Birdsville, Innamincka and Corner Country 4WD Tag-Along Tour

Meet at Charleville

Depart Charleville and head for Quilpie. Along the way stop off at Cooladdi and then in Quilpie have time to visit the Information Centre to see their latest exhibition, wander through their museum and see some magnificent displays of opal, including the famous opal altar and perhaps visit Lyn Barnes Art Gallery. 12.00pm – lunch at the Quilpie Club.

This afternoon we will continue onto the tiny town of Windorah, crossing over mighty Cooper Creek.
Accommodation: Cooper Cabins

Birdsville

This morning we’ll depart Windorah and travel west to Birdsville, see ruins and listen to researched history and arrive in Birdsville this afternoon, famous for its annual outback horse race meeting and the Birdsville Hotel! Accommodation: Birdsville Hotel/Motel (2 nights)

Simpson Desert

Up early this morning for your adventure over Big Red and into the Simpson Desert. Traverse a number of sand hills into the desert to Eyre Creek. The Simpson is a wonderful place, take the time to enjoy it.

Returning to Birdsville for lunch and a look around town or perhaps chat to a local over a cold drink in the Birdsville Hotel! Dinner this evening will be in the Birdsville Hotel.

Innamincka

Following breakfast we are off to Innamincka. Enjoy the panoramic view from Deon’s Lookout and we will have a side trip to Haddon Corner. A highlight of today is our visit to Australia’s most famous coolabah tree – the Burke & Wills Dig Tree. The Coolabah tree is believed to be over 200 years old and still has the three blazes on the trunk put there over 150 years ago by the base camp party that Burke & Wills missed by 6 hours. Arrive late this afternoon at Innamincka, South Australia, one of the most remote tourist facilities in the world, rich with history of early Australian explorers, most notably Burke & Wills and also the heart of the oil & gas resources rich Cooper Basin. Dinner this evening at Innamincka Hotel.
Accommodation: Innamincka Hotel/Motel (2 nights)

Burke & Wills

Highlights of your visit to Innamincka will include a visit to Wills’ site, Kings Marker (where you will hear more of the Burke & Wills story) & then Burke’s Grave. You will have some free time after lunch to visit the Australian Inland Mission Building and the Innamincka Trading Post. Later this afternoon, we’ll get together around a campfire by Cooper Creek for sunset drinks & nibbles (byo). Dinner this evening at Innamincka Hotel.

Strzelecki Track

Depart Innamincka and travel south along the new Strzelecki Track stopping to hear about Geodynamics Hot Fractured Rock Project. We’ll stop for morning tea near Moomba and then continue on past Merty Merty Station and through the Strzelecki Desert before arriving at Cameron Corner– which is the junction of NSW, SA & QLD and was surveyed in 1880 by James Cameron. We’ll have lunch at “the Corner Store” before we travel into NSW and the unique little town of Tibooburra. Dinner will be at the Family Hotel where some time ago a few artists, fascinated by the desert, came to the town to paint. Any flat surface was fair game and there are still original works by Clifton Pugh, Russell Drysdale and Rick Amor on the hotel’s walls. Dinner in restaurant. Accommodation: Family Hotel/Motel (2 nights)

Cameron Corner

Breakfast will be at the Corner Country Store before we head south to the historic village of Milparinka, which today is being reinvented with a number of historic buildings waiting to be explored. Hear some history about explorers to this region and visit Depot Glen before lunch and a free afternoon to explore this unique little town. Dinner this evening at the “Two-Storey” Tibooburra Hotel.

Last Day

After breakfast at the Corner Country Store, you are free to depart and continue your travels.You can head south to Broken Hill, east to Bourke & Lightning Ridge or north via Noccundra to Thargomindah (good overnight stop), Eulo, Cunnamulla and back to Charleville or onto St.George. Your guides will accompany those travelling to Thargomindah as far as Noccundra (departing generally at 8.30am).