1 May 2027 – 13 days for £8,399 per person
Register for 2028 and we will contact you when confirmed details, including dates and prices, are available
Calling all fossil hunters: the Australian outback awaits! Join this extraordinary adventure through the heart of Australia’s fossil frontier. Once a shallow inland sea millions of years ago, eastern Australia is now a hotspot for fossil finds due to the favourable conditions this sea and sedimentary rock created. Over 13 unforgettable days, you’ll travel deep into the outback, tracing the footsteps of prehistoric giants and uncovering the secrets of Earth’s ancient history.
From the glistening opals and opalised fossils of Lightning Ridge to the colossal bones of Australotitan cooperensis in Quilpie and ancient dinosaur trackways, this tour offers a rare opportunity to explore world-renowned fossil sites, engage in hands-on workshops and meet the scientists behind some of Australia’s most exciting palaeontological discoveries. You’ll visit cutting-edge museums, dig for fossils in ancient seabeds and walk among life-sized dinosaur replicas in the very landscapes they once roamed.
Whether you're a seasoned fossil enthusiast or a curious explorer, this immersive experience blends science, history and adventure in a way that is both educational and awe-inspiring. Prepare to be amazed by the stories written in the ground – and to mark your own chapter in the ongoing discovery of Australia’s prehistoric past.
In parternship with Intrepid Travel.
Day 1: Arrive in Brisbane
Welcome to Brisbane, the capital of Australia's sunshine state, Queensland. Check in to your hotel and enjoy an afternoon at your leisure.
In the evening, you will have a welcome meeting with your tour leader and fellow travellers, followed by an introductory talk from your accompanying expert that lays out the scientific context of the tour.
Enjoy a welcome dinner as a group at a local restaurant.
Day 2: Queensland Museum and city tour
This morning, you will visit the Queensland Museum, which is home to a wide array of exhibits on topics including Queensland’s ancient past. Enjoy a curated private tour of this area of the museum, which houses some amazing discoveries from places you will visit later in the tour, such as a rare fossil flower found near Winton (Lovellea wintonensis) and a polycotylid found near Richmond (still waiting to be formally named!). Afterwards, there will be time to explore the other parts of the museum, on topics ranging from First Nations to natural history, at your own pace.
In the afternoon, enjoy a tour of Brisbane’s main highlights, such as the Botanic Gardens, City Hall and Queensland Parliament House, with a local guide. The rest of the afternoon and evening is yours to explore and enjoy.
Day 3: Drive to Australian Opal Centre, Lightning Ridge
Rise early this morning to begin the scenic drive to Lightning Ridge in outback New South Wales, an historic opal-mining town that boasts a vast array of black opals and opalised fossils. Australia is the only place on Earth known to produce opalised fossils of animal remains, including dinosaurs, and Lightning Ridge is a hotspot for finding them.
As you journey into the outback, imagine the ancient ecosystems that once thrived here, home to towering sauropods and ancestors of modern platypuses, as well as an ancient inland sea. Over the course of these long journeys, Tim will deliver some short talks, painting a picture of life that once was.
The journey will be broken up with rest and food stops at Toowoomba, a visit to the Millmerran Museum which tells the history of the local area, Goondiwindi and Mungindi One Ton Post, all of which paint a picture of the pioneering history of this area of Queensland.
On arrival, you will check in to your accommodation in Lightning Ridge, then head to Nettleton's First Shaft Lookout for refreshments and uninterupted views of the sunset on the western horizon. Every morning and evening here, you will have the option of soaking in the geothermal artesian baths to relax and unwind, a well-deserved break after a long day’s drive.
Enjoy dinner together before turning in for the night.
Driving distance and duration: Approx. 718 kilometres and 7 to 8 hours driving.
Days 4-5: Fossil workshops, mine visits and fossil hunting
Over the course of the next two days, you will enjoy a variety of activities, ranging from lectures, fossil-identification workshops, visits to the open and underground mines, exploring the on-site museum and, of course, hands-on fossil hunting in the opal fields. You will gain privileged access to rare and valuable opalised fossils; knowledge about and direct experiences of the unique cultural conditions that enable the discovery of these fossils; and the opportunity to contribute to the discovery of fossils for the Australian Opal Centre’s public collection, searching closely guarded above-ground sites and materials.
Your accompanying expert will be onsite to help you identify fossils and will offer additional context as to how the story of Lightning Ridge and the fossils found here fit into the wider picture of anceint Earth.
All meals will be provided over the course of your stay here, and don’t forget to make use of the geothermal baths!
Day 6: Drive to Eromanga Natural History Museum, Quilpie
After breakfast, you will say goodbye to Lightning Ridge as you make the 7 to 8-hour journey to Quilpie in the outback of Queensland. As well as some short talks from Tim, there will be plenty of comfort stops en route, including visits to the Bollon Heritage Centre where the stories of early settlers and Aboriginals are told, and the Eulo Queen Opal Centre, a local opal craft shop with a small cafe.
When you arrive in Quilpie, you will check into the Coopers Country Lodge at the Eromanga Natural History Museum (ENHM) and enjoy dinner together, before turning in for the night after a long day’s drive.
The ENHM was created to house, collect and research the unique finds of this area. Many of the species of dinosaurs that have been found in this area since 2004 were previously unknown to scientists. Not only that, but ENHM is home to the largest dinosaur to ever have been found in Australia: Australotitan cooperensis, affectionately known as Cooper.
Driving distance and duration: Approx. 716 kilometres and 7 to 8 hours driving.
Day 7: Fossil preparation and tour of Eromanga Natural History Museum collection
Today, you will explore the amazing work going on at ENHM. Southwest Queensland’s first dinosaur remains were only found in 2004, and since then the number and quality of finds in this part of Queensland has boomed.
You’ll be guided through the museum’s workshop, laboratory and collection centre, getting close enough to touch Cooper’s 95-million year old bone and seeing some of the more recent amazing finds of megafauna, dating back 50,000-100,000 years, before joining a senior museum technician for a hands-on fossil preparation experience where you will learn about the specialised tools used and prepare your own fossils. All safety gear and tools are provided for this.
In the evening, enjoy a barbecue dinner under the amazing stars of the Australian outback.
Day 8: Drive to Winton
After breakfast, you will head north to Winton, a journey of 7 to 8 hours. As with previous long drives, there will be short talks from Tim and stops at a few sites en route to stretch legs and break up the journey. You'll stop at the Whitula Gate Museum which will show you what daily life was like for the early settlers through its replica of an 1800s homestead. Then it's on to Stonehenge. No, not that Stonehenge, the one in the outback of western Queensland with unparalleled 360-degree views over the flood plains of the Thomson river.
Check in to your hotel in Winton and head out for dinner together in the town.
Driving distance and duration: Approx. 665 kilometres and 7 to 8 hours driving.
Day 9: Dinosaur Stampede National Monument and Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum
After breakfast, you will travel 2 hours by coach to the Dinosaur Stampede National Monument in Lark Quarry Conservation Park, which, millions of years ago, was the site of a dinosaur stampede. Due to favourable conditions in the terrain and weather, the footprints of the dinosaurs have been fossilised, leaving thousands of clues as to what happened on that eventful day 95 million years ago, which you will see in person. You will also see a recreation of the stampede.
In the afternoon, you will drive for slightly over 2 hours to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, which houses the largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils. Here, you will visit three unique facilities (the fossil preparation laboratory, the collection room and the March of the Titanosaurs exhibition), followed by a walk in the dinosaur canyon. In the laboratory, you’ll learn how fossils are found and prepared, and will be able to touch a real dinosaur bone. In the collection room, you will watch a short film about some of the incredible unique finds that are housed here: Australovenator wintonensis, Diamantinasaurus matildae and Savannasaurus elliottorum. At the titanosaur exhibition, enjoy a private tour that explains the history of the site and the discovery of the 54-metre tracksite, which is one of the best examples of sauropod tracks in the world, before you walk through the outside exhibition of dinosaur canyon, where life-sized replicas bring these ancient animals to life.
Driving distance and duration: Approx. 245 kilometres and 4 to 5 hours driving.
Day 10: Flinders Discovery Centre and drive to Richmond
After checking out of your hotel, you will make the 4-hour drive to Richmond, via the Flinders Discovery Centre in Hughenden for a lunch stop. At the centre, there is a full-scale Muttaburrasaurus skeletal replica and an excellent array of exhibits on topics ranging from fossils to local culture. Afterwards, continue your journey to Richmond, where the rest of the day is at your leisure.
Driving distance and duration: Approx. 254 kilometres and 4 hours driving.
Day 11: Kronosaurus Korner Museum and fossil hunting
This morning, in the town of Richmond, you’ll visit the Kronosaurus Korner Museum, which holds over 1000 unique fossil specimens in its collection. You’ll take a guided tour of the museum, whose collection is an excellent snapshot of the Early Cretaceous Period (100 million to 115 million years ago).
Over the previous 10 days, you will have seen and been guided on how to spot and prepare fossils. Now is your chance to test your mettle in the field at a dig site nearby, administered by the Kronosaurus Korner Museum. As this area used to be a shallow inland sea, you can expect to find shark teeth, squid and fish fossils from over 100 million years ago. For this, you’ll need digging kits, which will be provided for you to keep as a memento of the tour.
Driving distance and duration: Approx. 24 kilometres and 30 minutes driving.
Day 12: Mount Isa and Riversleigh Fossil Discovery Centre
An early start sees you journeying to Mount Isa, primarily a mining town, a journey of around 4 hours. Here, you'll explore the Riversleigh Fossil Discovery Centre, which showcases fossils from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, acclaimed by UNESCO as one of the world's top 10 greatest fossil sites. You’ll go behind the scenes on a private tour of a laboratory where fossils are processed and be able to look at them in detail under a microscope.
In the evening, you’ll enjoy a farewell dinner as a group, celebrating the incredible journey you’ve experienced.
Driving distance and duration: Approx. 406 kilometres and 4 to 5 hours driving.
Day 13: Flight to Brisbane and departure
After breakfast, you will transfer to Mount Isa Airport for your flight to Brisbane. Once you have arrived in Brisbane, the tour comes to an end.
