NSW Outback Silo Art Trail Explorer Warrumbungles Macquarie Marshes Gilgandra Parkes Canowindra Cowra 4 days

Explore Outback NSW on the far side of the Great Dividing Range with spectacular mountains, Silo Art, Sydney Return

Highlights

• Sydney to Sydney (or Central Coast)
• Hunter Valley - Aboriginal art & ceremony site
• Goulburn River National Park - stone monuments
• Warrmbungles Ranges - with bushwalks
• Macquarie Marshes - Ramsar and wetland birds
  
• Siding Springs Observatory and Anglo-Australian Telescope
• Dubbo - Hub of the West- outback city
  
• Peak Hill  - old Gold Mine tour
• Parkes Radio Telescope  – The Dish & Father of Federation museum
• Canowindra – Age of Fishes Fossil Museum
• Macquarie Marshes - optional - Ramsar site & great wetland bird spotting - requires 1 day
• Cowra - Japanese Gardens and Peace pole
• Blue Mountains

Our tours are small group adventures for people who love to connect with regional Australia and particularly regional and outback New South Wales. Our small group tours travel in Land Cruiser vehicles or minibus available for groups.

The Silo At Trail is transforming Australian regional towns. Join us on an adventure through rural Australia to witness these great masterpieces and the local hospitality.

Day 1 – Depart 8 am and travel via Hunter Valley to view the magnificent Aboriginal cave and artwork showing Biamme (the creator spirit of much of eastern Australia). This area was a major ceremonial ground for the Wonnarua Aboriginal people.

We travel on through the Goulburn River Valley and National Park, viewing unusual stone outcrops. Travel via Silo art at Dunedoo and street art at Mendoran to Coonabarabran. Here we view the mother with baby Diprotodon fossils extracted from Tambar Springs. Also the Crystal Kingdom Minerals and Fossils Museum from the Warrumbungle Range. We are close to the Warrumbungles which is Australia’s only Dark Sky Park, meaning it
is our only Internationally recognised area with an exceptional quality
of starry nights and low surrounding lights and an environment specifically protected for its
scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and public
enjoyment. An optional guided tour of the night sky this evening.is available at a local observatory at extra cost. Dinner own expense at restaurant Overnight Coonabarabran

Day 2  - We take the scenic road to the beautiful Warrumbungle Range for a delightful bush walk with wonderful views of The Breadknife. We have a tour of Siding Springs Observatory, home to Australia’s largest optical telescope.Heading west we visit more silo art at Conamble before the Macquarie Marshes - a Ramsar site and meeting place for migratory and local wetland birds including egrets, spoonbills, Magpie Geese, A total of 77 waterbird species can be found in the Macquarie Marshes, including the threatened brolga, Australasian bittern and painted snipe.  Overnight Warren

Day 3 - Travel through scenic cattle and grain growing country to Gulargambone. Here view quirky street art depicting Galahs and bullock drays and local history, plus silo art with a message on the local water tank. Travelling down the Newell Highway to Gilgandra. Here we learn of the Coo-ee march and the men who answered the call of “Coo-ee! Come and join us!”, and fell into line in the towns and villages along the route of the  320 miles (515 km) march, that left Gilgandra with 25 men in 10 October 1915, and arrived in Sydney on 12th November 1915 with 263 recruits.

Next to Dubbo, the Hub of the West and tour of near 40000 people then on to Peak Hill Open Cut Gold Mine Experience (on the songline)  Gold was discovered at Peak Hill in 1889. Peak Hill was described as a high hill of felspathic rock containing large masses of iron, ferruginous quartz and quartzite. The mine ceased production and was closed 2002. A tour of the mine reveals eye-opening original gold working dating back to 1890s, several walking trails, easy and difficult with well-constructed viewing areas to the open-cut mining areas.

We travel further south to The Dish Exhibition centre at the giant CSIRO operated radio telescope that brought the 1st moon landing images to Earth. Learns of current astronomical research and a deeper appreciation of your place in the Universe. Overnight Parkes Dinner own expense at restaurant

Day 4  - In Parkes, visit The Henry Parkes Centre and museum..Henry Parkes was the father of the Australian Federation due to his efforts advocating for the federation of the six individual colonies of Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia) culminating in Federation of Australia in 1901. Less famous here is the King's Castle, Australia's very own Elvis Presley museum created by the original yellow Wiggle Greg Page. Annually in January Parkes hosts the Elvis Festival attracting near 10,000 people

Next, we visit Canowindra, the hot air ballooning capital of Australia and the Museum of Fishes – viewing ancient fish fossils from this area that was once an inland sea.

Then through scenic rural countryside to Cowra and the Japanese Gardens optional). In World War II there was a Japanese prisoner of war camp in Cowra, and a breakout. The gardens and Peace Pole commemorate this time. Also in Cowra is nearby Wyangala Dam (recently flooding)  and the Lachlan Valley Railway Roundhouse for the keen. Now heading for Sydney, and options for a stopover at a winery, the Three Sisters or Mt Tomah Botanical Gardens. Arrive approx 6 pm.

All tours require a minimum of 2 passengers for departure. If you require a booking for 1 person please call us direct to confirm minimum numbers have been met prior to booking online.

Inclusions –

• 3 nights Hotel Motel Accommodation - twin share or single supplement available - see booking link
• Genuine small group tour vehicle - usually 4WD GXL Landcruisersor minibus for groups
• Professional Driver Guide
• Entry to Siding Springs observatory and exhibition centre
• 3 breakfasts, 4 lunches, morning teas 
• Wild wildlife!!
• National Parks entry fees.

Exclusions

• Alcohol
• Entry fees to night sky viewing experience (c.$40) Japanese Garden (c.$15) or Henry Parkes Centre (c.$15)