Tour Description
Anzac Day in Canberra
(Combined Departure)
Nine Days: 20th – 28th April 2024
Twin Share: $3996 per person. Sole Use: $4731 per person.
- Home pick-ups & set downs (most metro areas – please contact us for details)
- Picnic-style morning teas & all meals
- All accommodation & admissions to all attractions
- Experienced & informative tour driver/guide.
The Australian War Memorial is always proud to host one of Australia’s most important national occasions, the Anzac Day commemorations. From the observance of the one-minute silence at the Dawn Service to the sounding of the Last Post, this sombre and moving experience is one not to be missed. While in our nation’s capital we visit the National Portrait Gallery, historic Lanyon Homestead, the National Museum of Australia and so much more. Join us for this memorable new tour to experience Anzac Day in Canberra.
Day One – SATURDAY 20 APRIL 2024
After completing our home pickups, we depart through the Adelaide Hills, making our way to Tailem Bend for our morning tea break.
Reboarding the bus we travel a short distance before joining the Mallee Highway and travelling towards the Victorian border. Before crossing we stop in the small town of Pinnaroo where we enjoy lunch.
Commencing our afternoon journey we cross into Victoria and travel through a number of small country towns, stopping in Ouyen to stretch our legs.
We detour onto the Calder Highway to reach Swan Hill, our final destination for today. Swan Hill is an historic riverport located on the Murray River and on arrival, we check in to the Swan Hill Resort (Ph: 03 5032 2726) where we will be staying overnight.
Day Two – SUNDAY 21 APRIL 2024
Following our breakfast we are back on the road travelling to the town of Deniliquin. Set on the Edward River, an anabranch of the Murray, Deniliquin is bordered by a series of lagoons that snake into parkland and State Forest and is emerging as a holiday destination.
On arrival we enjoy morning tea and a visit at The Depot. The Depot has grown around the historic vehicle and memorabilia collections of Neville and Debbie Purtill and their extended family. With touches of Hollywood, trucking and transport, Australian motoring, rescue vehicles and cars from all around the world, The Depot is full of nostalgia and discovery.
Once we depart Deniliquin, we continue east travelling through country towns such as Jerilderie and Lockhart, stopping for our picnic lunch along the way. Lockhart is noted for its remarkable main street featuring shady verandahs, decorative iron work and beautifully restored facades. It is also home to a colourful water tower mural and sculpture trail that features works made from recycled farm materials. We will see some of these works as we drive through town.
From here we sit back, relax and enjoy the afternoon journey as we pass through Wagga Wagga and Junee.
It is not long before we reach picturesque Cootamundra, birthplace of cricket legend Sir Donald Bradman. Here we settle into our rooms at the Cootamundra Gardens Motel (Ph. 02 6942 1833) before dinner in the restaurant.
Day Three – MONDAY 22 APRIL 2024
This morning, we continue our travels east along the Hume Highway to Yass, a pretty town situated on the Yass River, a tributary of the Murrumbidgee River. It is here that we stop to enjoy our morning tea.
Yass was the home of Australian born explorer Hamilton Hume, so while here we take the opportunity to visit Cooma Cottage. Hume purchased the single-story colonial home which was built in 1835. He added various extensions to the original dwelling and lived the rest of his years on the property. The cottage is also the starting location for the 440 kilometre Hume Hovell Track, a walking trail that follows the route the explorers took in 1824. Lunch is at the Yass Soldiers Club
before reboarding the bus and making our way towards Canberra.
On our approach to the capital we visit Cockington Green. This award winning tourist attraction takes its name from the township of Cockington in Devon, an historic English Village. This miniature town features thatched cottages, a tiny church, the village green, an oast house in Kent, a riverside inn, castles and even Stonehenge!
We continue through Canberra to our accommodation for the next four nights at the Garden City Hotel BW Signature Collection (Ph. 02 6295 3322). There will be time to unpack and relax before our dinner together.
Day Four – TUESDAY 23 APRIL 2024
After breakfast, we start the day visiting the National Portrait Gallery uncovering the extraordinary stories of exploration and individual achievement. We have a self guided tour of the gallery, appreciating the history, culture, creativity and diversity displayed in the portraits.
We enjoy morning tea, then head out into the farmlands surrounding Canberra. Located in a landscape of great natural beauty on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, the Lanyon Homestead dates back to the 1850s. The Homestead is set within superb gardens and features a range of outbuildings. We enjoy a guided tour before lunch in the Lanyon Café, situated in one of the historic outbuildings.
This afternoon we make our way to Mt Ainslie lookout. Here we get a sense of the layout of our national capital, as we view panoramas of Canberra, Lake Burley Griffin and the mountain range that surrounds the city. The views of Canberra’s national attractions including the Australian War Memorial, Anzac Parade and Parliament House are truly spectacular. We drive through Manuka, a gorgeous leafy area, known for its incredible dining scene, and pass the famous Manuka Oval.
There will also be the opportunity for some free time this afternoon, before making our way back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner.
Day Five – WEDNESDAY 24 APRIL 2024
Following breakfast, we start the day visiting the National Museum of Australia where Australian stories come alive. Located on Lake Burley Griffin, the museums stunning architecture provides an extraordinary place to explore the remarkable stories of Australian life, history, and culture. The museum preserves and interprets Australia’s social history, exploring the key issues, people and events that have shaped the nation. It also holds the world’s largest collection of Aboriginal bark paintings and stone tools, as well as the heart of champion racehorse Phar Lap and the Holden prototype No. 1 car. We will enjoy a guided tour, followed by some free time to wander through the displays or revisit exhibits of particular interest.
Following lunch, we spend time exploring the Australian War Memorial. Over the past few years the Memorial has undergone extensive redevelopment resulting in new galleries and displays, and there will be plenty of time to browse through the various exhibitions. Late afternoon we move to the Hall of Memory, the focus of the commemoration. The Hall features the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Pool of Reflection and the Roll of Honour which lists the names of over 102,000 Australian servicemen and women who have died in war. A visit to the memorial is a truly moving experience and today we will stay for the Last Post Ceremony.
After a day discovering some of our national treasures, we make our way back to the hotel and relax before dinner.
Day Six – THURSDAY 25 APRIL 2024
Today marks the 109th anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers at Gallipoli on 25th April 1915, the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. Early this morning, we transfer to the Australian War Memorial to take part in the Dawn Service. We will remember them.
We return to our hotel for breakfast, and then head back to Anzac Parade and the War Memorial for the National Ceremony and to see the march. Along Anzac Parade there are thirteen memorials where we can reflect on the sacrifices that have been made.
With such an early start today, we will appreciate a more relaxed afternoon, with the opportunity to join a scenic drive. Canberra is home to nearly 80 embassies and high commissions, and this afternoon we can enjoy an embassy drive, appreciating the traditional and modern architecture on offer from many countries.
We then meet back at the hotel. where we will enjoy our dinner.
Day Seven – FRIDAY 26 APRIL 2024
After breakfast, we begin our travels north along the Barton Highway. Crossing into New South Wales. We pass Yass, pausing for morning tea in the small village of Bowning, one of the earliest settlements in the district.
Our journey takes us through Wallendbeen to the heart of the grain growing area of southern New South Wales. We stop for lunch in the town of Temora, which sits on the east of Australia’s ‘food bowl’, known as the Riverina.
Continuing our drive this afternoon we come to today’s destination of Griffith. This vibrant, cosmopolitan city was designed by Walter Burley Griffin, the same architect who designed Canberra. The similarity to Canberra is evident in the wide tree-lined streets, radial patterns and parks.
Our accommodation tonight will be at the Kidman Wayside Inn, Griffith (02 6964 5666). We will have time to settle in before dinner.
Day Eight –SATURDAY 27 APRIL 2024
Leaving Griffith, we set off along the Sturt Highway. We arrive in Hay, situated on the picturesque Murrumbidgee River, where we will stop for morning tea.
Continuing through the Hay Plains and the Murrumbidgee Valley we reach Balranald. Here the wetlands meets the outback and we stop to enjoy our light lunch at a local cafe.
Back on the road we sit back and watch the changing scenery as we travel through Euston and cross the border into Victoria in the late afternoon. We arrive in Mildura, the largest settlement in the Sunraysia region and a major horticultural centre. It is primarily noted for its grape production, supplying 80% of Victoria’s grapes. The other key crops produced in the district include citrus, almonds and dried fruit.
Our accommodation for tonight is the Mildura Inlander Resort (Ph. 03 5023 3823) and we have the chance to relax and freshen up before our final dinner on tour.
Day Nine –SUNDAY 28 APRIL 2024
After a good night’s sleep, we embark on the last leg of our journey home. Not long after leaving Mildura, we cross the border into South Australia and drive to Renmark, where we enjoy morning tea by the Murray River.
From here we travel along the Goyder Highway to the historic river port of Morgan, the largest of the river ports during the height of the steamer trade between 1877 and the 1900s. The Morgan Wharf, built in 1878, was the hub of all the activity in the town. Our lunch venue is at the historical Terminus Hotel.
This afternoon we continue into Adelaide via the Thiele Highway, named after well known author Colin Thiele. It’s not long before we arrive in Adelaide and are on our way back to our homes, reflecting on the memories made visiting the Nation’s Capital.
