Tooleybuc • Amazing Silo Art • Lake Tyrrell • The Swan Hill Food and Wine Festival
The heartbeat of the Murray • PS Pyap • and more
Journey behind our fleet of heritage diesel locomotives aboard the Riverlander onboard this not to be missed summer exploration of the Northern Murray visiting the remote and historic towns of Piangil and Tooleybuc before either touring the spectacular Mallee Silo Art Trail or attending the famous Swan Hill Food and Wine Festival before a private showing of Swan Hill's famous Heartbeat of the Murray sound and light spectacular. Sunday will see you cruise the Murray on the PS Pyapp and marvelling at Lake Boga's newly commissioned and spectacular Silo Art before relaxing for a afternoon of slow rail travel back to Melbourne.
Single (no supplement) fares range from $1100 to $1345.
Twin Cabin fares (for two guests) range from $2000 to $3290, including two adults.
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Summary Itinerary
Friday 7 March
Your experience with us begins with check-in and a bon-voyage dinner at Melbourne's celebrated Savoy Hotel
Board the Riverlander at Southern Cross Station
Settle in and enjoy a night-cap in the onboard Club 1 Lounge as the Riverlander leaves Melbourne behind for a starlit journey north
Saturday 8 March
Sunday 9 March
Itinerary
Friday 7 March
Your Slow Rail Journey will commence with a bon-voyage dinner held at the historic Savoy Hotel (where we will check-in guests and provide cabin allocations for the weekend) prior to you being escorted by our friendly volunteers to the train.
Entering Melbourne's busy Southern Cross Station you will immediately realise you are embarking on a journey like no other. Sitting on the platform - and greeting you like an old friend - is our imposing string of 1950's and 1960's carriages that make up the Riverlander, our heritage train perfectly juxtaposing the modernity and hustle surrounding.
Upon boarding your Carriage Attendant will greet you as you settle into your private oasis for the weekend as the masses of commuters make their way past the windows bound for trains to Ballarat, Geelong, Bendigo and beyond. From the moment you board you'll immediately relax and enter the elegance of a bygone era.
Sometime after 10pm the Riverlander will wake up the station as the whistle is sounded announcing our departure. Join your fellow travellers and tour organisers in our train's luxury Club 1 Lounge for a night-cap as the train departs north through Melbourne's suburbs before leaving the lights of the city behind to traverse the Goldfields to Bendigo where we will stop for a crew change and to resupply the train.
Departing Bendigo into the night, the landscape flattens, and the hills of the Goldfields are replaced by the plains of the Loddon Valley and the Mallee - one of the world's large grain production regions.
Saturday 9 March
After a brief stop in Swan Hill, during which guests enjoy breakfast in the dining car, the Riverlander will continue north along the rarely used line to Piangil, the Victorian sister town of Tooleybuc, NSW.
Upon arrival in Piangil, step from the train onto an awaiting bus to explore the historic townships of Tooleybuc and Piangil.
Located in Southern NSW on the Murray River, Tooleybuc is in the heart of an area that is rich in industry, from large-scale dryland cereal and livestock production to small intensive horticulture, wineries and tourist businesses. The town hosts a vibrant community with plenty of attractions. Stops on the Riverlander's tour are close to beautifully maintained parklands along the river perfect for a stroll, the famous historic Tooleybuc Bridge and the Giant Mallee Root (the biggest stump in NSW and second largest in the world according to the Guinness World Records).
Piangil, approximately 50km northwest of Swan Hill, is a tiny hamlet in the northern Mallee grain country. With a population of just 259, the town is 3km from the Murray River.
Piangil is located in marginal Mallee grazing land. With the commencement of irrigation in the early 1900's the population reached over 300 and in the 1920s a school was opened that ultimately closed in 2015. Today the township hosts a hall, both Catholic and Uniting churches, a general store, a community hub and the Piangil Corner Cafe.
After enjoying Tooleybuc, rejoin the Riverlander and perhaps enjoy a barista-made coffee in the Club 1 Lounge as it cruises through the irrigated and dryland farming of the Mallee and the Murray to Swan Hill, arriving late morning.
Upon arrival in Swan Hill the group will split with two touring options being offered.
Option 1: Riverlander Silo Explorer
Upon arrival in Swan Hill, board an awaiting coach for the journey across the plains to Sea Lake, where lunch will be served in the community-owned historic Royal Hotel.
After a chance to stroll around the newly reinvented community, our coach will transfer us to Lake Tyrrell. Lake Tyrell—Victoria's inland sea—has become an Instagram sensation and is known for its pink hue and horizon views. During dry periods (which generally include March), allow us to walk out onto the lake for a truly moonscape experience.
Our next stop will be at the spectacularly painted Sea Lake Silo. The GrainCorp Silos at Sea Lake were painted by Joel Fergie, aka The Zookeeper and Travis Vinson, aka Drapl, in October 2019. The artwork depicts a young girl swinging from a Mallee eucalyptus tree and gazing out over the endless vista of Lake Tyrrell. A mighty Wedge Tail Eagle saws above the girl, and an emu runs into the night.
Enjoy a scenic drive to Lascelles, where renowned Melbourne Street Artist "Rone" has painted the images of a local couple, Geoff and Merrilyn Horman, on the silos at Lascelles in the Wimmera-Mallee Victoria.
Our final stop will be at the ornately painted silo at Nullawil. In Nullawil, the renowned street artist Smug has depicted a frontier Kelpie, Jimmy, who often makes a cameo appearance.
After returning to Swan Hill we rejoin the group for a gourmet dinner.
Option 2: Attend the Acclaimed Swan Hill Food and Wine Festival
For lovers of delicious food and wine, the Swan Hill Region Food and Wine Festival is not to be missed. Taste of some of the best local produce sourced from the heart of Australia’s food bowl – the Northern Murray. You’ll likely be leaving with very grateful tastebuds (and goodie bags to show for it)!
The festival is filled with entertainment, including a lineup of local musicians and much more.
After an action-packed day on the Silo Art Trail or at the Food and Wine Festival, enjoy dinner before a showing of the town's spectacular laser light show, the Heartbeat of the Murray. This dramatic sound and laser show will have you spellbound and amazed as the story of the Murray River comes to life against the background of a 9-metre water-screen.
As the sun sets into the Mallee landscape, highlighting the bright twinkling southern stars and river red gum trees as the perfect backdrop, embark on this journey of discovery that will delight, enthral and intrigue all your senses. This show, which captures the latest ‘high tech’ multimedia components and special effects, is one you’ll likely remember long after your visit!
Returning to the Riverlander, enjoy a motionless night's sleep in Swan Hill after a nightcap in the Club 1 Lounge - the perfect way to an intrepid day of exploring the Mallee!
Sunday 10-March
Awake to a new Mallee day and a fully cooked breakfast in the Riverlander's dining car.
Shortly after breakfast, we will commence the morning's off-train experience program with guests transferring from the train to the Pioneer Settlement to board a private cruise on the authentic Murray Paddle Steamer, the PS Pyap.
After enjoying this spectacular part of the mighty Murray River, re-board coaches for the short journey to Lake Boga, home to the Lake Boga Flying Boat Museum. Situated between Swan Hill and Kerang on the shores of Lake Boga, the museum has become one of the area's major tourist attractions.
The museum has a Catalina A24-30 (restored by the local Lion's Club) and the original secret communication bunker at Lake Boga. It commemorates the servicemen and women who served at No. 1 Flying Boat Repair Depot Lake Boga from 1942 to 1947.
The museum holds more than 500 artefacts relating to Lake Boga's proud history associated with WWII, including the historic Catalina Flying Boat and a range of wartime treasures preserved for future generations.
Before departing the region, transfer to Lake Boga's spectacular newly commissioned Silo paying tribute to the town's role in Australia's war efforts and its impact on the Catalina Flying Boat programs.
After exploring the Lake Boga area, we re-board the Riverlander, which has made its way from Swan Hill to the tiny rail siding beneath the spectacular silo artwork.
Juxtaposing the weekend's busy touring program, Sunday afternoon offers the chance to relax into the rhythm of slow rail travel as the Riverlander makes its way south through the plains toward Bendigo.
Enjoy a gourmet Sunday lunch in the dining car as the landscape begins to change out the windows, the undulating granite hills and ironbarks of the Goldfields replacing the vast vistas of the Mallee.
Mid-afternoon, the train will halt in Bendigo, where guests can step off. The footbridges that cross between the platforms at Bendigo Station offer ample photo opportunities.
After departing Bendigo, afternoon tea will be served onboard as the train races over the dividing range and winds through the Goldfields, offering a spectacular view of Melbourne's lights.
It's not long before the open vistas outside are once again replaced with Melbourne's suburbs, and all too soon, the train arrives back in the modern world at Southern Cross Station.
Onboard Accommodation
Route Map
Sleeping Carriages
Enjoy overnight travel aboard our fleet of heritage sleeping cars.
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On-Train Facilities
The train will feature a fully stocked bar/club car, a luxurious lounge car, and Cafe Hudson, offering light snacks, espresso coffee, and other refreshments, along with several additional carriages.
Locomotives
Our train will feature a collection of locomotives from our Heritage Diesel fleet.
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