Silos, Statues & Stories: Country Victoria Uncovered

Join us on a scenic journey through the stunning High Country, where rolling hills, charming towns, and breathtaking alpine landscapes await. Explore the historic streets of Beechworth, featuring beautifully preserved gold rush architecture and a vibrant local culture. Wander through the picturesque towns of Bright and Mount Beauty, nestled at the foot of the mountains and bursting with colour and charm. Take in sweeping views from the alpine region, visit local farms and artisan producers, and enjoy the warm hospitality of country communities along the way. This tour is a perfect blend of natural beauty, history, and relaxed country charm.

DAY 1 (LD) PORT MACQUARIE TO GOULBURN                                                                      

Monday 09 March 2026

Welcome to our 10-day tour discovering country towns and outback art. Depart early this morning as we make our way south with a morning tea stop from the coach at Bulahdelah. Lunch today will be at Beresfield Bowling Club. Our travels this afternoon take us further southwest of Sydney to Goulburn. A welcome dinner awaits us in the hotel.

Morning Tea from the coach | Lunch at Ourimbah RSL | Dinner at the hotel

Mercure Goulburn, Goulburn | 1 night

DAY 2 (BLD) GOULBURN TO WANGARATTA                                                                      

Tuesday 10 March 2026

Following an early breakfast, we continue south through Gundagai and Holbrook towards Table Top. Our lunch venue is the Table Top Hotel (formerly known as Ettamogah Pub). This afternoon, we continue through to Beechworth, where we meet our guide for a town tour of the area. Our afternoon drive takes us to Wangaratta, where we can unpack and relax, as this will be our home for the next three nights.

Breakfast and dinner in the hotel | Morning Tea from the coach | Lunch Table Top Hotel

Quality Hotel Wangaratta | 3 nights

Day 3 (BLD) WANGARATTA   TO MULWALA                                             

Wednesday 11 March 2026

Today, we travel to Yarrawonga, located on Lake Mulwala in the region of the Murray, often referred to as “Sun Country”. Here we join a morning tea cruise on Lake Mulwala. The lake was developed in 1939 by the completion of the Yarrawonga Weir, which was part of the massive Lake Hume project to harness the waters of the Murray for irrigation purposes. It is one of the Murray River’s most beautiful stretches with features of the area, including ghostly river red gums and dozens of sandy beaches. Back on dry land, we make our way to Buller Wines for a delicious lunch at The Pavilion Restaurant.  Dinner tonight will be at the Wangaratta RSL.

Breakfast at the hotel | Morning Tea Cruise | Lunch at The Pavilion Restaurant | Dinner at Wangaratta RSL

Day 4 (BLD) SILO ART TRAIL                                                                                   

Thursday 12 March 2026

Silos are drawing crowds to small country towns in Victoria, so today we are off to do some more silo spotting of our own. We begin in the small town of Tungamah, where the silo features much-loved Australian wildlife, including the iconic Kookaburra, pink and grey Galah, and sulphur-crested Cockatoo. Not far from here is our next silo, St James. Artist Tim Bowtell depicts a mural of St George Coles, the founder of Coles supermarkets, who was a local to the St James township. In Devenish, see Cam Scale’s artwork representing the changing role of women in the military – a First World War nurse and a modern-day combat medic. We enjoy lunch in Goorambat before visiting our last silo, a Barking Owl, which is critically endangered. Here we also visit ‘Sophia,’ representing the female aspect of the Holy Trinity, on the wall inside the Uniting Church.

Breakfast and dinner at the hotel | Morning Tea from the Coach | Lunch at Goorambat Railway Hotel

Day 5 (BLD) A DAY OF NED KELLY                                                                                            

Friday 13 March 2026

We have a day of discovering as we take the short drive across to Glenrowan with our first visit of the day to Kate’s Cottage. Named after Ned Kelly’s sister, Kate. Kate’s Cottage is situated opposite the “Big Ned Kelly” Statue and features a huge range of interesting and exciting Ned Kelly and Australiana gifts and souvenirs, as well as a fascinating museum. We make our way to Benalla, located on the banks of the Broken River, noted for its public gardens. We enjoy the sights, including the bootmaker's shop in Arundel Street, where Ned hid after being charged with drunkenness and riding his horse on the footpath! When he gave himself up to Constable Fitzpatrick after a fracas, he was taken in handcuffs across the road to the old courthouse. Ned's cell is situated behind the building and is open to the public. We also visit the Costume and Pioneer Museum. Here we can view period costumes and two permanent exhibitions. 'The Ned Kelly Story' is housed in a portable cell in which Ned was once imprisoned on his journey to Melbourne by train. It contains memorabilia such as Ned's sash and bridle, the bloodstained silk cummerbund he was wearing when he was captured at Glenrowan, the witness box from the old Benalla courthouse, and the door of the old Benalla Jail.l Joe Byrne's body was tied for photographs after the Glenrowan siege in 1880. Leaving Benalla, we’ll see the bank the Kelly Gang held up in Euroa as well as the Euroa Inn, the oldest building in Euroa, where Ben Gould stayed whilst reconnoitring for the bank raid. From here, we travel to Beveridge, Ned Kelly’s birthplace. Located on the corner of Kelly Street and Stewart Street is the weatherboard cottage that Ned lived in as a child. Ned’s father, John ‘Red’ Kelly, built the home using local materials, including bluestone. While in tow, you can also see Beveridge Catholic School, which the Kelly kids attended. A full day of stories of the infamous Ned Kelly. We arrive in Ballarat later today for the next 2 nights.

Breakfast, lunch pack, and dinner in the motel | Morning Tea from the coach

Sovereign Park Motor Inn, Ballarat | 2 nights

Day 6 (BLD) BALLARAT                                                                                                            

Saturday 14 March 2026

Today, we explore the legacy of the gold rush and admire the city’s stunning streetscapes. We make our way to The Eureka Centre, which explores the cultural impact of the gold rush and tells the stories of the men and women who risked their lives in the fight for miners’ rights. Located at the historic site of the 1854 Eureka Stockade, the Eureka Centre is home to one of Australia’s most iconic cultural objects – the Eureka Flag (The Flag of the Southern Cross). We look through the museum and have lunch at the on-site café. We spend the afternoon at Sovereign Hill, where Australia’s history comes to life! We step back in time to the golden past and days of the great gold rush of the 1850s at this unique open-air museum. There’s real gold to be panned, street theatre, the opportunity to meet consumed goldfield characters, and watch skilled craftsmen at work.

Breakfast and dinner at the motel | Lunch at the Eureka Centre

Day 7 (BLD) BALLARAT TO BENDIGO                                                                                    

Sunday 15 March 2026

Our first stop today – on our way to Bendigo – is at the small town of Creswick to visit the Creswick Woollen Mill. This is Australia’s last coloured woollen spinning mill. Here we have a fully interactive experience showcasing the journey of fibre - all the way from its source on the alpaca through the manufacturing process and finally to the shop shelf. The exhibit gives a great insight into natural fibres and how they are processed. We then travel to Castlemaine. This district dates to the 1830s, when most of the land was taken up for farming. The discovery of gold radically altered the agriculture-based landscape as 30,000 diggers worked several goldfields. The centre of the town has been virtually unaltered since the 1860s, when the surface gold was exhausted. Our stop here is at the Buda Historic Home and Garden for a guided tour followed by lunch. The house is one of the great heritage assets of the goldfields region. Built in 1861, it was once the home of noted gold and silversmith Ernest Leviny and his family. Complete with the family’s art and craft collections, furnishings, and domestic effects, Buda is a unique record of this creative family who occupied it for the period of 118 years. On arrival in Bendigo, we have time to relax and freshen up before dinner.

Breakfast and dinner in the motel | Morning Tea from the Coach | Lunch at Buda Historic Home and Garden

Quality Lakeside Hotel, Bendigo | 1 night

Day 8 (BLD) BENDIGO TO ALBURY                                                                        

Monday 16 March 2026

After breakfast this morning, we joined the ‘Talking Tram’ to see some of the stunning buildings in Bendigo - such as the Shamrock Hotel - and to learn a little about the history of the Goldfields. Then we are off to Ravenswood Homestead for a brief tour and a slightly earlier lunch. Gold was first discovered on the property, which led to Bendigo becoming one of the richest towns in the world. Consequently, this property plays a big part in the history of Bendigo and is a most interesting visit.  Making our way to Tatura, where we visit the Tatura Irrigation and Wartime Camps Museum. There’s also a wonderful mural on the side of the museum. The Museum houses a unique collection based on 3 main themes: the History of Irrigation in Victoria's Goulburn Valley, the Local and Family History of Tatura since white settlement, and the history of the seven World War 2 Prisoner of War and Internment Camps which were established in this area.

Breakfast and dinner in the motel | lunch at the  Ravenwood Hotel

Quality Resort Siesta, Albury | 1 night

Day 9 (BLD) ALBURY TO GOULBURN                                                                                  

Tuesday 17 March 2026

Following breakfast, we head to Holbrook, where we will make the most of our journey and visit the Submarine Museum. You might think it's a bit odd to find a life-sized submarine in the middle of rural NSW. Our visit reveals why the HMAS Otway's final resting spot came to be in Holbrook. Through an amazing holograph presentation, we will hear how a brave young Submariner, whose exploits during the First World War earned him the honour of having a town named after him. With all our questions answered, we are leaving Holbrook and continuing our journey to Junee. Junee has been an important railway centre since the early 1880s when workshops were moved here from Wagga Wagga. On arrival, we visit the Junee Liquorice and Chocolate Factory. The Factory was established in the old Junee Flour Mill. Here they manufacture organic liquorice, one of only three certified organic liquorice manufacturers in the world! That’s why we are very lucky to have lunch here. With some purchases made, filling our bags with liquorice and chocolate, we head to Goulburn and settle into our hotel for the night.

Breakfast and Dinner in Motel | Morning Tea from the coach | Lunch at Junee Liquorice and Chocolate Factory

Mercure Goulburn | 1 night

Day 10 (BL) GOULBURN TO HOME                                                                

Wednesday 18 March 2026

What a tour we’ve had. Making tracks for home, with several stops along the way and lunch at the Ourimbah RSL before arriving home with a suitcase full of special memories.

Breakfast at the hotel | Morning Tea from the coach | Lunch at Ourimbah RSL

Tour Inclusions

•            9 nights’ motel accommodation

•            9 motel breakfasts

•            8 motel dinners and 1 out - see below

•            10 included lunches – see below

•            Lunch at Ourimbah RSL

•            Lunch at Table Top Hotel

Tour Inclusions continued:

•            Locally guided tour of Beechworth

•            Devonshire Tea Cruise on MV Paradise Queen, Yarrawonga

•            Lunch at the Pavilion Restaurant, Buller Wines

•            Dinner at Wangaratta RSL

•            Lunch at the Goorambat Railway Hotel

•            Lunch pack from Quality Hotel Wangaratta

•            Entry to Kate's Cottage, Glenrowan

•            Entry to Costume & Pioneer Museum, Benalla

•            Entry and lunch at The Eureka Centre, Ballarat

•            Entry to Sovereign Hill, Ballarat

•            Visit to Creswick Woollen Mills

•            Entry, guided tour of grounds and historic house, and lunch at Buda Historic Home, Castlemaine

•            Vintage Talking Tram Tour, Bendigo

•            Tour and lunch at Ravenswood Homestead, Bendigo

•            Entry to Museum at Tatura Irrigation & Wartime Camps Museum

•            Entry and tour at the Submarine Museum, Holbrook

•            Lunch and tour at Junee Licorice & Chocolate Factory

•            Lunch at Ourimbah-Lisarow RSL Club - The Kitchen

$4,496 pp twin | + $1,149 pp single sup | $ 850 pp deposit

For more information or to book;

Phone 02 6583 3330

Email: admin@portbus.com.au

Website:          https://www.portbus.com.au

Please Note

•            Price is based on a minimum of 20 paying passengers. If numbers fall below 20 paying passengers, this quotation may need to be recosted.

•            Price is valid for the above tour dates only

•            It is highly recommended that you have travel insurance in the event of travel disruptions.

•            Accommodation is subject to availability. If alternative accommodation needs to be sourced, the price could change.

•            Attractions are subject to availability. When these are booked, we request passenger numbers based on those the tour has been costed.

•            Surcharges may apply if accommodation dates fall on public holidays or special events.

•            Morning teas or afternoon teas are not included unless specified.