Chariots of Thunder tour – 2024
Pricing for 2024 is now available.
We are offering this tour again in 2024 and have finalised the itinerary and pricing based on the Darwin Speedway Club release of their dates for the 2024 Chariots of Thunder. As foreshadowed at the track during this year’s CoT, there have been changes to the dates and the race format for 2024. In previous years Chariots has been held in August, but fans will now travel to Darwin in September next year, the new month for Chariots of Thunder.
The dates are three consecutive nights of September 12th, 13th and 14th. A change to Thursday, Friday, Saturday over one weekend, instead of two. The date change means only a minor alteration to our regular tour length. The reason lies with the weekend before. On Friday Sept 6th and Saturday the 7th, all interstate cars who make an early tow up to Darwin will have the opportunity to mix it with the locals for some prestigious title races on those two nights.
All of this means that our Chariots of Thunder 2024 tour dates will look like this:
Thursday September 5th, 2024: Depart your capital city airport to arrive in Darwin.
Monday September 16th, 2024: Depart Darwin for your home capital.
A total of 11 nights in the beautiful warmth of Darwin when it’s probably freezing outside your kitchen window. And an increase to five nights of high quality sprintcar racing using a two heat format.
We have again already secured apartments at the Ramada Zen, our preferred “home away from home” in Darwin. Although costs have risen across the board in Darwin as holiday makers realise how good it is up there at this time of the year, we are very happy with our deal at the Zen and again look forward to having a full house of 24 tour members with us in September ‘24.
On top of all that, just in case the good folk at the sensational Hi Tec Oils Speedway in Toowoomba seize the opportunity of racing their prestigious Thunder on the Downs marquee event on the weekend after Darwin, Global Speedway Tours have already reserved accommodation across the dates of Sept 16th through 21st in Toowoomba for you to kick on at that track as well. Making it a 17-night sojourn away from that kitchen window. Further information about the Toowoomba add on will be provided at a later date on this page.
The additional time in Toowoomba is only available to those who have booked for the Darwin tour and will be limited to ten guests.
Based on the above dates, we have updated our itinerary to allow you to read all about what’s in store for you in 2024. After reviewing it and maybe getting excited about Darwin in the spring, please call Peter Physick on 0419 264159, or use the Contact Us link to send an e-mail to get your name on the list for 2024.
Although we’d love for you to read the full version of the itinerary, if your time is short then use the following link to read (and print off) a condensed version of the itinerary in a day-by-day table format.
PS: Finally, to get a great feel for what happened in Darwin in 2023, you might want to take the time to read the Tour Blog, written and published daily while in the NT.
2024 itinerary
Do you start missing your regular dose of methanol madness around September each year? Well, why not let the tropics fix that by making a trip to Darwin for 12 days to experience five nights of top notch sprintcar racing in the spring version of Northline Speedway’s Chariots of Thunder extravaganza?
The itinerary is below. This whole page sets out the tour storyline day by day, along with the inclusions. The 2024 pricing has been released and can be found at the bottom of the itinerary or save time and click here.
Don’t forget to click on every piece of underlined orange text. It’s a hyperlink with loads more info for you to read.
Day 1 – Thursday September 5th, 2024
Depart (your home capital city) for Darwin and the 2024 Chariots of Thunder (CoT) tour. Hopefully we can get you on a direct flight, otherwise be prepared for a stop along the way somewhere. Also be aware that many flights arrive and leave Darwin just after midnight, but we’ll do our best to get you on a suitable daylight flight.
(If you are travelling from Tasmania, you may be better off flying the day before given the difficulties in connections out of the island state. (An extra night’s accommodation would be required in Darwin which we would quote separately for you.)
On arrival in Darwin, you will be met by your tour hosts and transported via our minibuses to the Ramada Suites by Wyndham Zen Quarter (the Zen) in the Waterfront Precinct.
With people arriving at different times, there are no official events planned for the balance of today, other than an included group buffet dinner tonight in the hotel’s 16th floor rooftop garden room. A 4.00pm rendezvous for pre-dinner drinks in the rooftop bar on Level 16 might be just the thing to welcome you to Darwin. Believe me it won’t be the only time you go up there!
There will be other times when you’ll be looking for places to have lunch or dinner away from the Zen, so check out these two links which will help you throughout your stay in Darwin. The 20 best restaurants in Darwin and Tripadvisor’s guide to restaurants in Darwin.
Day 2 – Friday September 6th
On every morning of your stay in the Zen, an included ala carte breakfast is available in the Horizen Café. Even though you have cooking facilities in your apartment, we have included breakfast every day. All previous tour members have loved brekky in the Horizen and never missed a morning there. The record has been set by a 15 year old from Latrobe in Tassie who ate eggs benedict for breakfast every night for 16 nights. He would have had them for lunch as well, but they weren’t on the midday menu.
Unless otherwise noted in the day-by-day descriptions, all other meals on the tour are a personal expense.
For the entire duration of the tour we have the use of two 12-seater mini-buses at our disposal. Primarily they are to get us to and from the speedway every night it’s on, but they will also be available on an almost “on-call” basis to get you to where you need to go in Darwin.
They will not be available to travel to the long-distance destinations of Kakadu or Katherine Gorge, just simply in and around Darwin, as well as to Litchfield National Park for a whole day next Tuesday. (See further comments in that day’s description.) So, please do some homework on what you might like to see in Darwin and let us know.
Although our extensive planned itinerary might be enough for you, some suggested websites to look for more ideas are shown below.
- Darwin and surrounds
- Visit Darwin
- Darwin: Top 10 tours and activities
- Darwin cruises and boat tours
- Fishing charters Full / Half day – Darwin Harbour
But back to today. On February 19th, 1942 Darwin was bombed by the Japanese. Not too many people are aware of this momentous period in the life of a now vibrant city. But it is very worthwhile to learn about it and see how the city (and Australia) has chosen to remember that time during WW2 and pay homage to the 252 soldiers and civilians killed in the many air raids.
This morning we’ll make an optional visit to the excellent Darwin Military Museum at East Point. (Footnote: When the word “optional” appears in a description it means that we will always get you to and from the attraction, but the cost of admission (if any) will be a personal expense. If “optional” isn’t there, then what we do that day is all fully included in your tour price.)
Voted the #1 attraction in Darwin it will surely impress. Followed by lunch at the Darwin Ski Club which is just metres from the Darwin Museum and Art Gallery where there is a Cyclone Tracy exhibition. The admission fee to the Military Museum is $20.00 for adults and $15.00 for Seniors while the Tracy exhibition is complimentary. Oh, and strolling along the beach outside the Ski Club is also free!
Whatever is done in the morning and afternoon, all guests must be back at the Zen ready to leave on the buses at 4.00pm to the 7Mate Northline Speedway. 15 or so minutes later we’ll be at the track and getting off with us will be the famous GST eskies ready for some popular car park tailgating. Sadly however, $1 beers and $2 bourbons are not possible in Australia, so we’ll have to deal with $3 beers and $6 bourbons on this trip. Regretfully we also need to buy ice, which we never have to do in the USA thanks to the hotel ice machines!
For every night at the speedway, we have admittance tickets to the Chariots Lounge, an indoor air-conditioned area with cash bar and rest rooms, plus a large alfresco area on the massive outdoor balcony allowing you dual viewing choices to suit your preference. Or at times, maybe just wander off around the complex and meet the locals.
Tonight we’ll see competition for the Darwin Cup amongst all the local drivers, plus those who have travelled up from other states a week early to get in some track time before next weekend’s CoT.
Admittance to the track and the Chariots Lounge are included as part of the tour price, along with a hot buffet meal served in the Lounge. However, drinks and any additional food over and above the catered supply, are at your own expense.
Day 3 – Saturday September 7th, 2024
This morning and afternoon we continue to look at how WW2 affected the Northern Territory by visiting the Darwin Aviation Museum and the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Bombing of Darwin Harbour Tourist Facility. It’s optional, with a combo adult ticket price of $39.00 for all today’s attractions.
Lunch today will be out on Stokes Wharf where you can choose from six different restaurants to supply your food whilst sitting out in the guaranteed sunshine overlooking Darwin Harbour. Which by the way is six times bigger than Sydney Harbour!
Night 2 back at the speedway sees competition for the NT State Title for sprintcars.
Day 4 – Sunday September 8th, 2024
We’ve got plenty of things to do late this afternoon and all of tonight at the Mindil Beach Markets, a great place to eat, drink and watch the sun drop from the sky. But before our 3.30pm ride out to the markets in the GST buses, we’ll take interested folks out to Casuarina Square Shopping Centre for their retail fix. By far the largest shopping mall in the NT, it is claimed that the average number of visits per week to Casuarina is greater than twice the population of Darwin.
Lunch will be at the shops in the gigantic food hall, but you’ll be back at the Zen in plenty of time to get prepared for a fun night under the stars down on Mindil Beach.
Sunsets in Darwin are legendary and besides Mindil Beach here are many places to watch them from. Be mindful however that next Tuesday you will be out on the harbour watching from a chartered boat, so please don’t voluntarily do that one to see the sunset.
We have arranged for our Global Speedway Tours group tonight to have tables and chairs set aside in the Sunset VIP area on the lawn for our official tour welcome drinks. It’s a magnificent opportunity to get to know your fellow tour members and you won’t have any difficulty in finding the variety of food that takes your fancy. Take a look at this list! And we’ll give you $20.00 of Mindil Money to put towards your dinner. Not only that, the GST eskies will be available and stocked up with complimentary drinks. It’s a super night.
Day 5 – Monday September 9th
Today is set aside for you to consider a full day tour to Kakadu National Park, or Katherine Gorge. Both are very long full days with a 6.30am pick up from a nominated hotel near us. In some cases, you do not return to the Hotel before 8.30pm.
The following links will be helpful for you in deciding firstly if you want to take a tour, and if so, to where and which one. There are quite a few options and the two links we have shown here are by no means the full complement. You may find other tours that you prefer after talking with friends who have been to Darwin before, or by browsing the internet.
If you do decide to take a tour, please let us know which one, so we can link up other tour member’s bookings with yours.
One day Kakadu National Park Explorer (D4) with AAT Kings.
One day Cruise to Katherine Gorge & Edith Falls (D11) with AAT Kings.
If the Tour company you choose does not offer the Ramada Suites by Wyndham Zen Quarter as a Hotel pick up option, then we will get you to where you need to be.
If you choose not to travel on a commercial tour, then the whole day and night in Darwin is free of any organised events today. But we will go to dinner as a group to the Darwin Hotel because it’s Rib Night on Monday nights. What is usually $39 any other night is only $21 tonight.
But before we go, we’ll catch the sunset from the Level 16 rooftop bar. If you like these two scenes, then you too can replicate them up on the rooftop bar anytime from 3.00pm ’til late every day. The atmosphere, the view, the ambience and the cold drinks make it almost irresistible. Our group is nearly always found up there watching the sunset.
Please note that tomorrow is set aside for us to travel to Litchfield National Park in the minibuses. It is only 180 kilometres down there and back, so is easily doable in a small coach. (See Day 6, Tuesday September 10th for details.)
Day 6 – Tuesday September 10th
Instead of a commercial tour, which has been suggested for Kakadu and Katherine Gorge yesterday, Litchfield National Park is doable in the 12-seater mini-buses, given it is only a 90km trip there and the same back. We do way more than that every day when touring the USA, but we won’t have the benefit of an experienced guide as you will on the commercial tours.
Nevertheless, it will be very cost efficient compared to what the various NT tour companies are asking. Their tours start at $185.00.
Here are some links that will introduce you to Litchfield.
Litchfield National Park Destination Guide
Litchfield Tours
Litchfield Day Tour From Darwin | Batchelor, Berry Springs. Litchfield Park
Litchfield Park Tour & Jumping Crocodile Cruise
A Guide to Litchfield National Park | Bookmundi
The cost for today has not been included in the overall CoT tour price, as it rightly should be considered as an optional tour, like the ones to Kakadu and Katherine Gorge. However, we believe that we can do the whole day for $40 per person plus the $10 park fee. There are no other fees or costs, just your lunch and fluids. Don’t forget your bathers, cozzies or swimmers. (Depending on where you were brought up!) Oh, and a camera. And watch out for slippery rocks.
It’s a 7.30am start (ask the breakfast girls to make you brekky to go) and lunch will be at the Wangi Falls Café at some point of the tour! And the GST esky will be on board to assist with regular hydration.
Seeing as how we will be travelling right through it on the way home, we’ll also stop at the famous Berry Springs Nature Park and check out its waterholes. During World War II, Berry Springs was part of a rest and recreation camp set up by the armed forces for the 100,000 military personnel based in the area. Quite a few huts and weirs were built during this time, and you can still see the remains around the main pools.
The famous Humpty Doo Pub is near at hand, but we won’t be visiting it today, preferring to lunch there on Friday after our Jumping Crocodiles tour on the Adelaide River.
As with other optional tours you will be asked to indicate on the Booking Form if you want to do this one and if so, payment is to be made to Peter while in Darwin. It truly is a magnificent day of sightseeing and fun ….. which will see you back at the Zen by 4.30pm.
And the day is still not finished as late this afternoon, we take to the man-made rapids of Darwin Harbour …. as created by a jet boat.
At 5.15pm the buses will leave the Zen for Stokes Hill Wharf because tonight is party night with a superb barramundi fish and chips in a box for dinner. With a twist. You’ll be boarding a jet boat for 90 minutes and travel out into Darwin Harbour with Sea Darwin’s Sunset Cruise. If we have a minimum of 24 on the tour, we’ll have the whole boat to ourselves. The cost is included within the overall tour price, so we expect a full house. The boat is powerful and I’m sure that the speedway rev heads on board will entice the skipper to give you some thrills! Here’s their pledge for you!
The skipper will use his local knowledge to take us to the best place to enjoy the delightfully warm breeze, an exquisite tropical sunset and a harbour full of intrigue. The tide, wind, weather and the season will be considered as the Captain goes with the flow.
If the tide is in our favour, we may experience taking a chair out onto a Fannie Bay sandbar to eat, or maybe enjoy the meal amongst a pod of frolicking dolphins, or dugong. Sometimes he takes the boat to the Sadgroves bird sanctuary and on other occasions he’ll just cruise around the glistening harbour, taking in nature’s extraordinarily coloured sky at this time of day – it’s like a giant work of art.
You get to keep the glass or stubbie holder that came with your first drink with the rest being at your expense. At the conclusion of our cruise the boat will let us off either at the Mindil Beach Casino, or at the Stokes Hill wharf where we boarded. The buses will be available to make trips back to our hotel several times if required.
Just like getting home from the Dingus Lounge when you think about it …..
Day 7 – Wednesday September 11th
Pretty much a free day today, at least until 3.00pm or so because from today onwards things hot up on the SSS. (Social Speedway Scene).
There is still plenty to get done before leaving this city next Monday. This afternoon and evening are all speedway stuff. Firstly the legendary CoT Street Motorcade will be on for young and old. In every prior year the sprintcars have fired up at Midday. Right when all the kids are in school.
But not in 2024. When school’s out, so too will the sprintcars be let out to play on the streets of downtown Darwin.
For three kilometres or so they are tethered together and towed along a circuit up and down city streets. Engines are revving and rumbling, but the quick-change diff remains unengaged. Eventually they will reach the Precinct Tavern on the Darwin Waterfront a magnificent setting against the stunning backdrop of Darwin harbour. It’s here that the cars will be unhitched, parked on the green lawn of the Precinct and the official Chariots of Thunder Fan Appreciation night kicks off. To get there you can grab a seat on one of the buses, or take the 12-minute stroll down the hill from the Zen.
Tonight is a Global Speedway Tours funded night with dinner and drinks to the value of $60 / person available to have some fun. Our table will be reserved and you’ll receive your wristbands at the venue to help the night flow. Not many choose to walk home afterwards ….
Day 8 – Thursday September 12th
Maybe time to slow down a little and today has been left open to do that. The buses will be available to take you to places (within reason) that you may have discovered, but we’re not visiting them. Or, just sleep in, catch up on the washing, or take a dip in the pool at the Zen.
At 3.15pm the first bus leaves the Zen for the speedway and Night 1 of Chariots of Thunder. More sprintcars will have rolled into Darwin since last weekend and the total number of cars is hoped to be around the 45-50 mark. The second bus leaves at 4.15pm and will meet up with the others who have arrived early to secure prime viewing tables and stools out on the alfresco area.
On each of the next three race nights we will run the Global Speedway Tours’ CoT 24 Sweep. $5 will buy you an A Main starting position between 1-20 for each night’s feature. We will have three draws from a pack of cards at our VIP function at Mindil Beach earlier in the tour. The number you draw and own will be the driver who starts in that position in that night’s feature. Given that the pool will be $100 / night, we will offer 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizemoney.
First $45.00
Second $15.00
Third $10.00
And to give those who draw a high number a reasonable chance to win as well, the first car to flip in the feature will pay $30.00. Jackpotting to the next night, if not won. If there is a multiple simultaneous flip, the prize will be split. And finally, if there is no flip on the final night’s feature, the money will buy as many Keno tickets as we can at the Darwin Trailer Boat Club on day 11.
Day 9 – Friday September 13th
We have one last “expedition” to undertake. But like the Fish ‘n Chips Jetboat cruise, it’s so popular usually 100% of tour members go, so we include it in the tour price. We’ve seen and learned about Darwin’s WW2 history. We’ve seen sprintcars on the street, on the track and on the grass, plus museums, speedboats on Darwin Harbour, shopping malls, Kakadu and/or Katherine, waterholes and magnetic anthills in Litchfield, but we’ve yet to see the NT crocodiles in their natural habitat. Well today’s the day to make a one-hour drive to the southeast of Darwin where the Arnhem Highway crosses the Adelaide River.
Down near Window on the Wetlands is the Spectacular Jumping Crocodiles Experience. We’ll be stealing several hours of your time when we visit “a truly cool spot” with highly experienced guides who provide a safe, exciting and educational experience for passengers of all ages. You’ll cruise along the river next to the banks of the Djukbinj National Park to see the hugely diverse flora and fauna that it has to offer. Not to mention the crocodiles you’ll meet along the way. Watch as they are tempted up close to the boat with offers of buffalo meat tied to a bamboo rod.
Earlier we mentioned the famous Humpty Doo Pub. Around 1.00pm you’ll be walking through the front door ready to order lunch. You could try a ‘Double Buff’ Burger, or a Crocodile Burger. Or better still choosing from this menu might better suit your taste buds. Not to mention an ice cold Great Northern to wash it all down.
By the way, check out the size of Kevvie’s Humpty Doo chicken parmi. (The fish and chips in the background is a seniors’ meal!)
But we must not forget that it’s Friday and although we have achieved so much already today, at one minute after 2.59pm Friday night becomes Speedway night”. At 3.15pm we load up bus #1 and tackle the short drive to Hidden Valley for night 2 of Chariots of Thunder. The same journey will happen one hour later with Bus # 2.
Whether we find a tree like we do when tailgating at Knoxville and Volusia remains to be seen, but we do know there are two Northline trees that we can usually park beneath to test the contents of the GST esky.
Back in the Chariots Lounge the clay will once again fly high up onto the deck and drop into to the bottom of your beer can …. or down your cleavage. (Hi Jane!) The sprintcar sweep is on again and the cards will have already been drawn under the shade of the Mindil Beach tree.
Day 10 – Saturday September 14th
For some this morning, you may like to stay at the Zen and do your own thing. Or you could venture up to the 16th floor and watch the Friday night racing live from a track in the USA. It might be USAC, the World of Outlaws, the All Stars or a big Late Model show. Whatever it is we’ll have it up on the big screen to watch it in the comfort of leather lounge chairs …..nothing but the best!
Mini-bus transport will be with us all day for ferrying folks around. One thought from left field is a Global Speedway Tours Grand Prix at Darwin Kart Hire. If there is sufficient interest and we have plenty of notice, a group booking could be made for 10.00am to test the nerves of loved ones who aren’t there to watch! Not sure how fast the hire karts are, but the website speaks highly of them as you would expect. Here’s some video to make an assessment. You can tick a box on the Booking Form to indicate your interest.
The third and last night of Chariots of Thunder draws an unbelievably large crowd. The promotion knows that and open the gates an hour earlier tonight. Hence, we will leave at 2.45pm to ensure those who want to get in early for the best vantage spots in the Chariots Lounge can have a decent opportunity to get them. We’ll once again head out along the quaintly named Tiger Brennan Drive, maybe even via the lookout at Charles Darwin National Park, to Hidden Valley and the final night of Chariots of Thunder. Remember you have the catered food supplied again on all three nights.
Hope you enjoy the biggest night of the year for Northline Speedway as they bring their season to a close for 2024.
Day 11 – Sunday September 15th
On our Month of Money USA tours, the departure from Knoxville is always delayed by 24 hours because we prefer to factor in a rain date. There’s no point in going at all if you’re going to miss the event you travelled all that way for. I asked Jacalin Ekins whether Northline would have Sunday as their standby day in the event of a rain out on Saturday.
Jac’s response was “Due to the time of year we hold racing, it is extremely unlikely we would receive rain in September; it’s almost unheard of. However, we would look to race on the Sunday should that become an issue.”
We could go home today but we won’t, preferring to stay one more night just in case. Besides there will be more seats on departing planes on the Monday.
So, we will have the buses again today and the whole day is devoted to food and drink! At 12.30pm we’ll leave the Zen in the buses and head for a group luncheon at the incomparable Darwin Trailer Boat Club. Here’s the menu and here’s the live cam of the beach at the front of the Club. If you’re reading this in December, January or February just ignore what you see. If it’s 4.00pm, it’s probably raining!
We’ll also grab a group photo here on the beach. Here’s what last year’s group looked like.
From the Trailer Boat Club it’s back to the Zen for cocktails on the roof and then, if your still up to it, dinner will be at Shenannigans the Irish Pub in Mitchell Street.
Day 12 – Monday September 16th
Sadly, it’s now time to say goodbye to old friends and new and get ready to leave Darwin for all ports south. There will be various times of departure today ranging from (very) early am to late afternoon.
We will arrange for you to be transported to the airport at the appointed time to ensure you are ready for check-in and boarding.
Good luck and thanks so much for travelling with Global Speedway Tours …..
Peter Physick
e-mail: peter@globalspeedwaytours.com.au
mobile: 0419 264159
Please contact Peter at Global Speedway Tours via this link if you would like to accompany us on this excellent tour. The 24 spots will go very quickly.
We will only be taking a maximum of 24 people on the main tour.
ADDITIONAL MINI TOUR IN TOOWOOMBA (TBC)
It’s possible that Hi Tec Oils Speedway in Toowoomba, Queensland may consider the opportunity to bring forward their prestigious marquee event “Thunder on the Downs” to the weekend after Chariots of Thunder. If that occurs, Global Speedway Tours will offer a spot on the additional mini tour to 10 people who may want to extend their Darwin holiday. We have already reserved accommodation in Toowoomba in a week that is smack bang in the middle of school holidays in that state.
Initially we will only accept requests to join us in Toowoomba from people who were on the Chariots of Thunder tour. If it is not fully subscribed, then we will consider others.
The itinerary could look like this:
Day 12 & 13 – Monday / Tuesday September 16th & 17th
We would remain in Darwin at the Zen for tonight and tomorrow. We will find plenty of things to do I’m sure.
Day 14 – Wednesday September 18th
Depart Darwin in the am for Brisbane. On arrival in Brisbane, we will pick up our 12-seater minibus from Budget and head out to Toowoomba, 141 kilometres away. A midafternoon arrival in will have us in our accommodation, the Comfort Inn which is conveniently located next to a large shopping centre. Dinner could be in any one of dozen pubs in the vicinity.
Day 15 – Thursday September 19th
Activities during the day are yet to be decided, but tonight we will be front and centre at Night 1 of the (TBC) 2024 Thunder on the Downs Sprintcar extravaganza.
Day 16 – Friday September 20th
Ground hog day. Same as yesterday. But the activity during the day will be a different “yet to be decided”. And night 1 will be night 2.
Day 17 – Saturday September 21st
Our final day of racing. Eight nights in 17 days is an excellent ratio in Australia. It should put attendees in a good frame of mind and be ready for home tomorrow.
Day 18 – Sunday September 22nd
Depart the Garden City on the Darling Downs for Brisbane mid-morning to be ready for early afternoon flights to your respective home cities.
PRICES
The following words and prices are applicable to the 2024 tour.
Please note that the cost of the suggested Toowoomba six-night extension would be additional to anything you see below.
2024 Pricing per person: (We have included a $900.00 air fare credit in each category. If you want to buy your own airfare ticket, already have one, or use points, please simply deduct $900.00 from each price shown.) Domestic airfares have increased as you would know. We have therefore increased the credit within the tour price by $100.00 over the 2023 credit accordingly. If your airfare is less than $900, then your tour price drops by the same amount.
| Harbourview apartment | $4,635.00 per person | (based on twin share) |
| Deluxe Junior Suite | $4,650.00 per person | (based on twin share) |
| Twin apartment | $4,815.00 per person | (based on twin share) |
| Two-bedroom apartment | $5,450.00 per person | (based on twin share) |
Inclusions in your tour price are: 11 night’s accommodation, breakfast every morning, an airfare credit of $900.00, (any less you get a refund – any more and you pay the extra), airport transfers, ground transport (as comprehensively described in the itinerary), welcome Buffet dinner on the rooftop at the Zen on Day 1, welcome drinks at the Mindil Beach sunset markets in the VIP area along with $20 of Mindil Money on Day 4, Casuarina Square Mall, the Fish and Chips Sunset cruise on Day 6, five night’s track admission and passes into the Chariots’ Lounge at Northline Speedway, access to the GST $ eskys, the Chariots of Thunder Motorcade & Fan Appreciation night on Day 7 (including meal and drinks to the value of $60.00). Day 9 has the optional “Spectacular Jumping Crocodiles” cruise on the Adelaide River (and the Humpty Doo Pub), plus, opportunities to go on self-funded commercial coach tours to Kakadu or Katherine Gorge, optional tours in the Global Speedway Tours’ mini-buses to the Darwin Military Museum, Aviation Museum, Royal Flying Doctor and Bombing of Darwin Experience, Cyclone Tracy museum, a full day trip to Litchfield National Park ($50 optional extra), tour clothing and tons of fun that all comes for free …..
Note: We are offering a choice of four room types in the Ramada Zen, all of which are serviced hotel apartments. All rooms contain a full kitchen, washing machine/dryer and cooking implements. Please click this self-contained Hotel Room Types at Ramada Suites Darwin link which will show you all seven apartment configurations. For simplicity, we have chosen four separate types and negotiated rates accordingly. All include breakfast and room servicing.
Here is the layout of an Executive Harbourview apartment: Very suitable for married couples and the most economical option.
Deluxe Junior Suite: At 64 sq metres they are larger than the Executive Harbourview apartment, boasting a bigger lounge / living area and a separate bedroom and ensuite.
Twin apartment: Also suitable for married couples, but mainly for sharing with someone “you don’t wish to sleep in the same bed with!” Has a separate bedroom with a queen bed and a single bed.
Two-bedroom apartment: Suitable for two individuals who want their own bedroom and privacy. As the name implies this apartment has two separate bedrooms each with a queen bed and ensuite bathroom. Hence the most expensive price. Two couples might want to choose this option. Why not enquire about the reduction in price?
Your Booking Form will reflect the different tour prices and you will be asked which option you want. If you are travelling on your own and are happy to be sharing with another single person who wants the same option, please indicate whether you want to be in a Twin Room, or a Two Bedroom Apartment. We will do our best to match you up. If we can’t, then we’ll talk to you about an outcome.
If you’d like to see 590 photos from past clients of the Zen, please click here.
The Ramada Zen breakfast menu. You have up to $22.00 credit each morning to spend. You can have more, but the balance will finish up on your room account.
Click this link for the official Chariots of Thunder Fan Guide. We will post the 2024 version when received from the track.
Read the 2023 Chariots of Thunder tour BLOG here.
HI Peter could you please give me a price for Blayke & us all in the same room , same as this year please if possible
Hi Peter,
Are you able to reserve 3 spots for us that is 2 Adults and 1 Teenager, can you let us know when you will require us to complete the booking form and send deposits thankyou.
Will do Dennis. Leave it with me til the end of the week. I’m also doing the same thing for Blayke again.
Peter