November 13 – Echuca Moama Coach Tour
We pick you up from your home and begin our journey to discover the magical Murray River Country and the Historic River Port of Echuca. Stopping in Yass where we enjoy lunch and a tour of the 1835 colonial Cooma Cottage built by pioneering pastoralist Cornelius O’Brien and which between 1839 and 1873 was the home to Australia’s great overland explorer Hamilton Hume …
Echuca Moama Discovery tour brochure … click here
ECHUCA MOAMA – Holiday Coach Tour
7 Days / 6 Nights – with Mary and Brian
Tour Departs: Sunday 13 November – Saturday 19 November 2016
Tour Inclusions:
• Pick up from your home, transport and return
• Luxury Coach Travel Seatbelts & Restroom
• 5 Nights Minimum Three Star Quality Motel Accommodation
• 3 Three Course Dinners with Choices & All Fully Cooked Breakfasts
• Lunch Days 1, 2, 4, 5 & 7
• All Entry Fees and Guides as per Itinerary.
Tour Highlights:
Cooma Cottage Lunch & Tour; Historic Echuca Tour; Echuca Historical Society Museum; P.S Pevensey Cruise; National Holden Motor Museum; Day tour to Gunbower Island including Morning Tea, Lunch & Afternoon Tea; MV Kingfisher Cruise; Perricoota Station & Afternoon Tea; The Stockyard & more.
Tour Fee including GST: Members $2,199.00 per person, twin share
Non Members $2,219.00 per person, twin share
Single Supplement $420.00
Minimum loading 20 passengers booked and paid by Thursday
Website: ezidrivecoaches.com.au – Email: mary@ezidrivecoaches.com.au
Please note that the itinerary is subject to change without notice
7 Days / 6 Nights – with Mary and Brian
Tour Departs: Sunday 13 November – Saturday 19 November 2016
Day 1 Home Port / Wagga Wagga Lunch & Dinner
We pick you up this morning from your home and begin our journey to discover the magical Murray River Country and the Historic River Port of Echuca. Stopping in Yass where we enjoy lunch and a tour of the 1835 colonial Cooma Cottage built by pioneering pastoralist Cornelius O’Brien and which between 1839 and 1873 was the home to Australia’s great overland explorer Hamilton Hume. This afternoon we continue down to Wagga Wagga arriving late afternoon for check in and dinner.
Overnight Wagga Wagga
Day 2 Wagga Wagga / Echuca Historical Tour Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning after breakfast, we begin our travel down to Echuca enjoying a comfort stop for morning tea along the way before arriving at the Deniliquin RSL Club for lunch. After lunch, we travel down into Echuca, arriving at the Echuca Moama Visitor Information Centre where we are joined by our local guide Gwen Potter as follow the footsteps of the two ex-convicts turned rival businessmen who founded Echuca and Moama. We visit the very sites where it all began as we see 19th century colonial Echuca-Moama brought to colourful life. We hear about the first river crossings, power and ambition, border security, ladies of the night, the first paddle steamers and so much more. After our tour, we make our way to our accommodation for check in and dinner.
Overnight Echuca Moama
Day 3 Echuca / P.S Pevensey Cruise / Holden Museum Breakfast & Dinner
This morning after breakfast our first stop is the Echuca Historical Society Museum located in the Old Cop Shop, an 1869 Police Station and Lock up. Here we see many documents and memorabilia including river charts, records of floods, paddlesteamers that travelled up and down the mighty Murray and stories of men and women who made their life in Echuca. After leaving the museum, we enjoy some free time in town to purchase lunch before we board the famous P.S Pevensey which stared as the ‘Philadelphia’ in the much loved international mini-series ‘All the Rivers Run.’ We enjoy a one hour leisurely cruise as we soak in the history of the mighty Murray River and the riverboat trade as it was at the time of settlement. For our final stop today we visit the National Holden Motor Museum dedicated to preserving Holden models and their memories. We take a walk down memory lane and through the history of a company that put our nation on wheels. The Holden as an Aussie Icon rates right up there with Kangaroos, Ayers Rock and Vegemite. Echuca is home to the Nation’s largest collections of Holdens, making this private Museum the largest one brand car Museum in Australia. Here we can see over 40 vehicles, including rare prototypes, historic film footage and a photographic exhibition. Later this afternoon we return to our motel where we enjoy dinner in the restaurant.
Overnight Echuca Moama
Day 4 Gunbower Island Breakfast, M/Tea, Lunch, A/Tea & Dinner
This morning we embark on a day tour to Gunbower Island, a unique and diverse wonderland of waterbirds, wildlife and aquatic plants, located within the Murray River.
The wetlands and billabongs of the Gunbower forest are internationally recognised and are especially known for its spectacular birdlife. Upon arrival to the Island we enjoy a traditional Aussie morning tea of scones, cake and billy tea by a creek before we set off on a morning tour of the renowned forest and wetlands of Gunbower Island. Our guide will inform us all about the significance of the Island’s history as well as all you need to know regarding the native flora and fauna. We the enjoy lunch at a private home before an afternoon excursion to Kow Swap, the scene of the discovery of some of the most ancient indigenous remains ever found in Australia. We also visit a local homestead and other significant sites before stopping for afternoon tea featuring an old time favourite – damper with golden syrup. After our wonderful experience we return to our motel before dinner.
Overnight Echuca Moama
The Itinerary
Day 5 Kingfisher Cruise / Perricoota Station Breakfast, Lunch, A/Tea & Dinner This morning get back to Nature with Kingfisher Cruises. Our first stop this morning is in Barmah where we board the MV Kingfisher to travel “the narrows” and experience the timeless, natural beauty and peace of the World Heritage-Listed Barmah Wetlands. Our Eco-guide will teach us about the ecology of the area and all about the birds and their habitats including the Azure Kingfisher. We then enjoy lunch by the river before we make our way back over to Moama to the impeccably kept Perricoota Station. The station was first settled by James Maiden in 1843 and consisted of about 120,000 acres, stretching about 20 miles north and 20 miles west of Moama. The original Perricoota homestead was built in 1861, now set on 350 acres with 3kms of absolute Murray River frontage. The magnificent Victorian homestead offers every feature of the era, including tessellated verandas and ornate entrance hall, pressed iron high ceilings and marble fireplaces. Upon arrival we take a 1 hour guided tour of the property and begin with the recently renovated Packing Shed now a fabulous restaurant and function centre, view the grounds of The Homestead, stop outside the old Cobb & Co stable and the pickers quarters and finishing with Perricoota Station’s own original Post Office. After our tour we enjoy afternoon tea before returning to our motel. This evening we enjoy dinner in the motel restaurant.
Overnight Echuca Moama
Day 6 The Stockyard / Wagga Wagga Breakfast, M/Tea & Dinner
Today we bid our hosts farewell before making our way across to Yarrawonga where we visit Collina Park for a real Stockyard Show where we experience Horsemanship including whip cracking, sheepdogs working, sheep shearing, cattle being worked by the horses and much more. We also reminisce about Tommy Woodcock (who lived on the farm),
Phar Lap and displays of memorabilia. We enjoy morning tea cooked on the open camp fire with Damper Scones while watching the show. There will be free time in Yarrawonga and a chance to purchase lunch before continuing our journey homewards arriving in Wagga Wagga for some free time in the afternoon before checking into our motel before dinner.
Overnight Wagga Wagga
Day 7 Wagga Wagga / Sydney Breakfast & Lunch
This morning we depart Wagga and begin our drive back home enjoying a comfort stop for morning tea before arriving in Goulburn for lunch at the Goulburn Soldiers Club. Later we continue our journey home to say farewell at your doorstep after an enjoyable 7 days in Echuca with Mary & Brian.