australia's longest shortcut
JUNE 26 2023
*** New addition to tour – visit to N’Dhala Gorge ***
16 DAY TOUR
CAIRNS TO PERTH
Join on this iconic trip, heading diagonally through Australia and some of the most remote country in the world. We’ll traverse the Outback Way, from Queensland, through the Northern Territory and onto Western Australia. Along the way we’ll visit amazing scenery, explore the ancient past and soak in the atmosphere of the remote heart country. Our trip is a mixture of six nights accommodation and 9 nights camping and includes Uluru. (There is the option to leave the trip at Alice Springs POA).
This route is being sealed so there won’t be too many more opportunities to travel here without the crowds.
Tour Cost
$6750 per person, twin share.
Single supplement $680
Includes all meals, accommodation and attractions.
Tagalong option
- All meals are included in the price and you dine as part of the group.
- All entry fees into attractions.
- Motel or other accommodation where we are not camping are covered in your cost.
Tagalong price is for a vehicle with 2 people.
$TBA , per vehicle. 2 people twin share.
Itinerary
DAY 1
Be picked up from the airport and transferred to our hotel (2 night stay). We’ll give you a town tour of Cairns and some free time (depending on your flight) before our welcome dinner.
Overnight: Cairns
Accommodation; Motel
Inclusions: Lunch and Dinner,
DAY 2
Today we head our after breakfast and take the Gillies Highway up to Yungaburra, in the heart of the Atherton Tablelands. We’ll take a walk along Peterson’s Creek and hope to see a platypus in the wild, from the viewing centre there. Then it’s on to the spectacular Millaa Millaa Falls before taking in the views of the Mamu Skywalk in Palmerston. After lunch we visit the Sugar Heritage Museum in Innisfail and late afternoon sees us enjoying the spectacular scenery and swimming hole of Babinda Boulders. After a BBQ dinner we head back into Cairns.
Overnight: Cairns
Accommodation: Motel
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,
DAY 3
This morning your guides place you on The Spirit of Queensland, for an amazing train ride down to Townesville. You’ll be picked up in Townsville mid afternoon and we will drive around to enjoy the sights of the area.
Inclusions: breakfast, lunch and dinner, train fare.
Overnight: Townsville
Accommodation: Motel
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,
DAY 4
Today we travel from Townsville to Hughenden, via Charter Towers, along the Overlander Way. Take in the history of this area, from its ancient dinosaur landscape (Hughenden is the home of the gorgeously named Muttabuttasaurus) to its colonial stock route past.
Overnight: Hughenden
Accommodation: Camping
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,
DAY 5
This morning we do a town tour of Hughenden to see the Big Windmill, the statue of the Muttabuttasaurus and the famous FJ Holden Café. Then its heading towards Winton and the Australian Age of Dinosaurs, where you’ll take a self guided tour through Dinosaur Canyon.
In the afternoon we arrive in Winton and tour the Waltzing Matilda Museum, named after the famous song that Banjo Patterson wrote: he was staying on a station in the area and was inspired by a waterhole.
Overnight: Winton
Accommodation: camping
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,
DAY 6
Today we have a long day, driving via Boulia to reach our overnight camp at Tobermoray Station. We travel through the fascination Channel country We’ll stop for morning tea at the famous Middleton Hotel, the pub in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by the Mitchell Grass Plains, the iconic film Goldstone was once filmed here. We travel on through Boulia, famous as the area of the mysterious Min Min lights before ending up at Tobermoray.
Overnight: Tobermorey
Accommodation: Camping
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,
DAY 7
Today we head along the Plenty Highway to Hart’s Range. Here we’ll take a bush camp and do some gem fossicking. Garnet and zircons are in this area and we have the necessary fossicking licences and equipment to search for some of our own.
Overnight: Bush Camp
Accommodation: Camping
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,
DAY 8
Heading back down the Plenty Highway we detour through the little community of Gemtree, down past the Garden (station property) and Trephina Gorge National Park. We stop to explore the historic gold mining settlement of Arltunga before moving down through the East MacDonnell Ranges and our overnight camping at Ross River Resort.
Overnight: Ross River Resort
Accommodation: Camping
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,
DAY 9
***Today we take a visit to the newly opened N’Dhala Gorge. N’Dhala Gorge Nature Park contains Eastern Arrernte men’s sacred sites, including petroglyphs, art sites and shelter sites. The traditional owners call the area Ilwentje. The petroglyphs have been created using either a fine pecking or pounding technique, which are thought to have been used in two different periods and date up to 10000 years ago.***
It’s short drive into Alice Springs and a regroup. Today we spend some time in town, we stock up on supplies and we stay in a motel, with the chance to do some laundry.
Overnight: Alice Springs
Accommodation: Motel
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,
DAY 10
And its onto the second half of our trip, with a scenic drive through the stunning West MacDonnell Ranges. We pause at some of the picturesque gorges, such as the Ochre Pit, Ellery Creek Big Hole and Ormiston Gorge before taking the famous Merrenie Loop and onto King’s Canyon Resort. If time (and temperature) permit those that are fit can attempt the King’s Canyon Rim Walk.
Overnight: Kings Canyon Resort
Accommodation: Camping
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,
DAY 11
This morning if people want to rise very early we can take the Rim Walk if not available the day before. From there we drive via the Luritja Road to the Lassiter Highway. Along the way we pause to admire the view of Mt Connor and the amazing Lake Amadeaus (salt), with its indigenous legend of the Ice Giant from the south. A brief stop at Curtin Springs Station and then onto Yulara Village and our camp for the night. We set up camp and then head out to Uluru and watch the sunset over the rock.
Overnight: Yulara
Accommodation: Camping
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,
DAY 12
Leaving Uluru behind us we travel west to the majestic Olgas, or Kata Tjuta. We have the time to take a walk amongst the sandstone conglomerate formations and appreciate the specialness of this significant indigenous site. From there we head down the Great Central Road, stopping to visit Giles Weather Station at Warakuna (originally set up to monitor weather conditions for weapons and rocket testing programs in the 1950s from Woomera).
Somewhere along the road we will camp overnight.
Overnight: Bush Camp
Accommodation: Camping
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner:
DAY 13
Along the Great Central Road
We continue to travel west to Tjulayirla Roadhouse. There are many attractions along the road, including the Desert Surf Camp, numerous gnamma holes and caves in the surrounding hills.
Overnight: Tjulayirla
Accommodation: Camping
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,
DAY 14
Continuing along the GCR, there are the sights of the White Cross and the Pines rest area to take in as well as a search for Deba Gnamma Hole if time permits. We pass through the mining town of Laverton before heading onto Leonora. Here we stay in a mining camp, in comfortable rooms.
Overnight: Leonora
Accommodation: Mining Camp dongas
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,
DAY 15
This morning we visit the historic old town of Gwalia and pass through Menzies before heading west along the Great Eastern Highway. We travel through the gold mining towns of Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie before overnighting in Westonia. This once flourishing gold town still has a mine and has a beautifully preserved streetscape façade, reflecting its Edwardian origins.
Overnight: Westonia
Accommodation: Motel
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,
DAY 16
This last day of our tour takes us along the Wheatbelt Way, via the towns of Bencubbin (we stop to visit the Pergrandes Sheep Yards, the remains of an original and prominent homestead), Koorda, Wyalkatchum and Dowerin (the tin dog sculptures here are amazing). Then it’s an easy afternoon cruise into Perth before we drop you off at your hotel/home/accommodation.
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch
INCLUDED IN YOUR TOUR PACK
Water Bottle and Fly Veil
You’ll be grateful for both of these!
Keep Coffee Cup
For your personal brew.
Sectional Map
Trace the route as you travel along. One per passenger or one per car, if doing the trip as a tagalong.