Riverina Rail Tour

1. The Legendary JourneyEmbark on a captivating 5-day, 4-night journey aboard the iconic Riverina train through the Riverina region, a hidden gem of New South Wales. Explore the picturesque landscapes, charming towns, and rich cultural heritage of this vibrant region.

Day 01: Sydney - Bowral. Your Riverina adventure starts at Sydney’s Central Station. Once onboard the Aurora Australis, and either choose to relax in the lounge carriage or settle into your cabin while we travel south from Sydney. Lunch will be served onboard the train today as we travel to Goulburn, where you will have the choice from two off-train experiences.

    Option 1: Retford Park National Trust built in 1887 by the Hordern family and lavishly redesigned by James Fairfax in the 1960s, Retford Park is a place of great heritage significance located in the heart of Bowral, Gundungurra Country. Be amazed by the ‘Portuguese Pink’ mansion while wandering the pristine gardens dotted with sculptures and artworks. With 60,000 artefacts, textiles, and furniture within its collection, here enjoy a guided house tour, and a stroll around the stunning gardens.

    Option 2: The Fairground Follies at the Antique Mechanical Music Museum features the most exciting and unique collection of fairground and mechanical music, “Where good times of the past, make great times for today”. An interactive experience featuring cultural music, folk art, a 100-year-old carousel and much more. This is an enchanting attraction, a magical place filled with music, entertainment and a history of antique mechanical music. Enjoy a guided tour and afternoon tea. Following your first day of touring, rejoin your train in Moss Vale and enjoy dinner onboard as we travel to Goulburn and stable for the evening.

Day 02: Junee – Coolamon – Murrami.

Enjoy breakfast onboard as we leave Goulburn and continue along the Main South Line. We pass many interesting villages and towns today as we travel through the Canola Trail, so keep an eye out for the many grain silos adjacent to the rail line. Our train then arrives at Junee, and there is an opportunity to watch the Loco Runaround movement. Our first stop for the day is the Historical Railway Museum featuring a 100-foot turntable, showcasing steam and diesel locomotives. The Junee Roundhouse is one of just a few surviving, working, railway Roundhouses in the Southern Hemisphere. It is uniquely Australian as its size, being fully circular and having a long, ‘100 foot’, turntable. While the Museum is part of the Roundhouse, the other part, including the turntable, is still used as a diesel locomotive servicing facility by Junee Railway Workshop. Have you ever wanted to see what happens at a licorice factory? Your next stop is the Junee Licorice & Chocolate factory. As soon as you step foot in the front door you’ll be immersed in the delicious aroma of licorice and chocolate, one of the chocolatiers will talk you through the process of licorice and chocolate production and you’ll witness it being made before your eyes. We then have a short drive to Coolaman where our lunch spot awaits. Enjoy a tour with an artisan cheese maker located in the heart of the Riverina, known for creating an innovative range of handcrafted cheese, followed by lunch. There is free time to wander about Coolamon town before we rejoin the train and head onto Murrami. After dinner onboard, enjoy a special stargazing experience in Murrami.

Today you will enjoy breakfast onboard before departing on one of the below off-train experiences.

    Option 1: Meet The Producers – Morella Grove Farm, Southern Cotton Gin and Whitton Malt House Nestled in the lush Riverina region of New South Wales, Morella Grove is where the essence of nature meets Frank and his family’s passion for excellence. This award winning producer of olive oil, following a paddock-to-plate philosophy is your first stop of the day. Morella Grove is a beacon of sustainability, in the Riverina’s arid beauty, they practise minimal intervention, respecting and nurturing the natural environment. Next is a visit to Southern Cotton, an independently owned ginning facility located in Whitton. Consistently ranked as one of the best gins in Australia, the privately owned Southern Cotton provides fast, timely ginning for local growers. Your tour concludes with lunch at Whitton Malt House.

     Optional Upgrade: Whisky Tasting at Whitton Malt House (limited capacity) - Try a curated selection of fine whisky.

     Option 2: Farm & Vines – Murray Cod Farm And Calabria Wines specialising in producing premium pond grown Murray Cod, join a guided tour of Murray Cod Farm, which is committed to sustainability and operates with a focus on improving the natural environment. From here, journey onto Calabria Family Wines, where you’re invited to savour the essence of the families’ wines and the warmth of their traditions. Renowned for Italian hospitality, at Calabria Family Wines you will experience a fusion of flavours and aromas through the café bar menu, new museum and sensory wall, plus explore exquisite wines and discover new favourites. Enjoy a wine-tasting and Italian shared platter style lunch. Following your tour, rejoin the train in Yenda and travel onto Temora where we stable overnight, enjoying another delicious dinner onboard.

Day 04: Termora – Bundawarrah – Orange Waking up in Orange this morning, your adventure continues as we’re soon departing for Bathurst, where you will again have the choice of two off-train experiences.

     Option 1: Abercrombie House - It wouldn’t be a visit to Bathurst without first taking on the mountain Mt Panorama. You’ll then head onto Abercrombie House, a heritage treasure of NSW set in stunning grounds at Stewarts Mount, just west of Bathurst. A grand country home, and a 1870s cultural gem, the home of the Morgan Family for half a century, see gardens, paths and outbuildings, explore the reception rooms, grand staircase, ballroom, first floor bedrooms and more, before enjoying lunch. 

                                              

    Option 2: Mayfield Gardens - A spectacular 65-hectare private garden that delivers not only a significant horticultural experience but also a day out that is both magical and unexpected. Mayfield Gardens is considered to be one of the largest and most spectacular cool climate gardens in the Southern Hemisphere. Here a self-guided tour awaits, with a delicious boxed lunch which can be enjoyed in your own quiet spot of the gardens. Following your tour, return to Bathurst Station where you may like to visit the Railway Museum prior to the train departing again and stabling at Rylstone for the night.

Day 05: Mudgee-Sydney Enjoy your final breakfast onboard the train. We’ll then board coaches travelling from Rylstone, a beautiful district settled in the 1820s, making it one of the oldest settlements west of the Great Dividing Range. Rylstone’s streetscape features 19th-century sandstone public houses, cottages and government buildings. From here we are welcomed to the Lowe Family Wine Co in Mudgee. Based around a certified organic & biodynamic farm, vineyard, winery and food garden, enjoy a spectacular last lunch in the cellar door before returning to Rylstone Station and your return journey arriving late into Sydney Central station.

2. Highlights & Inclusions Enjoy all-inclusive dining, wines, beverages, tea, and coffee throughout your journey. Delight in the sights and sounds of Fairground Follies, the Antique Mechanical Music Museum in Bowral. Indulge in a tour and lunch experience at a Coolamon artisan cheese maker. Discover the region's finest producers with farm-to-fork and vine-to-wine experiences. Take a thrilling adventure on the Zig Zag Railway at Mt Victoria.