2 Night Outback Explorer Cruise - departs Sunday returns Tuesday

SUNDAY (s)
Just 45 minutes from Adelaide in the heart of the Murraylands, the Captain and crew of the luxurious MV Expedition look forward to welcoming you aboard. Upon boarding at 8pm you will be shown to your superb Riverview accommodation with time to settle in and enjoy a drink at the bar before a delicious supper is served.

As you cruise, Expedition’s powerful floodlights illuminate the shore. This is an excellent opportunity to see the River environment in a different perspective and may allow you to view of some of the nocturnal wildlife, especially birds such as night herons, owls and coots. Later, MV Expedition ties up for a night of peace and tranquillity in the Australian bush.

MONDAY ( b, l, d )
Your cruise continues upstream as you enjoy a delicious buffet breakfast. You will pass huge lagoons teeming with birdlife. During floods these inland lagoons were so immense that in the early riverboat days, Captains could not find the true channels. In many cases the water expanded for miles. In the early 1900’s riverboat Captains planted willow trees along the banks to clearly mark the main river channel. Today the willows provide the perfect haven for the prolific and colourful birdlife. Mid morning MV Expedition arrives in picturesque Mannum. Here you will board the waiting coach for a history tour of this small township which played a significant role in the development of South Australia. Captain William Randell launched the 1st Paddle Steamer on The Murray River the “Mary Ann” in 1853. By the late 1880’s there were over 250 Paddle Steamers and barges trading on the River Murray, and Mannum became an industrious inland port. On tour you will re-trace the colourful history of several pioneering families whose efforts shaped the successful development of this region. Your tour includes a visit to the ‘Olden Days, Olden Ways’ Museum in Mannum, here you will find a large collection of historic memorabilia. Lunch will be served aboard MV Expedition as you cruise upstream past lovely Lake Carlet, peaceful Bow Hill and Purnong. Early in the evening, MV Expedition moors at Walker Flat. The Bird and wildlife here is prolific, including wallabies, wild ducks and bush turkeys. This evening is “Australiana Night” and we will be featuring the use of some traditional “Bush foods” such as emu, kangaroo, damper bread, fresh water crustaceans (yabbies), lemon myrtle, wild bush tomatoes and quandongs (wild peaches), combined into exciting creations by our chefs to showcase a new evolving Australian cuisine. This evening join our resident ecologist for a Nocturnal Discovery Tour. This tour provides an insight to the abundant wildlife, including the Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat; floodlights illuminate the secluded outback enabling you to easily view the native flora and fauna.

TUESDAY (d)
Passengers travelling on the three night midweek cruise will be welcomed aboard MV Expedition at 7:30pm. Tonight enjoy a delicious dinner prepared by MV Expedition’s chefs as your evening cruise takes you to your overnight mooring spot of Portee Landing marvel at the surrounding floodlit shores, towering River Gums and sheer cliff faces illuminated by MV Expedition.

WEDNESDAY ( b, l, d )
You will wake this morning in one of the most unspoilt and picturesque areas of the River Murray. You will be taken on an environmental discovery walk where even today you will see evidence of an ancient Aboriginal civilisation – a huge canoe tree still stands. Learn about Moorundie Creek, named after the Aboriginal tribe that lived there. In native dialect moorundie means sand or sandy, the site where the history of the area began in 1840 when explorer Edward John Eyre established a village named “Sturt” after the famous navigator. As MV Expedition cruises downstream, you will pass magnificent lagoons teeming with birdlife, awesome cliffs reaching for the sky and spectacular scenery as far as the eye can see. This afternoon your vessel ties alongside the towering cliffs of Big Bend. A highlight of your expedition is a guided cruise led by our ecologist aboard a small boat through the lagoons and inlets. There are some 320 species of birdlife in this area and with the aid of binoculars and your well informed guide, you will study at close range the prolific birdlife as well as the wildlife of the region including kangaroos, wombats, emus, echidnas and goannas. This evening there is a traditional Australian barbecue on shore followed by live entertainment around a blazing campfire.