Discover the delights from Mannum to Morgan in our newest cruising option for travel. Highlights include cellar door tastings at Caudo Vineyard, a visit to well-known Banrock Station Wine and Wetland Centre, guided walks around historic towns, an Aussie barbecue beside the river; a visit to a wildlife shelter, sheep shearing demonstration and a guided walk through one of Australia’s most significant aboriginal archaeological sites at Ngaut Ngaut Conservation Park.

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, Cruise & Rail Package Includes:

• $500 flight credit (per person)
• 1 night 4-star accommodation in Adelaide with breakfast
• 7 night Upper Murraylands cruise onboard PS Murray Princess, Mannum return
• Includes all meals, a selection of onshore tours, live entertainment, return transfers from Adelaide plus more
• 2 nights 4-star 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
• Private airport transfers in Adelaide

Pricing is per person twin share and based on travel 12-24 October 2023

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

About The Cruise:

While on the 7 Night Upper Murraylands Cruise, you'll have the opportunity to...

• Depart historic Mannum
• Get up close to the river birdlife on board the ‘Dragon-Fly’ flat-bottomed boat
• Cruise through Lock #1 at Blanchetown
• Delight in a scenic tender boat ride
• Riverland food & wine tasting (A tasting of 2 Reds & 2 White wines & local produce)
• Visit the picturesque town of Waikerie
• Experience Banrock Station Wine & Wetland Centre including a delicious lunch followed by a DVD presentation & wine tastings
• Tour the gardens and orchards and visit the cellar door at Caudo Vineyard
• Guided walk of the Morgan township and the Morgan Living History Museum
• Take a walking tour of the Swan Reach township and visit the Swan Reach Museum (Gold coin donation at entry)
• Big Bend towering sandstone cliffs
• Watch the Sunnydale Woolshed Show and Native Wildlife Shelter
• Riverside Aussie Barbecue
• Optional Nocturnal Tour in a comfortable purpose built cart where you may see kangaroos, wombats, foxes, bats and owls (additional cost)
• Optional Bush Tucker Breakfast (additional cost)
• Explore the Ngaut Ngaut Aboriginal Reserve archaeological sites with an expert local guide

INCLUSIONS:

• All meals (table d’hote and a la carte menus)
• An exciting selection of onshore tours
• Guided nature walks & eco excursions
• On-board presentations
• Live Entertainment
• Complimentary return coach transfers from Adelaide or return to the Adelaide Airport or car parking in Mannum (bookings essential) 

FACILITIES:

• Lift access from Randell Deck to Sturt Deck
• Paddlewheel Lounge
• Sturt Bar
• Sturt Dining Room
• Sun Deck
• Onboard Souvenir Shop
• Public Amenities
• Mini Gym

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.

The Ghan | Adelaide to Darwin

Highlights & Inclusions:

• 3 days / 2 nights aboard The Ghan, travelling from Adelaide to Darwin
• All-inclusive meals, fine wines, and beverages
• A regionally-inspired menu paired with a selection of local wines
• Immersive Off Train Experiences in Marla, Alice Springs, and Katherine
• Cruise the Nitmiluk Gorge or learn more about Katherine’s ancient Indigenous rock paintings

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.