Grand Northern Heritage

Your adventure begins at 8.00 am flying from Moorabbin to Winton, Queensland, in time for an outback pub lunch.

Then on to the Age of Dinosaurs Museum for a voyage of discovery with The Ultimate Dinosaur Pass. Tours are split between three sites. Firstly, visit the Fossil Preparation Laboratory, touch a real dinosaur fossil and watch technicians prepare bones. View Australia's largest and most complete carnivorous dinosaur in the collections room, "Banjo". Finally, it's a drive to Dinosaur Canyon, where you will see several incredible exhibitions, including the March of the Titanosaurs and the Dinosaur Stampede.

Late afternoon, return to Winton and settle into your accommodation for the night, the historic North Gregory Hotel. It was here, in 1895, that Waltzing Matilda was played in public for the first time.

Overnight: North Gregory Hotel

Following breakfast, be inspired by a visit to the Waltzing Matilda Centre before heading back to the Winton airstrip and your flight to Mount Mulligan, northwest of Cairns, in time for lunch.

Accommodating just 20 guests on a private 28,000-hectare property, Mount Mulligan Lodge offers indulgent all-inclusive luxury accommodation, winning the Conde Nast Traveller award for best new Australian hotel in 2020. Savour gourmet meals and a selection of quality wine and spirits. For entertainment, enjoy daily outback experiences, use of paddle boards, kayaks and fishing gear. Explore the surroundings with ease in your own electric golf cart. Drive yourself to the Sunset Bar for a sundowner on the first night as you watch the Mount Mulligan escarpment come alive during sunset.

3 nights: Mount Mulligan Lodge, Outback Room 

Each day you will be offered a memorable excursion from the range of Mt Mulligan's signature tours. A tour highlight is the Branch Lookout ATV tour (all-terrain vehicle), where you can get behind the wheel (or be a passenger), explore creeks and outback tracks along the escarpment and learn about
the area's Aboriginal history.

Other tour options include visiting the oldest operating gold stamper at the Tyrconnell gold mine or the nearby historic Mount Mulligan coal mine with its tragic disaster in 1921, where 75 workers lost their lives.

Lunch is back at the Lodge daily, where you can enjoy the local facilities or go on the many self-guided walks. At the end of the day, come together in the Lodge's stunning pavilion to share in the region's finest food and wines.

This morning, before breakfast, you will be taken on a sunrise tour where you will learn more about the exciting bush ranger era of the area. You will want to stay, but after a leisurely final breakfast, it is time to fly south.

Pause for lunch at Charters Towers, with its grand buildings built on the wealth of its gold deposits in the 19th century.

Fly into Wallaroo Outback Retreat, nestled amongst the magnificent sandstone cliffs of the Carnarvon Ranges. Wallaroo is a 72,000- acre cattle property owned by your hosts, Pauline and Justin MacDonnell. This is a natural heritage experience, away from the crowds, with only ten glamping tents for an exclusive and intimate experience. Throughout your stay, you will enjoy private touring with a local ecologist, who will share their passion and expertise to make your
experience deep and meaningful.

3 nights: Wallaroo Outback Retreat, glamping tent with ensuite

Boobook Tours has designed an incredible exploration of the region for your time here. Discover parts of the Carnarvon Ranges that are not accessible to the public: Hidden Rock, prehistoric gorges, spectacular rock formations, timid fauna, and bush flora. You will also have the opportunity to partake in optional, included early morning walks and night-time spotlighting tours.

Depart Wallaroo and fly south to Lightning Ridge for a tour and lunch. Lightning Ridge is home to the black opal. Take a guided tour of its famous underground, former working mine with an opal cutting demonstration.

It's back in the air mid-afternoon returning to Moorabbin Airport at 5 pm.