SDSU Student Study Tour to Australia
Day 1 ARRIVE MELBOURNE Wednesday 08 May 2024
Morning arrival at Melbourne International airport. Upon completion of Customs and Immigration formalities, you are met by your Quadrant AgTour Manager and agricultural / agribusiness specialist. Much of the charm of Melbourne comes from the very substantial Victoria era (1850-1900) buildings which were built from fortunes gained in the goldfields. Until your rooms are ready there will be a sightseeing tour that will include many of these buildings, as well as the parks and gardens - for which Melbourne is famous. The afternoon is free for you to rest, explore or shop, as you wish. Melbourne has an excellent tramway network and is a very easy city to get around on your own. Perhaps a tram ride down St Kilda Road (one of the world's great boulevards), past the Victorian Arts Centre and the Shrine of Remembrance and the Botanic Gardens. Then across the Yarra River, just behind the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) are the Fitzroy Gardens, where you will see Captain Cook's cottage (relocated from his birthplace in Yorkshire). Regather in the evening for welcome dinner where you will have an opportunity to question your tour manager about the journey that lays ahead.
Day 2 MELBOURNE to WARRNAMBOOL Thursday 09 May 2024
This morning you travel west to Geelong and spend time at the National Wool Museum, dedicated to the primary industry that has played such an important role in the prosperity of Australia. Next following the Great Ocean Road, you will enjoy some of the world’s most spectacular coastal scenery. Lunch will be at Apollo Bay, after which you continue west as you follow the ‘Shipwreck Coast’ - where scores of vessels came to grief during the 18th century. Later in the afternoon you arrive into the rich grazing region known as the Western District. Spend the latter part of the afternoon visiting a mixed cropping and livestock property and joining a group of local farming people for a get-together over dinner. In the early evening you continue to the city of Warrnambool where you check into accommodation for overnight.
Day 3 WARRNAMBOOL to HAMILTON Friday 10 May 2024
Warrnambool is the centre of an intense dairy farming districts and this morning you will visit a leading dairy farming enterprise. There will be an opportunity to inspect the rotary milking platform and discuss forward thinking management with the owner. Later you travel north to the regional city of Hamilton, which prides itself as being the ‘Wool Capital of the World’!
During the afternoon a visit will be made to an award-winning farmer who has been named Primary Producer of the Year, Australia’s Wool Producer of the Year and the inaugural Biosecurity Farmer of the Year (animals). He runs a family owned grazing and farming property with a strong commitment to farm safety and sustainable production systems and a continuing support of rural research and development. The farm produces ultrafine and superfine Merino wool, prime lambs, yearling and mature beef as well as grain and fodder for supplementary feeding. In the past 30 years, the farm has been involved in 75 research projects including a pilot program on environmental management for beef production. Later check into Hamilton accommodation for overnight.
Next you travel east to visit an intense beef production operation near Dunkeld, where 2,500 steers are turned off annually under contract to Coles (one of Australia’s leading super market chains) and McDonalds. The family own three grazing properties in the area, where black Angus cattle sourced from within a 500 kms radius are fattened on impressive pastures (phalaris ryegrass and lucerne) and a small opportunity feedlot.
Later in the afternoon will travel north and cross the Great Dividing Range, and enter the wheat cropping regions of central Victoria. There is a sharp decline in annual average rainfall as you proceed to the historic goldmining city of Bendigo for overnight.
Day 5 BENDIGO to SHEPPARTON Sunday 12 May 2024
This morning you travel north into the Victorian Mallee and visit one of Australia’s largest Olive groves – for a details explanation of the successful production and marketing of this boutique crop over the last three decades.
Next you will visit a sheep meat operation, consists of a Poll Dorset stud and a prime lamb producing flock. The Stud supplies top line terminal sires to the crossbred ewe flock, which is based on a first-cross East Friesian/Border Leicester and Merino flock. It will be lambing time, so you will have a good opportunity to see high performance meat sheep and learn of the genetic selection methodologies being followed.
Later you continue to Shepparton a major fruit growing and dairying region located on the Goulbourn River. A visit will be arranged to the DEDJTR Tatura Research Station, where you will inspect the latest developments in fruit growing, soil and irrigation management in crops such as apples, stone fruit, strawberries and kiwi fruit. Later in the day you check into accommodation with dinner at nearby restaurant.
Day 6 SHEPPARTON to MELBOURNE Monday 13 May 2024
The Goulbourn Valley is also some of Australia's most intensive dairy farming country, and this morning you will visit a dairy with an exceptionally good herd of Holstein cattle. The visit and discussion will focus on dairy and pasture management, as well as feeding techniques and parlour design. A visit will also be arranged to Murray Dairy, the local service delivery for Dairy Australia, supporting dairy farmers in northern Victoria and southern New South Wales. An afternoon visit will focus on key water management issues and a meeting with representatives of Rubicon Water who also have four offices in the USA. Later you travel south and return to Melbourne, staying at the same hotel you did earlier in the tour.
Day 7 MELBOURNE to Mt SURPRISE Tuesday 14 May 2024
Morning transfer to Melbourne Airport for 3.5 hour flight to Cairns, the tropical city of Far North Queensland. Upon arrival in Cairns there will be a quick lunch in the small town of Kuranda. As you travel across Atherton Tablelands, you will visit a progressive farmer producing bananas (in a disease free and cyclone free area), as well as avocadoes, peanuts, mangoes, and sugarcane! Later in the day you will travel west through ‘outback’ beef cattle country to Mt Surprise – where you check into accommodation in this friendly environment for two nights.
Day 8 Mt SURPRISE Wednesday 15 May 2024
Enjoy a tasty Bush Breakfast before a morning tour of the Undara Lava Tubes. Explore this fascinating geological formation accompanied by an expert local Savannah guide and learn how these massive volcanic tubes were formed around 190,000 years ago when a single shield volcano erupted and huge lava flows drained towards the sea, forming a surface crust as they cooled. At the same time, molten lava continued to flow through the centre of the tubes, eventually forming the hollow basalt chambers that you will see today.
Lunch follows at a Brahman cattle station with management that is so different from many other regions you will visit in Australia. Later you return to Bed Rock Village to enjoy dinner under the stars again this evening.
Day 9 Mt SURPRISE to CAIRNS Thursday 16 May 2024
After breakfast return to the Atherton Tableland and visit one of the successful dairy farms operating in a totally sub-tropical environment! This elevated region boasts some unique attractions created by the high rainfall and relatively cool temperatures. On your return to Cairns you will visit the scenic Millstream Falls, the Crater in Mount Hypipamee National Park as well as one of the huge curtain fig trees near Yungaburra, before reaching the sugar cane belt near the coast and then onto Cairns and check into your resort hotel for two nights. Dinner tonight at resort.
Day 10 CAIRNS Friday 17 May 2024
A wonderful day of excitement on a cruise to one of the marine wonders of the world. Firstly, transferred by coach to the Marlin Jetty for your cruise to the Great Barrier Reef. Under-water coral viewing, snorkelling and lunch are all included. A marine biologist is aboard to answer every question. Scuba Diving is available for all those qualified. Later return to Cairns and your accommodation.
Day 11 CAIRNS to SYDNEY Saturday 18 May 2024
After checking out of your hotel you visit a commercial crocodile farm for a fascinating inspection of these prehistoric animals, some can reach 7 meters in length and a weight of nearly 1,000 kgs! After an early lunch you are taken to the Cairns Airport for your direct flight to Sydney. You are met on arrival in Sydney and taken to your city hotel.
Day 12 SYDNEY Sunday 19 May 2024
This morning there will be a city tour as you continue through the outskirts of Sydney and into the Blue Mountains for panoramic views over the Jamieson Valley, Echo Point and the Three Sisters. You enjoy lunch in the mountains, before returning to the city during the afternoon – with a visit to the Featherdale Wildlife Sanctuary – where you will have an opportunity to make friends with some unusual Australian animals!
This evening is free for you to find the restaurant or pub of your choice for dinner.
Day 13 SYDNEY Monday 20 May 2024
An early departure this morning with a dawn visit to the Sydney Fruit & Vegetable Markets at Flemington. After an inspection of fruit and vegetables arriving daily from many parts of Australia, we return to North Sydney to visit the headquarter of MLA (Meat & Livestock Australia). Here you will be given an overview of the Australian cattle sector, including international trade and access issues, the National Livestock Identification Scheme, and the MSA meat grading system. On returning to the city you are taken a luncheon cruise on the magnificent Sydney Harbour. This afternoon there will be a guided tour of the Opera House.
A farewell dinner tonight at harbourside restaurant within close walking proximity of your hotel.
Day 14 SYDNEY to USA Tuesday 21 May 2024
Airport transfer this morning for connection to USA. As you cross the International Date Line you will arrive back on the West Coast at a time earlier than when you left Australia!
