
2 nights Longreach Motor Inn, Longreach
Day 2: Thursday – Longreach
Visit the world-class Qantas Founders Museum, eloquently telling the story of the founding of Qantas. View interpretive displays, interactive exhibits, original and replica aircraft, and an impressive collection of genuine artefacts. Wander the five themed galleries of the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and discover inspiring stories of our pioneering heroes. Enjoy some free time in downtown Longreach to meet the locals and wander the local shops. (GULF12 guests join the Tour). Late afternoon, unwind on the Drover’s Sunset Cruise with tasty onboard nibbles platters; then take your seat at Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show. Relax under the stars savouring a table service two-course camp oven themed dinner, as the talented musical artists perform on the river stage.
Day 3: Friday – Cloncurry
We follow the Matilda Way via Winton to Kynuna and the Blue Heeler Hotel for a slice of Australian folklore. It was here that Banjo Paterson brokered a truce with the shearers who had burnt down the Dagworth woolshed and 143 jumbucks. Rather than shoot each other, they sang Waltzing Matilda and both ‘swagman’ and ‘squatters’ sank their last drinks at the bar. Next stop will be the Walkabout Creek Hotel made famous in the movie blockbuster Crocodile Dundee. Late afternoon in Cloncurry we discover the great Australian story of our Royal Flying Doctor Service at John Flynn Place; one of the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical organisations in the world. Overnight Gidgee Inn, Cloncurry.
Day 4: Saturday – Adels Grove
Journey around 180km north of Cloncurry on a sealed road to the Burke & Wills Roadhouse before travelling on to the beautiful Gregory River for a relaxed picnic lunch. The river is spring fed and the water is crystal clear. We’ll then travel a largely unsealed section of road around 90km to Adels Grove, an oasis in the outback and just 10km from the spectacular Lawn Hill Gorge, Boodjamulla National Park. The park features breathtaking gorge country, sandstone ranges and World Heritage fossils. On arrival at Adels Grove, your accommodation for the next two nights, enjoy some free time to explore your surrounds before dinner. 2 nights Adels Grove
Day 5: Sunday – Adels Grove
After breakfast, you’ll board a state-of-the-art solar powered pontoon boat for an hour long guided cruise along tranquil Lawn Hill Creek and the breathtaking Lawn Hill Gorge. Have your camera ready to capture the gorge’s vivid orange sandstone cliffs towering above emerald green waters. Join a guided interpretive tour on one of the many walks the Park has to offer to featuring natural and cultural sites. The afternoon is yours to enjoy at leisure in this stunning location. Tonight we’ll watch the beautiful sunset from Harry’s Hill.
Day 6: Monday - Karumba
Leaving Adels Grove today we’ll head east on the Gregory-Lawn Hill Road then travel north to Burketown along State Route 84. Enjoy a short break in Burketown for morning tea and local stories then relax with a picnic lunch at Leichhardt Falls. In Normanton, take a selfie with Krys the life-size statue of the largest saltwater crocodile ever caught. See the Purple Pub and Queensland’s earliest surviving and heritage-listed Burns Philp store. Arrive in Karumba in time to capture your first memorable Gulf sunset. 2 nights End of the Road Motel, Karumba
Day 7: Tuesday - Karumba
Discover the amazing secrets of the mighty barramundi at The Barramundi Discovery Centre, the only hatchery in the world to breed the Southern Gulf strain of this iconic fish. Your tour of this new state of the art Interpretive Centre includes the opportunity to feed a Barramundi. Enjoy free time after lunch to explore the town or to simply relax and take in this beautiful location. Late afternoon, we’ll cruise to a special sand island in the Gulf of Carpentaria to toast the sunset and feast on fresh seafood as spectacular twilight hues colour the skies.
Day 8: Wednesday – Cobbold Gorge
Travel to Normanton for a nostalgic rail journey on the famous Gulflander, affectionately called the ‘Tin Hare’. Visit the historic gold mining townships of Croydon and Georgetown. See the impressive mineral collection display at the TerrEstrial Centre. Arrive at the hidden outback oasis Cobbold Gorge in time for sunset drinks overlooking the stunning infinity pool! 2 nights Cobbold Gorge Resort
Day 9: Thursday – Cobbold Gorge
Enjoy a tour of the magnificent sandstone gorge on this privately owned cattle station. The gorge is stocked with a variety of native fish and freshwater crocodiles. On a guided cruise, you’ll glide silently between towering cliffs in a specially designed, battery powered punt. Join an optional walk to the top of the escarpment for awesome views of the gorge below.
Day 10: Friday – Mount Surprise
We board the Savannahlander in Forsayth for a unique outback rail experience on this classic 1960s ‘silver-bullet’ railmotor. Enjoy a light lunch at the Einasleigh pub with its quirky miniature furniture collection. Re-board the train and travel to Mount Surprise, then transfer by coach to Bedrock Village. 2 nights Bedrock Village, Mount Surprise
Day 11: Saturday – Mount Surprise
Explore the Undara Lava Tubes, part of the world’s longest lava flow from a single volcanic crater. These tubes were created when the Undara Volcano erupted over 190,000 years ago, pouring out enough lava to fill Sydney Harbour three times over. Join a highly skilled Savannah Guide for amazing insights into the tubes’ environmental, geological and historical features. We return to Bedrock Village for a relaxed dinner under the stars before gathering around the campfire with fellow travellers.
Day 12: Sunday – Cairns
Travel through contrasting landscapes and Forty Mile Scrub National Park to Woodleigh Station. Relax with lunch in view of the giant 100-year-old bougainvillea, then take a stroll around the expansive gardens. Continue on to Atherton Tablelands and an enchanting natural lake hidden in World Heritage Rainforest, Lake Barrine. Gain a close-up view of one of the most amazing rainforest ecosystems in the world as you cruise this beautiful lake. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner at your accommodation. Overnight Rydges Esplanade, Cairns
Day 13: Monday
Your tour concludes after breakfast. Own transfers to your homeward bound connections.
