River, Rail & Ocean Aussie Adventure

Enjoy a short getaway cruising the southern Australian coastline and experience an array of world class entertainment and dining options while onboard Crown Princess.

Discover the dramatic South Australian outback on a cruise along Australia’s great inland highway. This seven night cruise is a unique historic and nature based adventure through ancient gorges and red gum forests, past towering sandstone cliffs and exploring historic ports, local vineyards and nature trails. Enjoy leisurely cruising 320 kilometres of the heart of the great Murray River between Blanchetown and Murray Bridge and take in the breathtaking Riverland. On the grand paddlewheel vessel the Murray Princess, you will experience a great variety of sights and sounds of river life, the beauty of its ever-changing landscape, visit historic places and indigenous sites, enjoy a woolshed and station experience and follow the region’s food and wine trail.

A legendary train. An unforgettable Australian adventure. Travel aboard The Ghan between Adelaide and Darwin on this all-inclusive journey. Departing from Adelaide, travel coast to coast through the fiery red centre, experiencing Australia at its dramatic best.

Your Fly, Stay & Cruise Package Includes:

• $500 flight credit per person

• 6 night Southern Australia cruise onboard Crown Princess, Sydney to Adelaide

• All onboard meals in complimentary dining venues & selected non-alcoholic beverages

• A wide range of onboard activities & entertainment

• 7 night Murraylands & Wildlife cruise onboard PS Murray Princess, Mannum return

• Includes all meals, live entertainment, onshore tours, Barossa wine & heritage tour plus more

• 2 nights accommodation in Adelaide with breakfast

• 2 night rail journey aboard The Ghan, Adelaide to Darwin

• Includes all-inclusive meals & beverages, off train experiences in Marla, Alice Springs, Katherine plus more

• Select transfers in Adelaide

Pricing is per person twin share and based on travel 26 October – 12 November 2024

Solo traveller pricing available. Please speak to one of our travel consultants for more details

Ocean Cruise Itinerary:

River Cruise Itinerary:

FRIDAY

Mid-afternoon the Murray Princess departs historic Mannum, birthplace of the Murray River trade and communication, and heads upriver while you enjoy a Welcome Dinner. As we cruise under floodlight to our overnight mooring at Caurnamont, you may see nocturnal wildlife on the riverbank. Watch for kangaroos, hairy-nosed wombats, tortoises, egrets and many other species. Our on-board entertainer provides music for the night owls.

SATURDAY

Daybreak and it’s time for the keen photographers to be out to capture the special light and the morning movement of wildlife. Prolific birdlife includes pelicans, wrens and swans. This morning, your discovery vessel awaits for a wildlife tour. Travelling in small, personalised groups, we explore the maze of the river and the birdlife is amazing. Watch for darters, herons and egrets feeding along the river’s muddy edges. For those who choose to stay on-board, you may wish to partake in a game of bocce or compete in the fishing challenge before we cruise upriver past Walker Flat to Sugar Shack Conservation Park. In the afternoon, join us in the Sturt Dining Room for a special presentation on the bounty of food and wine produced in the Riverland. After dinner, enjoy being entertained by our on-board entertainer.

SUNDAY

Continue cruising upriver this morning as we enjoy breakfast and pass through one of 13 locks which maintain the flow and levels of water. This morning, enjoy some free time and in the afternoon join in the fun playing a few games of bingo. Late afternoon we will secure the vessel at Morgan and after dinner, enjoy being entertained by our talented crew.

MONDAY

Today we are transferred by coach to the Riverland town of Waikerie and Banrock Station Wine and Wetland Centre near Kingston On Murray. Enjoy some free time in Waikerie and at Banrock Station delight in cellar door wine tastings followed by a delicious lunch and DVD presentation. There will be time to take a stroll around the gardens and orchards enjoying the relaxing scenery. Return by coach to Morgan where we will re-board the Murray Princess and continue our journey upriver and secure at the 329km mark of the Murray River.

TUESDAY

After breakfast, we arrive at the picturesque Caudo Vineyard located at Hogwash Bend. Here we will enjoy cellar door tastings and explore the gardens and orchards. Enjoy a leisurely lunch as we cruise downriver back towards Morgan. Mid-afternoon we join a guided walk of the Morgan township and the Morgan Living History Museum. We depart Morgan late afternoon and secure at Donald Flat Lagoon for our overnight moorage. After dinner, join us for all the fun and excitement, and participate in our “Murray River Cup”.

WEDNESDAY

After breakfast cruise to picturesque Swan Reach. The town was first settled in the 1850s and was originally the largest of five sheep and cattle stations in the area and is now home to native flower and fruit growers. The original Swan Reach homestead is now the Swan Reach Hotel where you can enjoy an ale or cappuccino overlooking the Murray River (additional cost). Join a walking tour and visit the Swan Reach Museum (gold coin donation at entry). Cruise downriver after lunch and take in the tranquillity as the landscape slides by. Catch up with friends over a coffee or drink whilst enjoying the magnificent scenery. When we arrive at Sunnydale, it’s all ashore for the Woolshed Show as we recreate typical Australian woolshed history. Later we visit the Native Wildlife Shelter where some of South Australia’s most interesting native animals are cared for. And then of course, there is the great Aussie Barbecue – cooked and served in a bush setting on the banks of the mighty Murray River. An optional Nocturnal Tour (additional cost) in a comfortable purpose-built cart is available after dinner where you may see kangaroos, wombats, foxes, bats, and owls by powerful spotlights. Special stops along the way are included to view the spectacular night sky which is part of the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve.

THURSDAY

After an optional Bush Tucker Breakfast (additional cost), we slowly cruise downriver past magnificent cliffs scoured by the river over millions of years. We reach Ngaut Ngaut Aboriginal Reserve, one of Australia’s most significant archaeological sites, for a step back in time – tens of thousands of years – for a guided boardwalk tour to view ancient rock carvings and to learn about aboriginal history in the area. We return to the vessel to cruise downriver to Younghusband. Along the way, adventure seekers can also take a scenic tender boat ride. Tonight, join your fellow passengers for a delicious final night dinner and enjoy the evening entertainment.

FRIDAY

We leave Younghusband and head back to Mannum. After breakfast we reluctantly say farewell as we arrive at the Mannum Wharf.

Rail Itinerary:

DAY 01

ADELAIDE

Departing Adelaide, what lies ahead is rugged, beautiful and spectacular – through the Red Centre to the tropical north of Australia. Settle into your cabin and watch the rolling pastoral lands of South Australia from your window, or meet your fellow travellers in the lounge car. Before long some of the oldest rock formations in the world, the Flinders Ranges, come into view. As darkness envelops the rugged outback, it’s time to indulge in a regionally-inspired dinner and all-inclusive fine wines and beverages.

DAY 02

ALICE SPRINGS

Begin with a freshly brewed coffee or juice as the day dawns at Marla, an outback outpost in the remote reaches of South Australia. It is here, deep inland, that you will enjoy a one of a kind experience, as you watch the desert come to life at sunrise. All aboard for brunch as you make your way through the MacDonnell Ranges to Alice Springs where a choice of Off Train Excursions awaits. Alice is an iconic Red Centre outpost. 1,500 kilometres from the nearest major city, it may be remote, but offers plenty to explore – home to doctors who fly, rivers that run dry, and a cast of colourful characters. Your time in the ‘capital out of the outback’ offers numerous opportunities to explore its historic legacy and unique environment.

DAY 03

KATHERINE AND DARWIN

Your day dawns in the tropical north. The pristine wilderness of Katherine is stirring and powerful, and you’ll have the chance to explore it from the water on an Off Train Experience. Cruise the jaw-dropping Nitmiluk Gorge, learn more about its ancient Indigenous rock paintings and gain insight into the culture of the traditional owners of Nitmiluk, the Jawoyn people.  As evening falls, arrive in Darwin to complete your epic Australian journey.

Prices listed are per person in Australian/New Zealand Dollars, based on twin occupancy, including all discounts unless otherwise stated. The offer is subject to availability at time of booking and shown on the lowest inside category available at the time.  Fares are capacity controlled and are subject to change at any time without notice. Prices/Offers are correct as at 12 December 2023 and can be withdrawn without notice.   Cabin categories include prepaid government fees and port taxes unless otherwise stated.  Hotels may charge resort fees not included in this package, payable direct upon check in. Visas are not included.  Payments made by credit card will incur a surcharge. Air credit is applicable on airline of choice, subject to availability and subject to the carriers’ flight schedules and conditions.