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14 days, Melbourne to Alice Springs
offered by supplier M06849 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 14
day(s)
Group Size: 1
- 50
people
Destination(s):
Australia
Specialty Categories:
Self Drive
Season: January - December
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: No
Minimum Per Person Price: 1800 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 2500 US Dollar (USD)
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This 4WD tour will be run with a max. of only 4 participants. For larger groups we use a 20 - 24 seat Mini Coach and have to make some changes to the itinerary. A 12 day option is also available for group bookings.
Day 1 - Spectacular Great Ocean Road with fantastic views of the spectacular coastline and walks in a remnant Rain forest, at the Twelve Apostles and at Loch Ard Gorge.
Day 2 - Port Campbell, Warrnambool and to the Grampians National Park. Warrnambool Marine Museum (optional and time permitting) then via the Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve to the Grampians National Park. For Custom Tours an alternative is from Warrnambool to Mt. Gambier with its Blue Lake.
Day 3 - Grampians, Horsham, Grampians National Park. Short drive to Horsham.
Day 4 - Horsham to Adelaide Hills and Barossa Valley. One of our longer drives, through the Wheat Belt, then the scenic Adelaide Hills to the Barossa Valley.
Day 5 - Barossa Valley to Flinders Ranges. The Barossa Valley is Australia's premier wine region with many picturesque historic towns. Her we replenish our provisions and either in the Barossa or nearby Clare Valley we'll also taste the 'local drop". Now we get the first taste of the Outback, first again a wheat growing area that later as we approach Hawker changes to Cattle and Sheep country. Tonight we either stay at Hawker or depending on our progress we may continue on to Wilpena in the Flinders Ranges.
Day 6 - We spent time walking in these ancient, 600 millions years old Ranges, once at the bottom of an inland sea and we look at some Aboriginal rock carvings. We drive along the "Geological Trail", detour into the Aroona Valley where Sir Hans Heysen painted many of his landscapes and then make our way to Copley. (Should we reach Marree then we will reach Coober Pedy the next day).
Day 7 - Copley to Oodnadatta Track, to William Creek. The Oodnadatta Track follows the original Telegraph Line and the "Old Ghan" line. We see Lake Eyre South, take time to inspect a couple of the old Railway Sidings and the unique Mound Springs before arriving at the historic William Creek Pub.
Day 8 - William Creek to Coober Pedy. Today our route takes us through the worlds largest Cattle Station (Ranch). Anna Creek Station is as large as Belgium and is part of the Kidman Empire. This is very arid country (at the southern fringes of the Simpson Desert) with many sand dunes and mostly dry clay pans. Before we reach Coober Pedy we drive through the Dingo Fence, longest known continuous fence in the world. Should we arrive early enough we may book you on the very informative "Breakaway Tour". Tonight we sleep underground at "Radeka's Downunder".
Day 9 -Coober Pedy to Mulga Park. We arrange a visit to the very informative Opal Museum for you while we attend to supply purchases etc. On our way along the Stuart Hwy. we detour to the Breakaways if we arrived in Coober Pedy too late on the previous day. We leave the Stuart Hwy. near the SA/NT border and along another gravel road make our way towards Curtin Springs on the Lasseter Hwy. It will be a bush camp tonight!
Day 10 - Mulga Park to Yulara. We have a good chance of seeing wild camels along this route and maybe also a Dingo or two. After a short stop at Curtain Springs we continue to Yulara where we set up our camp for 2 nights. It is best to first visit the excellent Cultural Centre to become familiar with and to understand some of the culture and life of the local Aborigines. Well before sun down we make our way to the sunset viewing area where we enjoy a glass of wine (or two) with a selection of cheeses and other goodies while we wait for the spectacle of the sunset. It will be dark by the time we return to Yulara and to our campsite.
Day 11 - Uluru, Olgas. If you are up to it we'll be rising very early to arrive at the far side of Uluru to wait for the sunrise.
We will have to leave our camp well over an hour before the sun rises above the horizon. We then have all day to walk around the base of Uluru (maybe climb Uluru) and for a walk in the Olgas. To climb Ayers Rock during the hot months of the year one must be fit and start early, so as to return before the sun rises too high.
You have to choice of 2 walks in the Olgas. The Valley of the Winds walk is quite strenuous and takes approx. 3 hours. The other walk is much easier and takes approx. 1 hour.
Day 12 - Yulara to Kings Canyon. We arrive at Kings Canyon by mid morning. This would give us the rest of the day for walking of the rim of this spectacular red sandstone gorge and to visit the Lost City and the Garden of Eden. However if conditions are very hot it will be better to leave this until very early the next morning. Of course that then will impact on tomorrow's plans.
Day 13 - Kings Canyon to Palm Valley. If this morning we first walk the Rim of Kings Canyon we will be quite late arriving at Palm Valley as it can take us 5 hours or more to travel the distance along the Mereenie Loop and along the Finke River. Because of that we may not be able to do one of the longer walks. We see the Livistonia Marie Palms, found nowhere else in the world and many cycads. Leftovers from an age when dinosaurs roamed our planet. Today again (if possible) we take a long, moderately difficult walk, possibly to the end of Palm Valley.
Day 14 - Hermannsburg, West MacDonnell Ranges, Alice Springs. At the Hermannsburg Mission we visit the Albert Namatjira Gallery. Then in the West MacDonnell Ranges on our way towards Alice Springs we visit one or two Gorges and Simpson Gap before making our way into Alice Springs. After our Farewell Dinner at a restaurant we enjoy a comfortable bed at our Motel.
Day 15 - We allow this as a spare day does cater for any possible serious (only) hold ups.
The above itinerary should only be taken as a guide as conditions in the outback and remote areas are very different at different times of the year and often change and a possible hold-up may even delay our arrival be a day. For this reason you should allow yourself at least one, better still 2 days as a buffer at the final destination of any such tour. However, every effort will be made to get you to the final destination at the scheduled date.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Also see tour packages in:
Australia and Oceania
Australia
Self Drive
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