Murray River 4 Night Outback Heritage Cruise
Additional Information
PRICE IS PER PERSON TWIN SHARE IN OUTSIDE CABIN ACCOMMODATION (single occupancy available).
ADELAIDE COACH TRANSFERS: Bookings Essential. Complimentary return coach transfers depart the Mercure Grosvenor Hotel, 125 North Terrace, Adelaide, Monday at 1.30pm and return Friday 12.30pm.
MANNUM CAR PARKING: Bookings Essential. Limited complimentary car parking is also available at Mannum subject to availability.
OPTIONAL POST CRUISE BAROSSA VALLEY TOUR (additional cost): Discover Australia’s richest and best known wine making region – the Barossa Valley. Depart Mannum by coach where you will be transferred directly to your Barossa Valley tour at Williamstown. The tour includes three premium wineries, lunch and free time in Tanunda before returning to Adelaide at 5.30pm.
SAMPLE ITINERARY (itineraries subject to change due to weather, water levels and other operational requirements)
Monday: Mid-afternoon the PS Murray Princess departs historic Mannum, birthplace of the Murray River trade and communication, and heads upriver while you enjoy pre-dinner drinks and a Welcome Dinner. As we cruise under floodlight to our overnight mooring at Piggy Flat you may see nocturnal wildlife on the riverbank. Watch for grey kangaroos, hair-nosed wombats, Murray longnecked tortoises, spoon-beaked egrets and many other species. Our on-board entertainer provides music for the night owls.
Tuesday: Daybreak and time for the keen photographers to be out to capture the special light and the morning movement of wildlife. Prolific birdlife includes pelicans, blue wrens and black swans. Enjoy a leisurely morning and lunch cruising upriver to Big Bend where we will rendezvous with our vineyard coach tour. This afternoon visit Burk Salter’s vineyard on the banks of the river and enjoy wine tasting at the cellar door. Rejoin Murray Princess and cruise upriver to our overnight anchorage. Tonight is fancy dress night on board. (Bring your own or hire one.) We also have our famous musical quiz.
Wednesday: After breakfast cruise upriver to Swan Reach. The town was first settled in the 1850s and was originally the largest of five sheep and cattle stations in the area. The original Swan Reach homestead is now the Swan Reach Hotel. Join the guided walking tour and visit the Swan Reach Museum.
Cruise downriver after lunch and take in the tranquillity as the landscape slides by or enjoy a lifestyle and info-cruising presentation. We arrive at Sunnydale. 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 is available after dinner.
Thursday: After breakfast the ship cruises slowly downstream 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 to view ancient rock carvings and to learn about aboriginal history in the area. We return to the ship to cruise downriver to Younghusband. Along the way, adventure seekers can also take a speed boat ride. Tonight the Captain and his officers host a spectacular Farewell Captain’s Buffet. Dress up and dance, if you wish.
Friday: After breakfast, PS Murray Princess arrives at Mannum where we reluctantly say farewell.
Optional Barossa Valley Tour (additional cost)
Discover Australia’s richest and best known wine making region – the Barossa Valley. Depart Mannum by coach. The tour includes three premium wineries, lunch and free time in Tanunda before returning directly to Adelaide approx 5.30pm. Drop off is available at Mercure Grosvenor Hotel or Rockford Hotel (01Sep09-31Mar10) or Mercure Grosvenor Hotel only from 01Apr10
Sample itinerary only and subject to change due to weather, water levels and other operational requirements. Captain Cook Cruises reserves the right to itineraries and tours without notice
- Included in price:
- Facilities: Two spas, two saunas, sun deck; two bars, two lounges, single-sitting dining saloon; speed boat; gift shop, library and video; lift; guest laundry and 24-hour tea and coffee facilities. Accommodation: 60 cabins and staterooms each with private bathroom ensuite, adjustable air-conditioning, electric blankets soaps, shampoo and towels; serviced daily. Each cabin is approximately 12 sq metres. Outside Cabins open onto the outside deck and have picture windows. Dining: Dining aboard Murray Princess includes delicious table d'hote menus, Captain's Dinner and buffet dining. Breakfasts are buffet style. Every cruise includes shipboard accommodation, dining, all on-board facilities including the use of spas, saunas and exercise deck, entertainment, 24 hour self-service coffee bar and Australian Goods and Services Tax (GST). Prices exclude drinks, personal purchases, any optional tours and fuel surcharges.
- Able to be purchased/hired:
- A selection of souvenirs, toiletries, film and hats are available from the onboard gift shop.
- What to bring:
- Any medication you may require, sandals or low-heeled deck shoes and tennis shoes are most suitable on deck and for shore excursions. Smart casual wear is recommended. At the Captains Dinner on the final night of the cruise, a jacket and tie would not be out of place for gentlemen and a cocktail dress or pants outfit for the ladies. Be sure to bring a sun visor or hat, sunglasses (Polaroid) and good sun block.
- Fitness level required:
- Low
- Child policies:
- Cots & highchairs are available.
- Departure points:
- Mannum, South Australia
- Departure time:
-
4:30 PM Mon
- Pickup/departure instructions:
- Depart Mannum Monday 4.30pm (boarding from 2.30pm). Return Mannum Friday 9.00am.
- Mar/Apr
- May
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Tour Details
- Operator
- Captain Cook Cruises
- Destinations
- Adelaide, Barossa Valley, Mannum and Murray River
- Departs From
- Mannum
Tour Description
There’s no better way to see the Murray River and a slice of the hauntingly beautiful and dramatic Australian outback, its unique flora and fauna, and the rich legacy of old riverside ports and indigenous culture close up than to drift unhurried and quietly under the power of the paddle-wheeler PS Murray Princess.
Captain Cook Cruises offers a unique historic and nature-based adventure, through some of the driest parts of the driest continent, past mallee scrub and ancient red gum forests, through towering gorges and ochre-coloured limestone cliffs.
Along the way visit historic ports and lush vineyards as we navigate the Murray’s locks and big river bends. You can hike around a boardwalk trail or take a guided nature walk. Take a small boat safari for a backwater wildlife tour, visit a riverside village, or take a nocturnal tour before a riverside barbeque. Sample some of the local produce at the cellar door, or take a camera and catch some memorable scenes of the abundant birdlife.
You can also choose to extend your cruise with an optional full day tour of Australia’s richest and best known wine making regions - the Barossa Valley.
Prices & Availability
Prices for 29 March 2010.
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Tour
Murray River 4 Night Outback Heritage Cruise
Rates
- Adults
- $1313.00
- Children
- $1313.00
- Pensioners
- $1313.00
Optional Extras
Coach Transfers
Complimentary Adelaide return coach transfers
Adults: $0.01 | Children: $0.01 | Pensioners: –
