Geelong - Spirit, Silos & Sunsets

Day 1

We will depart from Hobart in the afternoon, travel to Devonport, stopping along the way for afternoon tea. We will board The Spirit for a 6.00pm sailing. Dinner will be on-board The Spirit of Tasmania. You will have a standard cabin to spend the night in. There are deluxe cabins available if you wish to upgrade.

Day 2

Disembarking The Spirit of Tasmania as the sunrise greets you, we are met by our touring coach as we head to a lovely breakfast spot with a view. Our day will include a Geelong City Tour including the National Wool Museum.

Day 3

We travel via Ararat and the Great Western to Stawell. En-route we will stop for a unique and fascinating tour of J Ward in Ararat which explains the early history of the goldfield times and later, the incarceration of the criminally insane. We then travel into the Great Western where we stop at Seppelt Great Western Winery for a tour of the famous Underground Champagne Cellars followed by a taste at the Cellar Door. We also call at The Pickers Market, a unique stop for those interested in history and nostalgia. Later in the afternoon we arrive at our motel for check in and dinner.

Day 4

Today we depart Stawell and travel to part of the 200km “Wimmera Silo Art” Trail. Our first stop is the Rupanyup silo art which was painted by Russian street artist ,Julia Volchkova, who has created an amazing likeness of the local netball and football players. Our second stop along the trail is in Sheep Hills where artist, Matt Adnate, has created a monster 30m high x 40m wide piece of art. Our next stop, Brim, was the first silo completed, the small farming town captured the world’s attention in January 2016 after Brisbane street artist ,Guido van Helten, painted a giant mural on the town’s unused grain silos. In Rosebery, we visit the most recently finished artwork by Keff-eine. Our fifth silo in the trail is in Lascelles and is the fifth to be completed. The last silo along the trail is in Patchewollock, here we view the first of six completed Silo Murals, a large portrait of local farmer, Matt Hulland painted by artist Fintan Magee. Later this afternoon we arrive in Sea Lake where we check into the new Lake Tyrrell accommodation. After a rest, we are joined by our Lake Tyrrell guide, Julie, before travelling out to the lake platform to view the spectacular colours of a Lake Tyrrell sunset. Those wishing to, are able to hop into their “Gum Boots” which are supplied and take a walk on the lake. On completion of the walk, we travel back to our accommodation for dinner.

Day 5

For those wishing, we will head out early to the lake to capture the colours of sunrise before returning to our accommodation for breakfast. After breakfast and before departing Sea Lake, we step inside the amazing Sky Mirror Gallery showcasing the images of Lake Tyrrell`s ever changing colours. Arriving at the Pioneer Settlement, we join in the bustling lives of our pioneers and enjoy a cruise along the mighty Murray River on the historic PS Pyap. Later in the day we check into our motel with time to settle in before dinner. Following dinner, we make our way back to the Pioneer Settlement to witness the spectacular new laser lights show “The Heartbeat of the Murray”. The world-class ‘Heartbeat of the Murray’ is a 360-degree multi-media spectacular unlike anything ever seen in Australia. Using water, light, laser, sound and special effects to tell the story of the Murray, we’ll be transported back 30 million years, before travelling forward through time to the Murray River as we know it today. This state-of-the-art show is the first of its kind in the world to use a natural river environment and setting as the background. Following the show, we return to our accommodation for a good night’s rest.

Day 6

Enjoying a later start, we make our way out to Lake Boga and visit the Flying Boat Museum and Communications Bunker. The No.1 Flying Boat Repair and Service Depot was once an integral part of allied defence during World War II, with a facility that helped keep Australia safe. After an informative tour and morning tea we travel back into town to the Swan Hill Regional Gallery. On our guided tour we learn of the Gallery’s colourful beginnings aboard the paddle steamer Gem and experience a unique insight into the current exhibition. The Gallery’s permanent collection includes paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures from 1970, with special interest in Australian Naïve art, works on paper and pieces relating to this region. Following our tour we visit the Gallery Shop which features beautiful hand-crafted products made by local and regional artists, along with a small range of quality Australian made items. Travelling down through Kerang to Boort calling at Piccoli’s Spanner Sculptures. This country garden is filled with larger than life sculptures, including an iconic shearer, a family of deer, a pair of fighting stallions, a Mallee bull, intricate garden seats and much more. These wonderful works of art are made entirely of antique and modern day spanners that have been meticulously welded together. Bendigo boasts one of the most impressive collections of Victorian-era architecture among Australia’s inland cities. A local expert joins us on the coach for a guided tour of some of the city’s architectural highlights, including the iconic Shamrock Hotel and the majestic Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Day 7

Our touring of Bendigo today starts on the historic and informative ‘Talking Tram’. Take a ride through the main areas of Bendigo to see some of the town’s stunning buildings. Next, visit the Central Deborah Gold Mine for a guided surface tour of what is an actual working mine - right in the centre of the city! On completion of our tour, we have lunch in the café before our afternoon visit to the Golden Dragon Museum. What a story it is of the impact and contribution made by the Chinese people of Bendigo. One permanent display is “Sun Loong” the longest Imperial dragon in the world and “Loong” the oldest Imperial dragon in the world.

Day 8

Today we depart Bendigo and travel down to Kyneton calling at the multi award winning Country Cob Bakery for lunch. After lunch its down the Calder Highway we drive to Melbourne Airport where we board our flight home. On arrival, our chauffeurs will be waiting to take us straight to our very door – a delightful way to finish our time away and all part of the great Love Tasmania Tours service!

B=Breakfast, MT=Morning Tea, D=Dinner