From the Edge of the Outback

The tour starts at 6.00pm on Tuesday 29 April, at the Imperial Hotel, Broken Hill.

The tour ends after breakfast  on Thursday 8 May, at the Grand Hotel, Mildura.

The tour commences at our Broken Hill accommodation at 6.00pm, with drinks on the verandah of our heritage hotel. After meeting your tour leader for introductions, we stroll through town to enjoy a welcome dinner at the fabulous Old Salt Bush restaurant. Overnight Broken Hill (D)

Today we explore Broken Hill’s wide streets and heritage, discovering the town’s mining past and thriving modern art scene. We take a walking tour with a local guide through the historic town centre past palatial Federation and Victorian buildings funded by mining wealth, as well as tin cottages and 1930s art deco properties. After the tour, we will call in at the Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery housed in the refurbished Sully’s Emporium building. The gallery collection comprises colonial, modern and Aboriginal works by Australian artists such as Lloyd Rees, Pro Hart and Emily Kame Kngwarreye. This afternoon we visit the Line of Lode Miner’s Memorial, located atop a mullock heap. The impressive structure pays tribute to the 800 miners who lost their lives working at the mine. Tonight (weather permitting) we’ll enjoy an evening at the Outback Astronomy centre and dinner under a superb night sky, with no light pollution. Overnight Broken Hill (B, D)

This morning we make a 300-kilometre round trip northeast of Broken Hill to Mutawintji National Park, dominated by the Bynguano Ranges whose vibrant colour beautifully captures the changing light and provides a backdrop for the famous hand stencil artworks of the local people. The ruggedly beautiful park shows evidence of continuous use by Aboriginal people for thousands of years. We are guided around Mutawintji by one of the traditional owners and introduced to its history, culture, before embarking on a walk to view the rock-art. On our return to the hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Broken Hill (B, L)

We travel 20 kilometres outside of Broken Hill for a private guided tour of the Daydream Mine site, founded in 1881. Starting on the surface, we visit the old township where the miners lived in extremely harsh conditions in the 1880s and see the historic smelter used by BHP. Then we descend underground to see how the mine once operated, donning a hard hat and light just as the Cornish miners would have done. We continue to Silverton and wander through the historic buildings, many of which have appeared onscreen in films and television series. At the iconic Silverton Hotel, you can have lunch washed down with a cold beer before we return to Broken Hill in the afternoon. Later, we take a short drive out of town to see the sun setting over the Living Desert Sculpture Park, followed by dinner at the iconic Palace Hotel. Overnight Broken Hill (B, D)

Before leaving Broken Hill, we enjoy a tour of the Royal Flying Doctor Service base, which celebrates the ingenuity and resourcefulness of this institution. We then drive to historic Bindara Station via the small town of Menindee (road conditions permitting), the last stop for explorers Burke and Wills on their journey across the interior. If there is water in the Lakes we will stop to explore before a lunch time arrival at Bindara Station. The majestic red brick homestead and outbuildings on Bindara were built by Joseph Dunne around 1870 from bricks fired on the property using local clay, while other materials used in the construction were transported up the river by paddle steamer. We explore the outbuildings and old cemetery and take a stroll along the banks of the Darling River, where the bushland provides a natural habitat for a wide range of birds including many rare species. This area also contains evidence of Aboriginal occupation including stone tools, fireplaces and trees scarred by the removal of bark to build canoes. In the evening we enjoy a campfire dinner with station owner Barb. Overnight Bindara (B, L, D)

After an early morning walk along the river at Bindara looking for ancient indigenous sites, we depart for Pooncarie on the Darling River. Burke and Wills passed through here on their ill-fated journey to the Gulf of Carpentaria. We stop for a cold beer and barbecue lunch at the Telegraph Hotel before arriving at Mungo Lodge. We check into our accommodation mid-afternoon and have time for a short rest before a walk in the park and visit to the Information Centre and the shearing shed that once belonged to the original Mungo Station. Overnight Lake Mungo (B, L, D)

This morning we view the Walls of China and walk across the lunette that formed along the eastern margin of the lake. Here we search for evidence of the earliest human inhabitants and extinct animals dating back 50,000 years. The World Heritage-listed Willandra Lakes system has remained dry for approximately 18,000 years, creating a significant archaeological region known for the discovery of Mungo Man, the oldest human remains found in Australia. We drive around the lunette, stopping at Vigars Well to climb the dunes for a spectacular view, and enjoy a picnic lunch. This evening we head back into the National Park to witness the sun setting over the Walls of China. Overnight Lake Mungo (B, L, D)

After a leisurely breakfast there is time for a walk along the dry western shoreline of the lake before we depart for Mildura, making a stop at Wentworth for lunch and to see the confluence of the Murray and Darling Rivers. On arrival, the eveving is at leisure. Overnight Mildura (B, L)

This morning we enjoy a leisurely cruise and morning tea on the Murray River. An informative onboard commentary provides an insight into the Murray Darling River system and its environs as we meander along the river. During the afternoon we will visit Rio Vista, the home built in 1892 by William Chaffey, who, along with his brother George, was responsible for establishing Mildura and the development of the irrigation programs that eventually brought prosperity to the region. The Mildura Art Gallery occupies space adjoining the original house. On our last evening we enjoy a fabulous farewell meal in multi award-winning Italian restaurant Stefanos. Overnight Mildura (B, D)

The tour concludes after breakfast. (B)

Accommodation on this tour is limited by the remote locations and the number of rooms available at certain destinations.

In Broken Hill we are the sole occupants of a charming eight room heritage hotel where we get to mingle with the owners who still work in the mining industry. At Bindara, located on the banks of the Darling River, we have sole use of the historic station. The rooms here reflect its heritage nature and some have shared facilities.

Our stays vary on the second part of the tour, from motel style in Mildura, to cabins at Mungo Lodge.

Hotels

• Broken Hill, Imperial Hotel (4 nights)

• Bindara, Bindara Station (1 night)

• Lake Mungo, Mungo Lodge (2 nights)

• Mildura, The Grand Hotel (2 nights)