9 Day - Tinsel Time In The Southern Highlands
Departure Date: 20th December 2009
Tour Cost: from $2270 per person twin share
Escape the heat of Christmas in Queensland and join your Down Under crew for Christmas celebrations in the cool and temperate Southern Highlands of NSW. Our base over the festive season is the Mineral Springs Resort, Mittagong. Lots of wonderful touring of Bowral, Berrima, Moss Vale and the scenic Kangaroo Valley.
Experience the majestic beauty of the area with so many special attractions included; Corbett Gardens, Greenbrier Park Vineyard, the Bradman Museum, Hampden Bridge, quaint Bundanoon village and the stunning Illawarra Escarpment and Fitzroy Falls. The sense of history of the area is a big drawcard and will delight! During your “Tinsel Time in the Southern Highlands” you’ll find it easy to relax and unwind among the gentle green hills with your new found friends. This special Christmas tour has so much to offer, read the full itinerary and come and “Have a Great Tinsel Time Down Under” in Christmas 2009.
DAY 1 HERVEY BAY– BALLINA (D)
Sunday 20th December 2009: Come and enjoy “Tinsel Time in the Southern Highlands”. Celebrate the Christmas season in the cool and temperate climate of the Southern Highlands. An early start for travelling companions between Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Maryborough and Caloundra.
Brisbane and Toowoomba passengers board your luxury coach at 11.30am. Travel south through the Gold Coast for a lunch break (own expense) with passengers joining enroute. The afternoon touring takes us over the border (watches back one hour) with a chance to stretch our legs for stunning coastal views on the way to the coastal town of Ballina and our comfortable accommodation, the Ballina Island Motor Inn.
DAY 2 BALLINA–TAREE (BLD)
Monday 21st December 2009: Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before we resume our tour south along the Pacific Highway. Cross the Clarence River at MacLean and reach the old river town of Ulmarra, a village classified by the National Trust and one of the finest examples of a 19th century river port in Australia. Enjoy morning tea from the coach before by-passing Grafton and touring further south to Coffs Harbour and the unique Carobana Confectionery.
Learn the interesting story of how this niche business developed and sample some of their delicious treats including honeycomb and brittles. Next, time for a catered lunch at the Fisherman’s Co-op, right beside the marina, where we enjoy fish and chips and a homemade gelato. Our afternoon tour passes through the coastal towns of Nambucca Heads, Macksville and Kempsey before we take an afternoon break in Port Macquarie, a one time penal colony, but now a popular resort town. Our overnight accommodation is on the banks of the Manning River in Taree and we have some time to relax before dinner is served. Overnight stay Riverview Motor Inn.
DAY 3 TAREE–MITTAGONG (BD)
Tuesday 22nd December 2009: Another easy day of touring on our journey to the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. Enjoy morning tea off the coach in Raymond Terrace before crossing the Hunter River and joining the Freeway south to Wyong where we take the scenic drive via Bateau Bay and Wamberal to Erina to visit the famous Ken Duncan Australia Gallery. It is the largest privately owned photographic gallery in Australia and features stunning panoramic artworks, plus a wide range of gifts. There is an adjoining café for lunch (own cost).
This afternoon by-pass the busy Sydney traffic by taking the ring-road to Liverpool and then down the Hume Freeway into the Southern Highlands. Our arrival at the Mineral Springs Resort, Mittagong will be mid afternoon so there is time to settle in and perhaps explore the town before dinner is served in the adjoining Club. Enjoy a relaxing four night stay.
DAY 4 BOWRAL, BERRIMA & SURROUNDS (BLD)
Wednesday 23rd December 2009: After a hearty breakfast board our coach for a discovery tour of the Bowral and Berrima districts. Travel over Mount Gibraltar with its wonderful views of the district and down into Bowral with a visit to Corbett Gardens, which is the showpiece of the Bowral Tulip Festival (mid September to mid October). A short distance along the Old South Road will bring us to the Greenbrier Park Vineyard, a two hectare garden which incorporates an English style landscape in Australian woodland and native forest. The wine produced in the vineyard has won a number of medals and trophies.
The Bradman Museum is our next attraction. Set beside the Oval on which he scored so many runs in his early career, the Museum contains so much of interest; a light lunch will also be served here before we continue on our way to historic Berrima. The town of Berrima is considered the best remaining example of a small Australian town of the 1830’s. Enjoy a tour of the Court House, followed by some free time in the village. The Old Berrima Inn, built in 1833, is well worth a visit and those interested in a little shopping should visit the Australian Alpaca Centre with its large range of products created from this “fibre of the gods”. Return to Mittagong with time to relax.
DAY 5 THE ILLAWARRA FLY & KANGAROO VALLEY (BLD)
Thursday 24th December 2009: This morning take a scenic tour travelling the beautiful tourist road past many imposing country estates. Detour through the quaint Burrawang Village before reaching Robertson on the top of the escarpment overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the distance. We continue via the Jamberoo Road to the new Illawarra Fly Tree Top Walk. A short stroll will bring us to the 500 metre long elevated tree top walk (sensible shoes are required). The walk takes you along the picturesque Illawarra Escarpment with stunning views from Shellharbour to Bass Point.
Return to the café for morning tea and a chance to regroup and recount on our impressions of this exciting experience. Retrace our steps through Robertson and turn off to the spectacular Fitzroy Falls, which can be seen close to the roadside. For the more energetic there are walking tracks around the escarpment which provide closer views of the falls. After leaving the falls descend into the lush Kangaroo Valley, crossing the historic Hampden Bridge. Enjoy lunch at the quaint Friendly Inn, then after lunch, time for your own explorations of the village; of particular interest are the Kangaroo Valley Woodcrafts and adjoining Fudge House with its mouth watering goodies. Mid afternoon return to Mittagong via Moss Vale with time to rest before dinner and the end of our outdoors day.
DAY 6 CHRISTMAS DAY (BLD)
Friday 25th December 2009: A continental breakfast will be served to our rooms and then we have the morning free to attend church services or to relax. Around 11.30am board our coach for the scenic tour to the small township of Bundanoon overlooking the Morton National Park. We are greeted by our hosts at the Bundanoon Country Hotel. Meet some of the locals and get into the spirit of Christmas before we sit down to a lavish lunch with all the trimmings. Our return to Mittagong will give us time to relax or take a walk before our dinner at the Mittagong RSL Club.
DAY 7 MITTAGONG–TAMWORTH (BLD)
Saturday 26th December 2009: Farewell to our Southern Highlands hosts as we commence our return tour home. By-passing Sydney again we reach Gosford for our morning break (off coach). Leaving the freeway we head north through Bucketty to Wollombi. Wollombi is an early 19th century village with a colourful history of convicts, local bushrangers and aboriginal legends. Highly regarded by the National Trust it is still considered an important part of our heritage.
After a look around it is time for some lunch at the Wollombi Tavern and those game enough can try a sample of Dr Jurd’s Jungle Juice. After lunch reboard our coach and travel through Cessnock to have a look at some of the wineries before continuing via Broke to meet the New England Highway at Singleton. On through Muswellbrook to Scone for an afternoon break before arriving in Tamworth for the night at the Colonial Motor Inn.
DAY 8 TAMWORTH–WARWICK (BLD)
Sunday 27th December 2009: Enjoy a hearty New England breakfast before we set off on our day’s tour back into sunny Queensland. Our morning break is in the historic University city of Armidale . On then through the Celtic town of Glen Innes to Tenterfield for lunch in the School of Arts building (included). This building is the birthplace of Federation because it was here, on the 24th October 1889, that Sir Henry Parkes delivered his Tenterfield oration which revived the Federation movement and led to the creation of the Australian nation. Sir Henry himself (in the guise of a local dignitary) will deliver the speech for our appreciation. Our afternoon tour then crosses the border back into Queensland time (put watches forward 1 hour) and we reach Warwick for our last night together on tour. Stay Jackie Howe Motor Inn.
DAY 9 WARWICK–HOME (B)
Monday 28th December 2009: After a leisurely breakfast we leave Warwick and the Darling Downs and travel into Brisbane where some of our friends will leave us on the end of their tour (Gold Coast and Toowoomba passengers return arrangements to be advised). There will be time for some lunch (own cost) and some shopping before we join the Bruce Highway and travel past the Sunshine Coast with drop offs as requested. Passengers north to Maryborough and Hervey Bay stay on the coach, with return arrangements for Bundaberg passengers to be advised.
Thank you for joining us for Christmas 2009!