Whether you are an experienced traveller or just beginning to explore this wonderful world, Railway Adventures has something for everyone. Daily schedule for the shuttle: Departs Toowoomba station: 9.00am - arrives Spring Bluff: 9.35am Returns Spring Bluff: 11.00am - arrives Toowoomba station: 11.35am Departs Toowoomba station: 1.00pm - arrives Spring Bluff: 1.35pm My travel career began when I jumped off a truck in Morocco and somehow got work with a holiday company there. He was in the inaugural cast of Les Miserables for Cameron Mackintosh. Back home, they ran a Teahouse and Gallery for ten years before establishing a holiday accommodation management business the Blue Mountains. 1 / 44 Let us show you our regions Stanthorpe Toowoomba Bunya Mountains Goondiwindi Chinchilla Dalby Warwick Kingaroy Gatton History and train buffs are invited to join a recreation of Queenslands first rail journey to historic Grandchester Station on board the authentic heritage Grandchester Express. Anyone on or off Facebook The ARHS QLD will be operating two steam train excursions to Toowoomba for the Carnival of Flowers. A tour that has something for both partners! The train runs, on average, 2 times per week from Brisbane to Toowoomba. This Steam Railway is definitely one to tick off your train bucket list and will be sure to delight the whole family. Internationally, shes travelled to many countries across Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa. Robert has led groups of like-minded enthusiasts on tours to places as diverse as South America, Pakistan and South Africa and more recently has been the celebrated tour leader on many Railway Adventure tours through Outback Queensland, Sri Lanka and India. 0000037599 00000 n Miles Outback Festival Heritage Steam Train Adventure -3 day tour Toowoomba Railway Station - Railway Street, Toowoomba, QLD 4350 Sep 16 Warwick to Toowoomba ONE WAY Warwick Railway Station - Brosnan Cres, Warwick, QLD 4370 Sep 17 Toowoomba Wyreema Return 2:30 pm Toowoomba Railway Station - Railway Street, Toowoomba City, QLD 4350 Sep 17 Phil has spent most of his life in travel related work and pleasure. pentecostal assemblies of the world ordination; how to start a cna school in illinois Bell Shakespeare occupied his attention for 6 years to 1999, before he went with his new wife Barbara and taught English in Japan for a couple of years. His other interest in paleontology has now been developed into our Dinosaur Discovery Tour. (A $105; Conc $100; Child $60; Fam 2A+2C $280)B. They operate every 3 rd Sunday of the month from 10am to 2:30pm. In 2004 he established the Tweed Rail Society to lobby government to retain and improve services on the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line in northern NSW. Steam Adventure In Southern Queensland WITH SCOTT MCGREGOR, THE CRUISE EXPRESS TEAM AND FRIENDS 29 APRIL - 6 MAY 2021 BRISBANE TOOWOOMBA ARMIDALE GOONDIWINDI TENTERFIELD Southern Downs Steam Railway- photo by Ben Francis RAILWAY ADVENTURES AND CRUISE EXPRESS 2021 In Southern QueenslandSteam Adventure steam train brisbane to toowoomba 2021. As a result one SX coach has been re-purposed as a permanent art installation. There you find some of Australias most eccentric and appealing trains and together with a mail-plane flight over the Gulf and some interesting local coach and boat trips you have the essence of a quintessential Aussie outback adventure. Fine food excursions to Warwick and Stanthorpe will give our guests the opportunity to sample the best our region has to offer. %PDF-1.5 % From there its full steam ahead on the North Coast Line, leaving suburbia behind for some of south east Queenslands most beautiful scenery. There are more than 150 public parks and gardens in Toowoomba. 0000012061 00000 n Eamonn joined Launceston City Council in 2013 as Tourism Manager until a wish to semi retire gave him the opportunity to start a small day tour company, Prestige Tours Tasmania, which, over the last few years has seen him leading and hosting tours on various themes all over the island. 0000063350 00000 n Phil has a lifelong passion for all things rail, maritime history ships and colonial architecture. He holds an Advanced Diploma (hons) Tourism Management. BOB DANIEL has been fascinated with trains all his life, his father having engineered the construction of many of the famous Australian trains during the 1950s and 60s, including the Southern Aurora and The Sunlander. 0000062662 00000 n DownsSteam is a community based solely volunteer run organisation dedicated to the establishment of a tourist railway for the Darling Downs region. Cooney Avenue, just off Brisbane Road, is the Racecourse Train Station. The rail route to the Sunshine Coast hinterland cuts through pineapple and citrus plantations and passes areas of virgin scrub and rainforest via the spectacular Glass House Mountains. Will Coronavirus (COVID-19) affect my travel to Toowoomba? Toowoomba crowns the edge of the Great Dividing Range 700 metres above sea level, overlooking the Lockyer Valley. The Westlander travels from Brisbane to Charleville twice a week, with RailBus Coach Connections to Quilpie and Cunnamulla. He has had a great interest in railways since early childhood. The best part about travel is trying to be like a local in a city and experience it from their eyes. Register your interest and as soon as the tour is launched we will be in touch to make your booking. At Railway Adventures, she works in operations but has experience as a Product Manager and Travel Advisor. The highlight was the aboriginal carriage with absolutely terrific paintings through the carriage. The resulting photographs and articles have appeared in numerous Australian and overseas publications. 0000061214 00000 n It was whilst he was marketing manager, he became involved in the very early days of the Welsh Highland Railway Project. We pay respect to Elders past, present and future. While Scotts acting career of 30 years kept him busy starring in numerous TV shows and stage plays and then as an on-air presenter on programs such as Better Homes and Gardens, Room for Improvement and various pay-TV programs, his passion forrailway tourswas ever-present. Heritage Train Tour Leaders Q & As with Barbara and Duncan Wass, Forgotten Railways - Queensland Rails Cooktown to Laura Branch, NSW very own World Heritage site - Lake Mungo National Park, Railway Adventures Heritage Train Tour Leaders Q & As with Hayley Anderson, Railway Adventures Heritage Train Tour Leaders Q & As with Robert Kingsford-Smith, Railway Adventures Heritage Train Tour Leaders Q & As with Chris Harding, Travel in Style with Railway Adventures on the THE BLUE ZEPHYR A classic Australian Heritage Train. After 26 years with Qantas John logged another 25 years as a Tour Manager leading tours in Australia and overseas. This week, a group of passionate rail enthusiasts at Toowoomba's Downs Steam Tourist Railway . Once John visits Taiwan, he can say he say he has been to every country in Asia. From there we turn North West and venture across the rich Darling Downs to Dalby soaking up the rural landscapes, historic homes and colonial histories. 0000090455 00000 n For over 30 years, Mike has been trackside and on board trains capturing unique scenes of railways. It has currently reached capacity, We are, however happy to put you on a waitlist and we will contact you if places become available. 0000004276 00000 n Win a double pass to The Poison of Polygamy at La Boite Theatre, Win a luxury 4-night stay for 2 at Eden Health Retreat, valued at $6,300. Barbara lives in the Blue Mountains and has a solid background in travel, tourism and hospitality. The Dream Time Journey Coach takes you on a spiritual journey from dawn to dusk. Nice to know - The trips appeal to passengers of all ages. Stephen is a trained mediator and has extensive experience in conflict resolution, management consulting, designing and running workshops, coaching, acting, and travel. He has extensive knowledge of Japan, Vietnam and India. At the Railway Adventures office, she works in operations but has experience in customer service and sales, having previously worked for other businesses in travel. and many more. 0000000016 00000 n As a child growing up in Sydney he witnessed the very last of the days of steam on the railways of NSW and thus began a fascination for trains and rail travel that continues today. Membership grew steadily and in 1945 a Division was formed in Victoria. David took over as Tour Manager in Portugal in 2012 and specialises in the companys tours in Portugal, France, Austria and Sri Lanka, and some of the Spanish and Italian tours, though he has also led a tour in Australia. While in the area why not complete your 'train day' with a visit to the wonderful and ever-popular Workshops Rail Museum in Ipswich. Kevin spent two years living in Switzerland running his own travel company and has led cultural and adventure tours to over 60 countries since 2000. Enjoy a mid-week staycation at BIG4 Gold Coast Holiday Park between Sunday to Thursday, and kids eat free with any paying adult! Located on T.L. A never-before-seen perspective on Australias amazing wilderness, Join UK author Alexander McCall Smith at Brisbane Powerhouse, Say goodbye to summer in style by sitting on a rooftop drinking rose, Elevate your fitness routine with a diverse range of free classes for all fitness levels, including Pilates, Zumba & Yoga Flow, A green party boat cruise, the annual St Patrick's Day parade and a fantastic Irish concert - three of the top ways to celebrate, From sunset opera by the river, 2-day cocktail expo, and stunning arts and food night market to a secret new laneway bar some top things to do, Get into the Irish spirit this St Patrick's Day weekend with a stunning dance performance that has wowed the world. In the 1970s, Queensland Rail introduced steam train excursions from Toowoomba to Spring Bluff in response to public interest in the prizewinning . And its not just beautiful flowers that attracted over 140,000 people last year. We had such an amazing day and appreciate the volunteers time and efforts. From Brisbane take a rail journey through the rich farmlands of the Darling Downs to Charleville. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. The schedules shown below are for the next available departures. DUNCAN WASS grew up in Sth Australia. After being shut down for so long due to COVID they are finally able to start operating again. The infrastructure project is expected to cost around $14.5 billion and create more than 21,500 jobs across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland during construction. Upon arrival at the heritage listed Grandchester Station, travellers can disembark to watch the locomotive uncoupled from its train and ran around for its return trip, prior to returning to the Museum. Bernadette is a trained actor, psychologist, businesswoman, and writer. A return trip on the shuttle costs $20 for adults, $10 for kids and infants ride free. Trains run regularly between South Brisbane Railway Station to several locations across Brisbane and the Gold Coast. 0000092140 00000 n A single train from Toowoomba to Ipswich utilising one of the early locomotives could be loaded with up to 65 tonnes. Just one example of how Scott finds inspiration for a tour can be found in Outback Queensland. Departing Tuesday, February 28, 2023 19:15 Brisbane Hand cleansing and masks will still be available if required and patrons are asked to use normal sensible precautions. Whilst still involved with the development of itineraries for Guidepost Tours and Railway Adventures, Bob is heavily involved with Heritage Rail Groups in New South Wales, is qualified in Rail Safety and Track Awareness, and travels regularly on steam and diesel tours as train manager or in other capacities. It takes you across Southern Queenslands Granite Belt from Brisbane to Warwick and then to Toowoomba by special steam train for the stunning Carnival of Flowers festival. 0000061346 00000 n 0000089631 00000 n Services depart twice a week, and operate Tuesday and Thursday. Over the years he has travelled extensively around the UK and most of Western Europe and has been leading groups for over 12 years on scores of railway-themed tours around the world, including the UK, Germany, India and Switzerland. Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 9am to 3pm ~ Entry donation $5/adults. Tickets are available via The Workshops Rail Museum website or call QTIX on 136 246. After 30 years in the finance industry Chris turned his attention back to his passion, working with the heritage steam locomotive 3801, and later, managing the Railway Bookshop on Sydneys Central station. Corner of Fitzroy Street 2021 Dec 16: An inflatable castle that was being used for a year-end celebration at Hillcrest . Java, Cuba, Southern Africa, India and the New England region of NSW are just some of the newer adventures on offer. They travelled extensively there, and have been back a number of times, as well as taking trips to the US, UK, France and Italy, Cambodia and the Phillipines. 0000014710 00000 n ANNUAL EVENTS: Australia Day; Mothers Day/Fathers Day Breakfast; Carnival of Flowers Week. Born and raised in Sydney John settled in the Mudgee area and has resided there for 25 years. Win a small business promotional package worth $5,000 to advertise on Must Do Brisbane! He flew internationally with QANTAS Airways for some 20 years. The Downs Explorer offers you a range of unique heritage rail experiences through some of the most picturesque countryside in Australia. 0000022120 00000 n Access Queensland Rail Travel on Instagram, Access Queensland Rail Travel on Facebook, Access Queensland Rail Travel on Trip Advisor. The Port of Gladstone is publicly owned, paying an $80m dividend to the state government in 2019-20, plus $70m in taxes. When the travels are done, coming back to my own train in the beautiful Mudgee mountains is the most restorative and magical time for this committed rail romantic, Scott says. I have a background as a professional squash player and undertook an accountingand finance degree in the background. He first became involved with tour leading almost a decade ago when he joined enthusiast tours in Portugal and was later asked to assist his predecessor with some of the larger groups. Date: 17 Mar 2021 25 Mar 2021. Welcome to the Sunshine Express Operating rail tours in Queensland since 1957 There are currently no upcoming Tours. Thu, Mar 9, 5:30 PM. Explore our rich rail history here online or at our Rail Precinct Wednesdays or Thursdays each week. Some favorite places to travel? Not only does he get to expand his own horizons and indulge his love of train travel, he gets to use his extensive hosting experience and love of people to lead other like-minded travellers onescorted train toursaround the world. Visit award-winning museums, grand old country homesteads, and, of course, some of Australias most spectacular parks and gardens in the flush of spring. Having spent 18 months travelling the world, including a long stint in India, Nepal and Southeast Asia she is passionate about travel and loves nothing more than sampling culinary delights and wines from around the world. Posted Sat 30 Oct 2021 at 8:15pm Saturday 30 Oct 2021 at 8:15pm Sat 30 Oct 2021 at 8:15pm, . Mende Mitrevski Customer Service and Sales. 0000048154 00000 n The Bunya Mountains National Park offer a rare insight into a very special botanical site, rich with Aboriginal cultural significance and from there its a scenic drive down the ranges to Gympie and another great steam train journey along the Mary Valley. Fill out the form to enquire about the Tour. The Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers offers a steam train experience allowing you a scenic experience across the Lockyer Valley and ofcourse a visit to the big event itself. The journey incorporates tours in cities and towns along the way including Dalby, Maryborough, and Gympie, as well as explorations of exquisite national parks and mountains. Recommended Bus Take the bus from Brisbane to Toowoomba 1h 45m $21 - $50 Train Take the train from Brisbane Roma Street to Toowoomba 3h 50m htRmHSQ~k996c?rA&RCFP5$a00[I#)}P=ry8 8@0F)~. 0000048442 00000 n The journey time may be longer on weekends and holidays; use the search form on this page to search for a specific travel date. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and emerging. Springtime Steam Spectacular to the Carnival of Flowers and Beyond 22 30 September 2021 BRISBANE WARWICK TOOWOOMBA DALBY MARYBOROUGH GYMPIE . 28 circa 1914. He joined the Bank of NSW in 1966, where he progressed through the ranks, including service in London with the International Division. The average travel time between Toowoomba and Brisbane is around 2h 30m, although the fastest bus will take about 1h 50m.This is the time it takes to travel the 66 miles that separates the two cities. 0000006406 00000 n DownsSteam plans to run regular passenger services that would become part of an integrated tourism transport trail across the Darling Downs. The highest of three projected costs outlined in the AECOM high speed rail study of 2011 for a Brisbane to Newcastle route (via Gold Coast) was estimated at $31.7 billion for 706km of 200-350kph track. 0000080808 00000 n Are you ready to ride some of the most beautiful rail journeys on earth? She joined Railway Adventures in October 2018 and plays a key role in the organisation and fulfilment of every tour in the program. SDSR volunteers have restored carriages, a rail car, manual rail carts and so much more and have a beautifully presented museum full of amazing memories. Train lovers will thoroughly enjoy the museum carriage! The station shop and education carriage is also open by appointment. It was named Spring Bluff after the spring water and the sandstone bluff in the area. As for Scotts next escape, its most likely some quality time at Ruwenzori Retreat, his own personal train on the Great Dividing Range near Mudgee, Central NSW. Our Vietnam tour makes use of private carriages attached to regular trains to explore that great country in comfort and in South Africa we use a variety of trains including the luxurious Rovos Rail and the Royal Livingstone steam train to move from one incredible adventure to another. Special thanks to Peter. The first railway between Sydney and Brisbane via the scenic New England route has been closed for decades. Book Your Rail Adventure BROWSE ALL TOURS 0000037710 00000 n Mende has travelled extensively throughout Europe, East Asia and North America, his main interest in traveling is immersing himself in the culture and the architecture of foreign lands. Kevin also has a passion for football and has researched, designed and led over 20 football fan tours to five World Cups and other major tournaments over the last 18 years. State-wide rail connections leave from Roma Street Station's Transit Centre, which is only one train stop away from South Bank. Enjoy a mid-week staycation at BIG4 Gold Coast Holiday Park between Sunday to Thursday, and kids eat free with any paying adult! Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Downs Steam is in the process of restoring the only C16-106 QR Class locomotive left in existence. Signup for our newsletter to get notified about our next ride. Allan has managed rail tour groups from the USA for the International Railway Travellers Group to both New Zealand and Australia. Choose from one of our prepared itineraries or create your own. 0000056325 00000 n Trains run twice a week between Brisbane and Toowoomba. Key benefits of the Inland Rail project: dramatically reduce rail freight costs reduce transit times along the eastern states and increase . 0000006821 00000 n 0000010904 00000 n Brisbane's annual St Patrick's Day Paradeis back! Rustic, character-filled, zig-zagging railways of Burma, opulent hotels on wheels in India South Africa and Sri Lanka, steam-hauled heritage trains in some of the most staggeringly scenic parts of the world, dinky little rail-cars in outback Queensland, bullet trains in Japan, cliff-hugging lines in Switzerland and Norwayif it travels on a rail track, Im there!, exclaims self-confessed train travel tragic, Scott McGregor. 0000090869 00000 n Need to know - The special steam train is scheduled for the 2.5 hour round trip, departing from The Workshops Rail Museum at 10am on 6 October 2018. A charter flight from Windorah to Toowoomba broke up in flight and crashed on the evening of 28 August 1983, near Adavale . Want to know about travelling from Brisbane to Toowoomba? Swanbank has been developed to include a large green space, the Education Carriage and a souvenir shop area within the Station building. Being the hub of the fertile Darling Downs region has resulted in a city with extensive manufacturing, education, health, retail and professional services. Subscribe to our newsletter and get exlusive first minute offers straight into your inbox. Aa a child of the last days of steam trains in the busy junction town of Orange, NSW; trains heading in all directions offering temptations and dreams of faraway places, left an indelible impression on a young, inquisitive boy and Scott has been riding the rails in one form or another ever since. Are you interested in meeting new and interesting like minded people, being part of a friendly team, facing new challenges, gaining experience in a variety of roles and working to create a uniquely special tourist attraction for your community? He also owns and operates RUWENZORIan Orient Express-style tourist retreat on the Great Dividing Range near Mudgee. Getting Here Toowoomba is located in Southern Queensland, just a 90-minute drive from Brisbane By Air Fly direct to Toowoomba via the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport, located on Toowoomba Cecil Plains Rd, approximately 17kms west of the Toowoomba CBD QantasLink offer services to Sydney Once back in Australia, she managed of group of spa cabins and wedding venue, and for the next 10 years owned and managed a local Teahouse and Australian Gallery. Thank you for your interest in this tour. I get great satisfaction being able to share my broad range of experience with my tour clients. 0000089073 00000 n Graemes professional life was in water resource engineering and operations, a field in which he is still involved, and this resulted in him residing in a number of rural locations in NSW and Tasmania. THE TRAIN: Subject to availability, BB18 locomotive No. John says Its hard to define a favourite destination, as I still get a buzz out of visiting new destinations. DownsSteam needs your expertise! They spent 4 years building their dream home, a stone yurt set on the edge of the escarpment at 820 mts. We acknowledge their spiritual connection to the lands and waterways and ask their ancestors to watch over us as we tread lightly on Country. The longest running floral event of its kind in Australia, dating back to 1950, visitors travel far and wide to see the citys gardens in full bloom. 0000037867 00000 n 0000005169 00000 n Weve seen many people become life-long friends from the time they shared together along the line. DownsSteam needs your help! In between working in travel, he travelled the world for almost two years, spending a great deal of time in the Middle East and North Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, Central Asia, China and Russia where he was lucky enough to ride the famous Trans-Siberian Railway, The Orient Express, Shinkansen bullet trains in Japan and many trains elsewhere. 0000047829 00000 n Queensland Rail Limited ABN 71 132 181 090. GPO. Our Heritage Railway is a living Rail Museum. Warwick 4370. 0000088998 00000 n MIKE CONDON wasborn into a railway family with connections to Queensland Rail stretching back to the 1890s, and so was destined to share this passion of railways. In the steam locomotive era, all the heavy goods trains from Brisbane had to have an engine at the rear to push them from Murphy's Creek to Toowoomba. Premium Economy class seats on the Spirit of Queensland, The lounge car on the Spirit of Queensland tilt train, Rome2rio uses cookies to help personalize content and show you personalised ads. Over the years he has been involved in a number of rail heritage preservation groups. Only electric trains and SX cars are allowed to use high level platforms. Jagera Community Hall South Brisbane, QLD. 0000061098 00000 n We had a magic morning. 0000010540 00000 n The sleeper train,The Spirit of the Outback,theSavannahlanderand theGulflander(which has been running on the same timetable for more than 125 years!) Prior to this Eamonns career has had a distinct heritage rail focus. Thu 21 Oct 2021 12.30 EDT Last . "The financial case for the Toowoomba to Gladstone rail are superior to that of Toowoomba to Brisbane." In the view of Mr Abbott and the GPC, an extension to Gladstone would be cheaper to construct than a line from Toowoomba into the dense heart of Brisbane and the value generated over time would exceed that of a Toowoomba to Brisbane link.