Riverina Rail Tour
From Sydney To Junee, Griffith, Temora, Parkes, Blue Mountains - 4 Nights

Departing from:
Sydney
Destination:
Junee, Griffith, Temora, Parkes, Blue Mountains
Duration:
4 Nights
Offer:
No single surcharge
Travel Dates:
10/03/24 to 14/03/24
07/04/24 to 11/04/24
25/08/24 to 29/08/24
22/09/24 to 26/09/24
Offer Expires:
26/09/24
Tour Operator:
Vintage Rail Journeys
Reference Code:
VRJ-Riv

From

AU$4,495

Price per person

Package Details

Overview

Step back in time with the team at Vintage Rail Journeys and travel in style on board a fleet of newly restored 1960s ex-Southern Aurora sleeping carriages. Experience the heart of Australia’s food bowl, stopping at regional towns and attractions throughout the Riverina. You will also travel on rail lines which don’t have scheduled passenger services, making this a real adventure. Discover acclaimed wines, taste gorgeous fresh produce and explore spectacular natural scenery throughout the region.

Contact Guidepost Rail Tours to reserve your place. More tour dates available through 2023 & 2024

Details

Day 1 | Sunday: Sydney – Moss Vale – Goulburn
Your Riverina Rail Tour adventure starts at Sydney’s Central Station. Once on board the Aurora Australis, you can choose to sit in the lounge or dining cars, or your private cabin while we travel along the Illawarra Railway Line, through the Royal National Park and offering spectacular views of the South Coast to Wollongong. We then travel on a freight only line up the Illawarra escarpment, pausing at Summit Tank Railway Station, where you are provided with a rare opportunity to take photos of the stunning vista out to sea.Riverina Map

Lunch will be served onboard the train today, so that you can experience all that the Aurora Australis has to offer. We join the Main South Line at Moss Vale and continue to Goulburn where we depart the train and hop onto our private Aurora Explorer buses to explore the sights and historic offerings of Australia’s oldest inland city. The train will be stabled for the night at Goulburn Railway Station.

Day 2 | Monday: Coolamon – Griffith
Enjoy breakfast on board as we leave Goulburn and continue along the Main South Line. We pass many interesting villages and towns today as we travel through the Canola Trail, so keep an eye out for the many grain silos adjacent to the rail line. Today we spend time in Coolamon, stopping at the Coolamon Railway Station dated 1881. Coolamon is named after the Wiradjuri word for a vessel carrying goods, children and water, “Gullaman” and this little town offers us a warm welcome.

Flanked by the Train Station at one end of the street and the Fire Station at the other, we have developed an afternoon experience of ambling the beautifully preserved heritage main street of Coolamon. A stop at the Coolamon Cheese Factory is a must for anyone who likes cheese or is interested in the cheese making process. The Up-To-Date Store, built in 1909 plays host to a variety of museum displays and collections. A stroll through this heritage listed building will bring back memories for some and offer interesting stories for others. The Coolamon Fire Museum hosts a truly amazing private collection of fire fighting equipment, uniforms and memorabilia. Along with heritage museums and buildings, the main street contains many local shops, restaurants and cafes, making this afternoon an unforgettable experience for all.

We will return to Coolamon Railway Station throughout the afternoon in preparation for a 3pm departure. We will travel along the Yanco to Griffith Line. Dinner will be served on-board the train at Murrami Grain Siding, where we will be stabled for the night in the serenity of the Australian bush.

Day 3 | Tuesday: Griffith – Temora

We’ll board coaches early this morning to enjoy breakfast at Piccolo Family Farm in Griffith. Peter & Luke will explain their sustainable farming practices before you enjoy breakfast in their new ‘cellar door’.

You’ll then choose from three optional off-train experiences:

  • Calabria Family Wine – Board a coach to take you to the Calabria Family Wine Cellar Door, where you will have a delightful time tasting Calabria’s fine wine, with an accompanying small cheese plate. The coach will then take you to ‘Banna Avenue’ where you can enjoy the remainder of the afternoon.
  • De Bortoli Wine and Il Campo Garden visit – Emeri De Bortoli has transformed a 14 acre plot into a beautifully landscaped memorial garden dedicated to her late husband Deen. Guests take a stroll through the garden as well as experience a wine tasting at the De Bortoli Cellar Door just across the road. The coach will then take you to ‘Banna Avenue’ where you can enjoy the remainder of the afternoon.
  • Morella Grove and Whitton Malt House – Established by the Dal Bon family, NatIMG 0075asha and her Dad, Frank are passionate about their produce and guests will experience a farm visit to Morella Grove. Frank will tell the story of the farm, the water efficient practices and the many processes the olives go through. You’ll then continue on to Whitton Malt House, where you will have a guided tour of the Southern Cotton Gin. You will need good mobility as there is a flight of stairs into the Gin. After your tour you can purchase lunch from the Whitton Malt House Cafe (extra cost).

Coaches will then take you to Yenda Grain Siding to re-board the train where we will travel on the freight only Lake Cargellico Line. Dinner will be served on-board the train at Temora Grain Siding, where we will be stabled for the night.

Day 4 | Wednesday: Temora – Orange

Breakfast this morning is on board the Aurora Australis before experiencing Temora. Today you can choose one of two Temora tours:

  1. The coach will take you to the Bundawarrah Centre which houses the Temora Rural Museum. Spend the morning experiencing the history of the region including a cottage of hardwood slabs that was Sir Donald Bradman’s first home, a one room public school, bush church, country dance hall, printery, flour mill and ambulance station. The Ambulance Museum includes ambulance vehicles and conveyances dating back to 1897 and originating from throughout Australia, including NSW, ACT and Victoria.
  2. The coach will take you to the Temora Aviation Museum which was built on the site of the biggest and longest lasting RAAF Elementary Flying Training School during World War II. Spend the morning in the three main exhibit buildings, the Museum which is in the original 10 EFTS Guardhouse; the second exhibition area, located in the Engineering Hangar overlooking the aircraft which are currently in maintenance; and the Display Hangar which houses the new exhibitions area along with the aircraft.

Coaches will return you to Temora Station where lunch will be served in the Dining Carriages as we travel on freight only lines via Stockinbingal. There are many freight trains to pass on this single track line, and we are likely to experience substantial delays. Dinner will be served on-board the train as we travel through Parkes and onto the Broken Hill line to Orange Rail Yard at an unknown time (!) where we will be stabled for the night.

Day 5 | Thursday: Katoomba – Sydney

Enjoy breakfast as we travel from Orange and towards the Great Dividing Range. On through Lithgow and through the 10 tunnels that replaced the Lithgow Zig-Zag, then cross the Darling Causeway on the way to Mount Victoria.

Stopping at Mount Victoria, you will depart the train and board your Blue Mountains Explorer Bus to see the vibrant Blue Mountains Villages on a guided coach tour. Walk out to the edge at Echo Point, see the majestic Three Sisters, check the waterfalls and the vibrant villages. Take a ‘Scenic World‘ ride (optional extra – tickets may be bought on the train).

Lunch is at your own arrangements in the picturesque Blue Mountains villages.

This afternoon board the train for our return to Central Station. You will have had a truly memorable Vintage Rail Journey!

Inclusions

Experience the heart of Australia’s food bowl, stopping at regional towns and attractions throughout the Riverina. You will also travel on rail lines which don’t have scheduled passenger services, making this a real adventure. Come with us to discover acclaimed wines, taste gorgeous fresh produce and explore the natural scenery throughout the region.

Highlights include:

  • Historic Goulburn
  • Coolamon Cheese Factory
  • Piccolo Farm
  • Emeri De Bortoli’s Private Garden
  • Bundawarrah Centre
  • Blue Mountains.

Terms

Golden West Room

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