State: New South Wales
Operator: Australian Eco Adventures
Minimum Price: AUD $ 4,250

 One of Australia’s great droving exploits was the overlanding of cattle from Goulburn in NSW to the Kimberley district of WA by members of the Durack & MacDonald families. On this trek we will follow as closely as possible the path taken by these families and visit places of significance along the way.

DAY 1 Tuesday 13 June - Sydney – Goulburn – Grabben Gullen - Forbes

”In December 1855 Grandfather (Patsy Durack) purchased 273 acres – in the vicinity of Dixon’s Creek about 12 miles north east of Goulburn…early in ’67 after 14 years in Australia, Grandfather started on his trek north – the family cavalcade moved out of Goulburn wending its way north along the Lachlan – the first stages were comparatively easy travelling, over wheel made tracks and past farms and stations where they would sometimes linger for a day or so on the invitation of hospitable bush people..”

(Overnight Comfort Inn Forbes) 465 km.

 DAY 2 Wednesday 14 June - Forbes – Bogan Gate – Nyngan - Bourke

“…a month by easy stages to the Bogan gates… the route wound for about 150 miles northwest along the Lachlan and up the Bogan River to its junction with the Darling… they made 8-10 miles a day over good country…2 ½ months to Bourke, last outpost of NSW settlement.” (Overnight Bridge Inn & Kidman’s Camp, Bourke). 435km.

DAY 3 Thursday 15 June - Bourke – Fords Bridge – Hungerford - Thargomindah

“…after replenishing their stores for the last time the party moved north…feeling their way up the inconsistent stream of the Warrego and across the Cuttaburra…they moved on to the sandy, treeless plains of the Paroo into an area of seemingly permanent springs…here, south of the border they established a depot.”

(Overnight Oasis Motel & Explorers Caravan Park, Thargomindah) 356km

DAY 4 Friday 16 June - Thargomindah - Mt Margaret – Kyabra – Ray Station

“Stumpy Michael and the native Cobby had set off…sixty-five miles north up the sprawling course of the Bulloo to somewhere about the site of the present town of Quilpie. Grandfather and his family settled on the Thilling-gurra waterhole while the Costello party moved south…to where Kyabra Creek swelled into a lake, seven miles long by half a mile wide.” (Next two nights at Ray Station) 350km

DAY 5 Saturday 17 June - Ray Station

Patrick Tully and Sarah Durack “sold up everything and started out for Queensland. Their fourth son, and ninth child, was born in Parkes on the way – a few weeks later the family moved on – Patrick driving the waggon, with his wife Sarah and smaller children in a loaded spring cart, and the older ones driving the cattle and horses.”

They took up Ray Station in 1874 and it still remains in the family today. Mark and his wife will spend the day with us showing us the history of Ray Station and its links with the Duracks.

DAY 6 Sunday 18 June - Ray Station – Windorah - Longreach

”The route from Thylungra stretched north to the Gulf and swung west to no-mans land. On the map it looked simple enough and measured a fairly neat 2500 miles. In fact, it veered to every compass point from water to water, from grass to grass, and nobody knew how far they must travel in ‘drovers miles’.”

(Overnight Albert Park Motel Longreach). 395km

DAY 7 Monday 19 June - Longreach – Winton – McKinley - Cloncurry

“At Winton one of the waggon drivers found romance with a full-blown beauty behind the bar of the local pub and became so lovelorn at the Diamantina River that he returned to the township as fast as horse and packs would carry him.”

“The bar at the Drovers Rest in Cloncurry overflowed with lanky, sunbronzed, bearded overlanders, swapping yarns, sketching maps on the bar counter or on the floor…”

(Overnight Gidgee Inn Cloncurry) 517km

DAY 8 Tuesday 20 June - Cloncurry – Adels Grove

“From ‘the Curry’ the route ran over a deep crossing where the cattle were forced to swim…they veered north west…the route wound through bold outcrops of copper coloured hills, over stony, treeless vistas – hard country, unfolding into open plains with welcome belts of messmate and shady silver box.

(Overnight Adels Grove). 423km

DAY 9 Wednesday 21 June - Adels Grove – Burketown

It was at a camp on the Nicholson that the first dread symptoms of disease appeared…while here Long Michael & Patsy Moore took the wagons into Burketown; supply centre for the spearheads of northern settlement – then a little metropolis of the lonely gulf”

(Overnight Burketown Pub)

DAY 10 Thursday 22 June - Burketown – Woologorang - Borroloola

“But slowly they were ticking off the miles as river after river dropped off behind them – Calvert, Robinson, Foelsche, Wierien… A man known as Black Jack Reid had brought a schooner up the McArthur River to form a shanty store at a spot the blacks called Borroloola – place of the paperbarks” spectacular gorges.

(Overnight Borroloola Inn) 490km

DAY 11 Friday 23 June - Borroloola - Mataranka

“Sometimes they crossed the trail of a previous party – probably that of Nat Buchanan, but they lost no time looking for tracks – their compass course lay due west and one man’s guess was as good as another’s which way to deviate in looking for a river crossing or skirting a range.”

(Next two nights at The Territory Manor Mataranka) 530km

DAY 12 Saturday 24 June - Mataranka – Elsey Station – Roper Bar

“Here now was the lush, tropical north that returning drovers spoke of with mixed repugnance and fascination; the deep oily green waters of the Roper with thickly bordering pandanus palms, bamboos, banyans and paperbarks – the Roper depot among thick tropical trees and creepers had the unreal quality of a stage setting…the Roper ran west to Red Lily Lagoon, a place of fantastic beauty with its massed water lilies, crimson and blue, green reeds and drooping paperbarks; haunt of wild duck – they pushed on to the Overland Telegraph Line and the little post office at Elsey Station.” 340km

DAY 13 Sunday 25 June - Mataranka – Katherine – Top Springs

TELEGRAM MAY ’85:

“Party now overland telegraph and travelling well condition remaining stock (3500 hd lost) reasonably good expect reach Ord 4 to 5 months time regards and love….”

“A sixty mile stretch west of the Telegraph was heavy going through rough heavily timbered but almost waterless country… basalt ridges, swampy flats of tangled cajuput and gutta-percha trees, tantalising rivers that turned their tracks to north and south, led on at last to the Victoria.”

(Overnight Tops Springs Hotel Motel) 400km

DAY 14 Monday 26 June - Top Springs – Jasper Gorge – Timber Creek – Kununurra

“…over a difficult pinch across the Victoria – Ord divide…they passed the (Victoria River) station on the west side and followed up the big river to its junction with the Wickham... the route swung south up the Wickham and turned west - open park like vistas of white gums, boabs, bauhinias, nutwoods and cork trees gave place to tea tree thickets and bulwaddie scrub… down the Stirling to the Negri and on to the Ord River fall.”

(Overnight Kununurra Country Club Hotel) 419km

DAY 15 Tuesday 27 June - Kununurra – Lake Argyle - Kununurra

“… and on September 25, 1885 Long Michael carved his initials M.D. on the broad trunk of a boab at Red Butt above the Ord to mark the end of the long road.”

The 7520 head that had left the Cooper had dwindled to less than half – their zig zag trail had covered a good 3000 miles over which the estimated cost was ₤ 20 a head – the total cost of the trek as something over ₤ 70000.

DAY 15 Tuesday 27 June

Today we visit the Argyle Downs Homestead Museum and take a trip down the Ord. Tonight our tour ends with a final celebration dinner. (Overnight Kununurra Country Club Hotel). 140km

DAY 16 Wednesday 28 June - Post Tour Options

There are a variety of choices depending on your time and interest. Alternatively, a short flight to Darwin to travel on the Ghan south and on to Sydney.

Notes:
Tour Code: A06
Special Departure Dates: 13 – 28 June 2006
Trip Duration: 16 days
Departs from: Central Station Sydney
Tour Ends: Kununurra
Departure Time: 8.00 a.m
Return Time: 5.30 p.m
All Prices: $4250.00 pp twin $480.00 single supplement