Burke and Wills Tour

Our tour begins in Melbourne with a bus day trip to Royal Park, the starting point for the 1860 expedition. Then it’s on to the the cemetery where Burke and Wills are buried and to Moonee Ponds, where the expedition party camped for their first night. Leaving the city of Melbourne behind in our own vehicles, we travel through Bendigo and Swan Hill and on into western New South Wales, looking at interesting monuments along the way.

After stopping at Pooncarie and camping overnight on the banks of the mighty Darling River, we move onto Menindee for a relaxing evening at Copi Hollow, part of the Menindee Lakes System. We then divert a little with a 2-night stay in Broken Hill for a day off, during which we will be visiting the Living Desert Sculptures exhibition. Back on the road again, we continue north to Tibooburra, where we’ll be spending the night. 

The following evening will be spent at Innamincka on Cooper Creek. Here we visit the sites where Burke and Wills eventually perished. Then it is on to Dig Tree, Camp 65 on the Burke and Wills expedition. From Dig Tree we head north to Haddon’s corner, spending the night at Deon’s Lookout. Our next 2 nights will be spent in Birdsville, gateway to the Simpson Desert. If you have ever wanted to drive up Big Red, the largest sand dune in the Simpson, now’s your chance.

Whether you climb the dune or not, you will be treated to dinner at the infamous Birdsville Pub. Fully refreshed, we continue north on to Bedourie, Boulia then Mt Isa. At Mt Isa we will visit the Underground Hospital and Museum.

Once we reach Normanton, where we stay for 2 nights, we will have a day trip on
the Gulflander Train. Our tour will finish at Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is here we will get to do something that Burke and Wills couldn’t; enjoy a glass of champagne and a cheese platter on the beach as we watch the sun go down over the water. In the evening a seafood banquet will be our farewell dinner.