Make your own way to Eulo in preparation for dig starting tomorrow. (Transfers  can be arranged for those who do not want to self-drive)

You will be met by your guide - Corey Richards, the Eromanga Natural History Museum Operations Manager. 

Once you are settled in, you will enjoy dinner around the campfire.  

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Accommodation: Dig accommodations at the Shearer’s Quarters in Eulo​

Rise and shine for five full days of paleontology fieldwork where you’ll be working right alongside the researchers and your guide to uncover extinct megafauna that once roamed Outback Australia. For the fossil dig, you’ll be joined in the field by Robyn Mackenzie, the ENHM Field Paleontologist.

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During your 5-day excavation, your days will consist of:

• Each morning, after a hearty breakfast at your accommodations, you’ll be driven about 20 minutes to the dig site and work begins around 7:30am.

• On the first day, you will learn proper fossil excavation and collection techniques. 

• From there, our dig begins! You’ll be trained in how to perform paleontological fieldwork alongside a team of experts who will be guiding you along the way over the next five days on our search for the bones of extinct megafauna and microfauna that once roamed Outback Australia.

• You'll dig through lightly-packed dirt searching for bones. You'll learn how to protect the fossils and ensure they are safe to be transported back to the fossil prep lab in Eromanga. You’ll learn how to “jacket” your fossils in plaster to keep them from breaking during transport. Once the plaster dries, it’s ready for transport.

• All excavation tools are provided, and you’ll be digging through lightly-packed dirt, searching for and excavating bones. You’ll also jacket bones for collection and all finds will be transported to the fossil prep lab at the Eromanga Natural History Museum. Every dig site is different and as such careful consideration is given by the dig supervisor to ensure the right tools are used to ensure that the bones are removed undamaged and safely.

• Once work is done each day, you’ll be driven back to your accommodations to clean up and get ready for dinner.

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Additional activity included during the course of the dig:

• During the dig, we'll take a break from digging for bones and hunt for glittery treasures with a trip to the historic Yowah Opal fields. We’ll provide the tools, while you keep your eyes peeled for the distinctive Yowah Nut to take home a piece of outback history.

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About dig accommodations and meals:

• Accommodations are provided on-site in the rustic but cozy original shearer’s quarters. You’ll be housed alongside the paleontologists and other volunteers in small rooms with two beds. All bedding, linens and towels are provided. Bathrooms, showers and toilets are housed in an adjacent trailer and there is.also a washing machine and clothesline.

• All meals, tea and drinks and snacks are provided for everyone. If you weren't joining the dig, you’d want to come for the food alone, as the on-site chefs prepare hearty breakfasts, delicious dinners and homemade pastries each day. Breakfast and dinner are served in the kitchen and dining area which are housed with the accommodations. Lunch and tea are taken “out in the field,” at the dig site, as is common practice among paleontologists.​

Accommodation: Dig accommodations at the Shearer’s Quarters in Eulo​

All Meals

You will be working under the supervision of the paleontologists but the tasks associated with working on an excavation can involve certain risks. Excavation work may involve difficult conditions, uneven terrain, unanticipated natural hazards, use of digging equipment, and/or strenuous manual labor. A general level of fitness is necessary for excavations, such as walking over uneven ground every day, walking up and down steps and inclines, kneeling, filling and carrying buckets of soil and stones. Most if not all activities will occur outdoors and are subject to the weather. 

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For your time in Eulo, you'll need pack a few extra items including:

• Toiletries

• Shower shoes

• Comfortable closed in shoes for walking and digging

• Clothes suitable for warm and cool weather

• Alarm clock

• Ear plugs if you are a light sleeper

• Torch or head lamp for nighttime

• Refillable drink bottle

• Hydrolyte tablets or a similar electrolyte product to use for heat and dehydration that can occur when working in the warmer weather

• Backpack to take down to the dig site that contains: broad rim hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, any medication you may have, a camera, sunglasses, lip balm and fly veil

• Bathing suit for hot springs

• (Optional) Work gloves to use while digging eg: gardening gloves

This dig takes place in the wintertime, so the weather will be cool with a chill at night. But, the spectacular sunsets, moonrises and night sky bursting with stars more than makes up for any discomfort. And for those used to the Outback, it’s best not to underestimate the persistence of the bush flies.

1. What makes this site significant?​
   The deposits of megafauna from Eulo represent some of the most concentrated megafauna bone deposits found in open sites in Australia. By collecting associated skeletons of these megafauna we can build up a picture of what their prehistoric biology might have been, looking at differences in individuals, sexes and size.

2. ​What has been most surprising about your discoveries here?
   The discovery of microfauna at Eulo associated with the megafauna deposits gives the opportunity to determine what the microclimate and palaeoecology of the area was during the time of the megafauna. In particular, the rich microfossil deposits discovered show that there is a unique arid fauna associated with clear and mud spring habitats.

3. What are your current research objectives? 
   The findings from this site play crucial roles in the advancement of Australian paeleontologial study. In particular the largest marsupial, Diprotodon, is not well known for its biology. Therefore, discovering large numbers of this species is important to determine the ecology of Australia's top Pleistocene herbivore. With enough skeletons collected and prepared we will be able delve into these key palaeoecological questions.

4. What was the most important or rewarding find from this site?​
   The concentrations of microfauna discovered in these deposits is close to that discovered in cave sites throughout Australia. This is unique to open sites across Australia. Therefore, the Eulo deposits not only preserve highly abundant megafauna, they also preserve some of the largest concentrations of microfossils for open sites anywhere in Australia.. 

Our time digging up giant extinct marsupials has come to an end. After our final breakfast in the field, you'll drive for four hours to the Eromanga Natural History Museum.  Upon arrival, you’ll check into the beautiful Coopers Country Lodge, a modern, luxurious oasis in an exclusive outback setting with up close views of native flora and fauna including birds, kangaroos and lizards. After lunch in the Museum, you’ll join a private tour of the museum where you will have access to original type specimens of fossils housed at the museum. This includes the very best preserved Diprotodon specimen ever found at Eulo, nicknamed “Kenny.” You’ll also meet Australotitan cooperensis or more commonly known as Cooper, the largest dinosaur to have ever been found in Australia. The bones of Australotitan are the largest bones of any dinosaur so far discovered in Australia, which makes them the largest bones of any animal to have walked the Australian continent.

Following the tour, you’re in for a treat! Join museum staff and local landowners for delightful drinks at twilight and a catered dinner offsite at the sand dunes before retiring to your accommodations.

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Accommodation: Cooper's Country Lodge - Double Occupancy​

All Meals

Today, breakfast will be found in the larder at your accommodations where you can enjoy an array of beverages, cereals and pastries.

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Then at 9am, it’s straight to the fossil prep lab within the Eromanga Natural History Museum. Here, you’ll have more hands-on fossil work by learning how to prepare fossils in this world class prep lab. This process reveals the fossils’ full scientific information or to make them look attractive for displays. It’s an incredible opportunity to contribute to the development of the most recent, significant dinosaur, megafauna and arid microfauna fossil collections in Australia.

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The Ermonanga Museum’s experienced Fossil Technicians will guide you through the stages of fossil preparation.  Trained by experts at the ENHM and Queensland Museum, our technicians have worked on the ENHM digs and in the laboratories for many years.

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Our workday and paleontology duties end at about 4:30. This evening, relax and enjoy a 5-course Farewell Dinner in the museum as we wind down our incredible fossil dig experience.

You’ll sleep one final night at Cooper’s Country Lodge in Eromanga.

Accommodation: Cooper's Country Lodge - Double Occupancy​

All Meals

Enjoy breakfast onsite as our itinerary ends and you relivine the memories of this incredible paleontology dig experience.

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Meals: Breakfast