User:ThylacineHunter/TOK

=From TOK page=

Tour descriptions
Post-1976, four Monday to Friday tour options were offered:

Tour 1, South West
The first tour covered Victoria's western and south western districts, with stops at Maldon and Castlemaine, the Great Western winery, Tower Hill reserve, Port Campbell coastline, Warrnambool, the Grampians, Port Fairy and various Geelong industries. Students were charged $107 each.

Tour 2, Central North
The second tour covered Victoria's central northern region, with stops at Maldon and Castlemaine, Ballarat with the Eureka Stockade, Sovereign Hill and the Mine tour, Bendigo with the Epsom pottery, the talking tram, Sandhurst town and Lake Weroona, Swan Hill including the Pioneer Settlement (with the Sound & Light tour), a paddlesteamer cruise, the Clock Museum, the Tyntyndyer Homestead and The Big Grape.

Tour 3, Gippsland
The third tour explored Victoria's eastern region, running to Sale RAAF base, Bairnsdale, the Buchan caves, a timber mill at Nowa Nowa and the town of Lakes Entrance, along with a cruise to Metung, the Morwell open cut mine, Gippstown folk museum and the Glenmaggie Weir.

Tour 4, Central North
The fourth tour covered Victoria's upper northern region, with stops at Maldon and Castlemaine, Bendigo's talking tram, Dai Gum San wax museum and Epsom pottery, Swan Hill's Pioneer Settlement (with the Sound & Light tour), a paddlesteamer cruise, the Fairfield Winery and the Clock Museum, the Tyntyndyer Homestead and the Military Museum, and Kerang's Mohair goat farm, Korina bird park and Oakway Quarterhorse Stud.

Other trips
In mid-1987, the train ran at least once into South Australian territory.

= Me =

VicRail brochure
On board VicRail's Train of Knowledge you can forget the hassles normally associated with school excursions. Like rounding up the students each morning. Getting the bus away on time. Unpacking each night, repacking each morning. Delays while the children are showering,eating, dressing and numerous stops to answer calls of nature. And the problem of setting up discussion areas at each new destination. With VicRail's Train of Knowledge all the facilities you need to enjoy a really memorable excursion travel with you. Once you take your luggage on board and unpack, that's it for the rest of the trip. Eating, sleeping, showering and so forth can all take place as the train takes you from one destination to your sightseeing, learning and recreational activities. You spend less time organizing, and the children have a better opportunity to experience living away from home as a self-contained community. VicRail would like to offer your students a unique learning experience aboard the Train of Knowledge. For five days, your school excursion group can discover Victoria and its rich history on any one of the four excursions we offer you. And because all your living facilities travel right along with you, you save an enormous amount of time and organization, and see a whole lot more of the things you came to see. You'll have a choice of four adventure-packed excursions that give you the best history and geography Victoria can offer.

Sleeping Cars
The sleeping cars have 10 twin cabins,each with an upper and lower berth. The number of small, private compartments makes it easy to make the most suitable sleeping arrangements for boys and girls, different age groups. The train can take up to five sleeping cars.

Shower Car
The well-appointed shower car enables students to shower and prepare quickly and efficiently for the day ahead, as the train progresses to it's next destination.

Dining Car
The comfortable air-conditioned dining car is fitted with it's own public address system.

Sitting Car
A comfortable relaxed area for class discussions, games and other activities.

Accommodation
The Train of Knowledge accommodates 90 students and six teachers - a ratio of 15 students to a teacher. The train includes a dining car, a day or sitting car, sleeping cars and a shower car. The sleeping cars have ten cabins with upper and lower berths.

Meals on Wheels
Experienced catering staff prepare all meals as well as set tables and wash the dishes. Meals are varied and plentiful, and tours offer the variety of picnic lunches and barbecues at stops along the way. Breakfast and dinner are served in the dining car.

Costs
All costs are based on a group of 90 students, with six teachers travelling free. The price can vary if there are fewer students (minimum 80 with six teachers).

What to take
Students are expected to make their own beds. They will need sheets, pillowslips and towels. Sleeping bags are not recommended.

Tour 1
South-west - 5 days (Monday to Friday) - $107 per student
 * Maldon
 * Castlemaine
 * Great Western winery
 * The Grampians
 * Port Fairy
 * Tower Hill reserve
 * Port Campbell coastline
 * Warrnambool
 * Geelong industries

Tour 2
Central north - 5 days (Monday to Friday) - $111 per student
 * Ballarat: Eureka Stockade · Sovereign Hill · Mine tour
 * Bendigo: Epsom pottery · Talking Tram · Sandhurst Town · Lake Weroona
 * Swan Hill: Pioneer Settlement (inc. Sound & Light Tour) · Paddlesteamer cruise · Clock Museum · Tyntyndyer Homestead · The Big Grape
 * Castlemaine
 * Maldon

Tour 3
Gippsland - 5 days (Monday to Friday) - $95 per student
 * Sale RAAF Base
 * Bairnsdale
 * Buchan Caves
 * Nowa Nowa timber mill
 * Lakes Entrance
 * Cruise to Metung
 * Glenmaggie Weir
 * Morwell open cut coal mine
 * Gippstown folk museum

Tour 4
Central north - 5 days (Monday to Friday) - $105 per student
 * Bendigo: Talking Tram · Dai Gum San wax museum · Epsom pottery
 * Swan Hill: Pioneer Settlement (inc. Sound & Light Tour) · Fairfield Winery · Paddlesteamer cruise · International Military Museum · Tyntyndyer Homestead
 * Kerang: Mohair goat farm · Korina Bird Park · Oakway Quarterhorse Stud
 * Castlemaine
 * Maldon

Sleepers

 * Wando - Sleeper 5
 * Acheron - Sleeper 6
 * Coliban - Sleeper 7
 * Inman - Sleeper 8
 * Pekina - Sleeper 9
 * Loddon - Sleeper 10
 * Campaspe

Other

 * Avoca - Dining
 * Carey - Shower
 * Melville - Generator
 * Moorabool - Open plan for special activities
 * 43 BPL - Classroom

=References=