By popular demand a second itinerary visiting the Moama Winter Lights has been added. Travel behind steam locomotive R707 and our fleet of heritage diesel locomotives as the Riverlander travels north to Deniliquin and the Moama Winter Lights Festival. Travel overnight to Deniliquin, enjoy a morning of slow rail travel along the freight only line to Echuca, ride on an authentic Murray River paddle steamer, experience the Echuca Winter Lights festival and visit beautifully preserved gold rush era towns on this not to be missed weekend Slow Rail Journey.
Fares range from $900-$1,495 per person
All Slow Rail Journey weekend tours are fully hosted and inclusive of all meals and tours. All passengers travel in restored sleeping carriages complete with everything needed for the weekend and have access to the train's lounge, bar and other carriages.
Itinerary
Friday 26-July
Step back in time onboard The Riverlander to enjoy a weekend of slow rail travel to some of Northern Victoria and Southern New South Wales's most beautiful townships and famous attractions.
Entering Melbourne's busy Southern Cross Station, you will immediately notice steam locomotive R707 and our moving museum of carriages juxtaposing the modernity and hustle surrounding. From the moment you board you'll immediately relax and enter the elegance of a bygone era.
At 10:10 pm The Riverlander will wake up the station as the whistle is sounded announcing our departure. Join your fellow travellers and tour organisers in one of two luxury Club Carriages with a welcome aboard drink and evening supper as we head north out of the city. Enjoy drinks at the bar as the train climbs the Great Dividing Range toward Bendigo, where a stop will be made during the night to service the locomotive. In Bendigo R707 will be detached from the train and we will continue north to Deniliquin hauled by our fleet of heritage diesels.
Saturday 27-July
During the night our train will steam through Echuca and cross the Murray River into New South Wales, continuing north to the picturesque town of Deniliquin, located on the Edward River.
While our train is serviced and turned, enjoy some quintessential country hospitality as breakfast is served at a local venue. After breakfast take a leisurely stroll through the town centre before the train's whistle signals our departure south.
Enjoy a barista-made coffee and morning tea in one of our luxurious lounge cars as our train slowly makes its way south through some of Australia's most productive farmland on the freight-only line back to Echuca. Our train passes through the heart of the Murray Riverina which, with its large areas of flat land, clay-based soils and plentiful irrigation is home to much of Australia's rice crop. Deniliquin in fact is home to Sun Rice and the largest Rice Mill in the Southern Hemisphere!
A bridge crossing the Murray River between Moama and Echuca marks our return to Victoria and the end of our train journey for the day.
After lunch, enjoyed in an Echuca gastro-pub, we transfer to the historic Port of Echuca district for a cruise on a historic Murray Paddlesteamer.
After a leisurely cruise, we will transfer back across the Murray River to Moama to visit the spectacular Winter Lights Festival where the mighty Murray River, along with the region's iconic red gum bushland are illuminated using sound and lighting for an original and immersive experience like no other.
Taking place in Moama’s culturally-significant Horseshoe Lagoon, a visit to the Moama Winter Lights Festival involves following a trail of up-lit river red gums and theatrical fog rising from below the boardwalks as you are mesmerised by the light show of gum leaves slowly drifting across the lagoon.
Venture into thick bushland where you will be engulfed by a canopy of light, captivated by the vast night sky of hundreds of flickering stars lights, and wander through a field of thousands of illuminated native flowers covering the bush floor. As the treeline begins to part, the majestic Murray River will reveal itself, ablaze with colour in a triumphant finale.
Sunday 28-July
After a restful night's sleep in Echuca, our train will depart and head south through Elmore as breakfast is served in the lounge car. The train will make a short run to Bendigo to the Goldfields to commence our Goldfields Explorer Off-Train Experience, visiting the best of this spectacular region.
Departing Castlemaine settle in for the final afternoon aboard as the Riverlander steams through Woodend and over the ranges toward Melbourne. Afternoon tea, featuring fresh scones in the lounge cars as the train speeds along the main Ballarat - Melbourne line.
After a spectacular view of Melbourne descending the range we speed through the suburbs into Melbourne, Southern Cross where our train will arrive and terminate at 7.01 pm.
Fares
Route Map
Cabins and Onboard Accommodation
Enjoy overnight travel aboard our fleet of heritage sleeping cars.
On-Train Facilities
The train will feature a fully stocked bar/club car, a luxurious lounge car, espresso coffee and other refreshments along with a number of additional carriages.
Locomotives
Our train to Deniliquin and Echuca will feature steam locomotive R707 "City of Melbourne" between Melborune and Echuca, assisted at times by our heritage diesel fleet. From Echuca to Deniliquin and return the train will be hauled by heritage diesel locomotives due to constraints in the Deniliquin yard.
