Year - 2025
Departure Date - nov 14
Return Date - nov 24
This Tour Is Open -
Tour Type - Railfan/Tourist Tour
$4,195 - Double Room Occupancy
$655 - Single Room Supplement
$1,500 - Deposit To Hold Space
-$200 - Early Bird Discount
Book By Dec 15, 2024
Final Payment Due By - aug 14, 2025
The dawn of the railway age in Victoria was perfectly timed, coming hot on the heels of the greatest gold rush in Australia’s history. The windfall from mining royalties was crucial in funding the construction of the country’s first main line railways. These branched out in the 1850s and ‘60s to reach the ‘Pot of Gold’, the Murray River, at Echuca in 1864. Here, the riverboat trade was also booming and the arrival of the railway added another spoke to this already busy hub. Our special adventure celebrates this golden age of rail and river transport in Victoria, as well as the state’s culturally rich cities and towns, unique natural beauty, iconic gold-rush history, and sublime local gastronomy. This tour celebrates various different rail experiences. We’ll begin our journey by utilising the efficient, modern regional rail service to the state’s northern border, where we’ll experience the mighty Murray River aboard a quaint paddle steamer. Continuing to Bendigo we’ll stay in the grand old Shamrock Hotel and explore the city at length, with a day trip to Castlemaine for a ride on the iconic Victorian Goldfields Railway. We’ll then visit Maryborough’s grand station, which is also a monument to another age, then settle into Ballarat for a few nights to explore the region, including a visit to Daylesford for a private charter of the charming DERM Railway and time at Sovereign Hill. Victoria’s natural beauty is on show at the Grampians National Park and rides on Puffing Billy and Australia’s premier rail restaurant the ‘Q Train’ cap off a mighty trip around The Garden State.
Arrive in Victoria’s vibrant capital and check-in to your hotel. Our tour commences at 6pm with a welcome drink in the hotel bar before enjoying a celebratory welcome dinner including drinks in the hotel restaurant. Overnight: Batman’s Hill on Collins, Melbourne
🍽 dinner
Melbourne Which Is Victoria's
Vibrant Capital
Melbourne Which Is Victoria's Vibrant Capital
Melbourne Which Is Victoria's Vibrant Capital
We’ll depart Melbourne this morning, travelling by regional express train to the quaint goldfield town of Castlemaine. On arrival we’ll store our luggage at the railway station, before embarking on a steam-hauled tour on the Victorian Goldfields Railway along the old branch line. Once on board, you’ll return to the Golden Age of railways and enjoy “Ales On Rails”, the Ultimate Beer, Food and Railway Experience, whilst travelling in first class 1920’s era club and parlor carriages. As your heritage steam train chugs along the countryside from Castlemaine to Maldon, take in the sights and smells of this magnificent bush setting, and sharpen your senses with beer tastings from the central Victorian region’s finest craft brewers. Starting with an easy drinking wheat beer you’ll get to sample a tapestry of specialty beers culminating in a rich chocolate porter. Tasting notes will be provided and light snacks will be served. For those who are not beer enthusiasts; local wines, ciders and soft drinks will be included as an alternative.We’ll disembark in Maldon, an iconic gold rush town awarded the ‘most intact townscape’ by the National Trust, for a convivial lunch at the Kangaroo Hotel. There’ll be time to wander past old weatherboard homes, solid stone buildings and decorative shop fronts in this lovingly preserved gold mining town, before reboarding our train and doing it all again with different beers on the return journey. On arrival back in Castlemaine, we’ll pay a visit Buda House, a classic, beautifully preserved Victoria Goldfields Villa set on 8 acres of tranquil gardens, followed by an early dinner at the popular Railway Hotel before continuing by private coach to Bendigo later in the evening to check into our hotel, our home for the next three nights. Overnight: Shamrock Hotel, Bendigo
🍽 breakfast, lunch, dinner
Victorian Goldfields Railway Excursion Train
Victorian Goldfields Railway Excursion Train
Victorian Goldfields Railway Excursion Train
We’ll depart Bendigo this morning, travelling by regional train to Echuca. Watch the landscape whip past your window as we pass Huntly, Goornong and Elmore. Once in Echuca, we’ll board our Paddlesteamer and enjoy a light lunch while the steamer rolls down the Murray River from the historic Port of Echuca and back again. Back on shore, we’ll learn about the Port of Echuca’s colorful history with a guided town tour, before boarding our coach back to Bendigo, travelling along Victoria’s Silo Art Trail with stops in the towns of Rochester and Colbinabbin to marvel at some of the magnificent art works. There’ll be a bit of time to relax before regrouping to head off for dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight: Shamrock Hotel, Bendigo
🍽 breakfast, lunch, dinner
The Paddlesteamer On The Murray River
This morning we delve into the intriguing history and unique character of the city of Bendigo, an iconic gold rush town. Starting with a very special town tour on a vintage tram, showcasing the main sights and attractions of Bendigo, we’ll finish up at the Central Deborah Gold Mine where we’ll enjoy a surface tour - if you’re interested, there’ll be the opportunity to don a hard-hat, grab a miners’ lamp and descend to walk in the footsteps of past miners. The rest of the afternoon is free to explore the city at leisure, with your Talking Tram ticket allowing you to hop on and hop off at will. Places of interest you may wish to explore include Lake Weeroona and the stunning Bendigo Art Gallery.Your evening is free to enjoy the many dining options around the city. Overnight: Shamrock Hotel, Bendigo
🍽 breakfast
Bendigo City Tram
It’s a lazy start today, with some free time after checking out of our hotel to continue exploring Bendigo at your own pace, before boarding our private coach for the journey to Maryborough. On arrival, we’ll spend some time in the town center for lunch at leisure, before heading to one of Australia’s grandest regional Victorian era buildings, the Maryborough Railway Station, which Mark Twain famously referred to as “A Railway Station with a town attached”. After a privately guided tour of this historic station, we’ll leave our luggage to travel with the coach and board the local V-Line train for a short cross-country run to the fair city of Ballarat, our base for the next two nights. Upon arrival in Ballarat, our coach and luggage will be waiting to transfer us to our gold rush era grand hotel, located on historic Lydiard Street in the heart of Ballarat . After some time to freshen up and relax, we’ll head out to a local bistro for dinner.Overnight: Craig’s Royal Hotel, Ballarat
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The Attractive Town Of
Maryborough
The Attractive Town Of
Maryborough
The Beautiful Tran Station At Maryborough
This morning after breakfast, we’ll board our coach and travel to Daylesford, a little town in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. Here we’ll take a privately chartered DERM railcar for the scenic round trip journey to Bullarto and back, taking some time to enjoy lunch at leisure in this gorgeous town before heading back to Ballarat. Back in Ballarat we’ll go directly to the Eureka Center, a museum dedicated to the social history of the colonial days on the goldfields, and home to the Eureka flag. After a visit here, we’ll continue to Sovereign Hill, the award-winning living museum presenting the story of Ballarat as a gold rush boomtown for a truly immersive experience. Gold was discovered here in 1851, triggering the greatest alluvial gold rush the world has ever known. This magnificent ‘town’ showcases rare trades, working machinery, exhibits, and costumed interpreters. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure to explore more of Ballarat. In the evening we’ll regroup for dinner in the hotel restaurant. Overnight: Craig’s Royal Hotel, Ballarat
🍽 breakfast, dinner
We Ride A Charted Derm Railcar From Daylesford
To Bullarto And Return
We Ride A Charted Derm Railcar From Daylesford
To Bullarto And Return
The Settlement Of Soverighn Hill
The Settlement Of Soverighn Hill
The Settlement Of Soverighn Hill
This morning after breakfast and check out, we’ll visit the Ballarat Tramway Museum for a look at their impressive collection of vintage trams, some of which are over 100 years old. Once the city ’s main form of public transport, the museum showcases a bygone era of transport that existed on Ballarat’s streets from 1887 to 1971. A special treat will be a privately chartered run on the quaint Ballarat 4-wheel tram! Back in town we’ll have some free time to enjoy lunch at leisure before a quick look at the excellent regional gallery and botanical gardens. In the afternoon we’ll travel by coach to Halls Gap via Dunkeld through the southern part of the Grampians on what is considered to be one of Australia’s most scenic road journeys. Upon arrival in Halls Gap, it’s straight to our hotel to settle in. Dinner tonight is hosted at a charming local pub just a short walk away. Overnight: Country Plaza, Halls Gap
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We Visit The Ballarat Tramway Museum And Take
A Ride On Our Charter
We Visit The Ballarat Tramway
Museum And Take A Ride
On Our Charter
This morning we’ll take some time to ‘smell the roses’ in this dramatic Aussie bush setting with a special coach trip deep into the heart of the spectacular Grampians National Park. Known for its rugged sandstone mountains, dramatic cliffs and plummeting waterfalls, you’ll see why it deserves its reputation as one of Victoria’s (and Australia’s) greatest natural wonders. Upon our return to Halls Gap, we’ll enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before heading to a historic winery for an underground cellar tour and tasting. With full tummies, it’s on to the Ararat railway station to board the V/Line train to Melbourne. On arrival we’ll take a short stroll to our hotel and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure. Overnight: Batman’s Hill on Collins, Melbourne
🍽 breakfast, lunch
The Grampians National Park
The Grampians National Park
The Grampians National Park
After breakfast this morning, we’ll head back to Southern Cross Station and jump on a metro train to Belgrave, the departure point for the legendary Puffing Billy, Australia’s most popular heritage railway situated in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. Originally built in the early 1900’s as a low-cost 2’6” gauge line to service the local communities and timber industry, a staged closure of the line began in the 1950’s. However, like so many great stories of heritage rail, it was saved by a group of dedicated volunteers and rail fans who worked to restore the line and the rolling stock. Since the 1960’s it has been one of Victoria’s most popular tourist attractions. We’ll get to experience a very special steam-hauled trip along the length of the character-filled narrow-gauge line, and have the chance to have a look around the new Lakeside Visitor Center and enjoy some lunch at the cafe. We’ll return to Melbourne in the late afternoon for an evening at leisure. Overnight: Batman’s Hill on Collins, Melbourne
🍽 breakfast, lunch
Photos Below Are Of The Fantastic Collection Of Narrow Gauge Steam Locomotives On The Puffing Billy Railway
This morning, after a gentle start to the day, we’ll walk down to Docklands to catch a ferry to Queenscliff and a transfer to Drysdale for a very special date with the Q Train, Australia’s premier rail restaurant, and the perfect venue for our last meal together as travelling companions. This award-winning rolling restaurant travels along the historic Bellarine Railway between Drysdale and Queenscliff in brilliantly restored carriages that originally formed part of the Queensland Railways Sunlander train. The rural and coastal scenery rolls by while you dine on fresh local produce - a fitting finale to our journey across Victoria. We’ll return to Melbourne later in the afternoon for an evening at leisure on your last night in this dynamic city. Overnight: Batman’s Hill on Collins, Melbourne
🍽 breakfast, lunch
The Docklands To Queencliff Ferry
The Q Train Australia's Premier Rail Restaurant Train Rolls Along The Rural Coastal Scenery
END OF TOUR Your tour concludes after breakfast in the hotel.
🍽 none
TOUR CONDITIONS PRICING - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Tour Pricing:
All tour prices are subject to change without notice, at any time. All prices based on double room occupancy. Those people that use a credit card for payments a 3% conveyance fee (The 3% fee has been suspended until further notice) will be added to the tour price. We reserve the right to change tour prices if necessary without prior notice.
