Clancy’s on the Thomson – Swag Camping with Drovers and Stockmen

Have you ever read or heard Banjo Patterson’s immortal Clancy of the Overflow? Clancy, the legendary Australian stockman, lived and breathed the outback:

And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended,
And at night the wond’rous glory of the everlasting stars.

Australian stockmen and drovers spent many nights camped out under the stars with their swags.

Now you have the opportunity to experience it for yourself. With just a few five star comforts that the stockmen and drovers might not have enjoyed!

Camp overnight with the spirit of Clancy

Tour Itinerary

Meet at the restored Cobb & Co Changing Station at Longreach.

Hand over your official Cobb & Co ticket to board your coach for the one hour coach ride to your campsite.

Worried about bushrangers or outlaws? Don’t. The driver will carry a shotgun that looks the same as the one’s carried on the real Cobb & Co. coaches. Bushrangers won’t dare get close enough to see it is a replica.

Experience the vast Mitchell grass plains at full gallop!

Arrive at your campsite overlooking the mighty Thomson River. The waters of the Thomson are rare because it is one of the few rivers that never reach the sea. The Thomson runs in to Australia’s fabled Coopers Creek and from there inland to Lake Eyre.

Listen to the coach driver and his stockmen’s drawl as they unhitch the horses and feed and hobble them for the night. If you suspect the horses are getting pretty special treatment, you would be right – Ross and Marisse Kinnon breed horses, and know how to take care of the stagecoach teams.

Relax in the peace and quiet of the late afternoon.

Take a quiet walk, or match your wits against the prized Yellow Belly of the Thomson.

Refresh with a cold drink as you watch a glorious outback sunset.

Enjoy a Silver Service three course camp oven dinner under the light of the old time lanterns (no, old time drovers didn’t get this bit of the experience).

Sit by the Gidyea coal campfire and share bush yarns, poetry and ballads of the bush era.

Sip your billy tea, coffee or chocolate and contemplate the embers.

Snuggle into a deluxe Burke & Wills swag atop a genuine shearer’s stretcher bed, fitted with a genuine Australian wool doona and signature linen.

Gaze up into the the Milky Way and countless millions of stars, brighter than you may ever have seen them before.

Stockman’s Breakfast

In the morning you will wake to answer the Bugle Call for a hearty Stockman’s Breakfast.

Then we will hitch up the team and return you to the hustle and bustle of Longreach.

Back in Longreach

On arrival back in Longreach, guests are invited to explore our old heritage hotel that has been transformed into a typical Cobb & Co. “Coach Changing Station”.

A visit to our Station Store is a real Outback shopping experience featuring a wide range of Australian made quality goods unique to the store, including handmade leather goods using the Cobb & Co. theme.

To put the final touch to the Clancy’s Campout experience, guests can relax in our themed courtyard and enjoy a designer coffee and refreshments from our Changing Station Café.

On leaving the café, admire the Original Cobb & Co. coach built in 1893 and used on the Blackall to Longreach leg. It is magnificently preserved.

At the passenger loading dock, take a peek into our Australian bush theatrette and absorb the Cobb & Co. story portrayed in our hallway.

The authenticity of the coach, harness and equipment; the replica of the original Cobb & Co. ticket – a souvenir in itself – the horses, the exhilaration of the ride and the attention to detail at the “Changing Station” make this a unique experience.

Activate your senses

Clancy’s Campout gets all your senses alive!

Smell the horses, the leather, the bush.

Hear the creaking of the leather, the wheels clattering over the ground, the coachman commanding his steeds.

Touch the horses, the leather reins and tackle, the coach.

See the mighty vistas of the Australian outback, the wildlife, the flora, and the historical sights.

Taste the delicious camp oven meal and savour your billy tea.

Prices and Bookings

Bookings are essential for Clancy’s Campout, as numbers are strictly limited (we only have the one stagecoach!)

TOUR DATES:  (Bookings Essential with Minimum 8 Adults & Maximum 14)
1 June , 29 June, 3 August, 7 September, 5 October
PRICES:  Valid to  5 October 2009
Adult/Concession:   from $198.00
Children: 9 to 13 years (0 to 8 years not catered for)  $99