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10 Day - Sydney and Blue Mountain Christmas
Departure Date: Tuesday, 21st December 2010
Tour Cost: from $2926 per person twin share
Celebrate Christmas in Sydney with three nights in one motel close to the inner city. Sydney is the city to explore this Christmas by cruising its spectacular harbour circled by vibrant headline attractions, glamorous waterfront homes and heritage sites with many a tale to tell. Darling Harbour adds yet another dimension and free time gives a great opportunity to explore in depth the sights of Sydney at your leisure. For a change of pace enjoy two nights in the beautiful Blue Mountains – there are so many natural wonders. Be awe struck by panoramic views from many lookouts and ride the famous Zig Zag Railway. This tour has so much to offer that it is well worth reading the full itinerary. Why sit home alone this Christmas? Come and enjoy all the fuss and attention you deserve with this great Christmas Combo holiday package.
DAY 1 HERVEY BAY–COFFS HARBOUR (D)
Tuesday 21st December 2010: Feel special as you set out on this delightful Christmas Combo! An early start for passengers joining between Hervey Bay and Caloundra. Brisbane and Gold Coast passengers join at Brisbane Roma Street Transit Centre at 9.00am with Gold Coast pick ups as requested. Cross over the NSW border at Tweed Heads (advance watches by one hour) to Ballina for lunch (own cost) in town. Enjoy the scenic beauty of the Northern Rivers and in Maclean stop at the Visitor Information Centre for afternoon tea. Arrive at our comfortable accommodation in Coffs Harbour. Stay Country Comfort Coffs Harbour.
DAY 2 COFFS HARBOUR–GOSFORD (BLD)
Wednesday 22nd December 2010: Enjoy a leisurely drive south to Gosford, then at scenic Port Macquarie enjoy morning tea. It is hard to imagine this thriving holiday town had its beginnings as a penal settlement, but our visit to the local museum reveals its convict past and the museum itself is housed in a convict built store erected in the 1830’s. Continue south to the flourishing rural centre of Taree, which straddles the Manning River. Lunch at the Taree Club, then in the afternoon continue on to Raymond Terrace and the Central Coast town of Gosford. Stay Galaxy Motel.
DAY 3 HAWKSBURY RIVER CRUISE–SYDNEY (BLD)
Thursday 23rd December 2010: This morning we travel the Freeway to reach Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River. Our commodious cruiser, the MV Emily Melvey awaits us for our three hour morning tea and lunch cruise on the lower Hawkesbury River. Relax as our Captain entertains us with history and stories about the Hawkesbury. Back on shore we reboard our coach and continue south. We turn off the main highway at Pymble and tour up the Mona Vale Road to reach the beautiful northern beaches. Our tour will take us all the way up to Palm Beach before we return and cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge to reach our accommodation and city base for the next three nights. 3 Night Stay Rydges Camperdown.
DAY 4 SYDNEY HARBOUR CRUISE & SIGHTSEEING (BD)
Friday 24th December 2010: This morning we discover Sydney by land and by sea. First, a scenic tour of the Eastern Suburbs, travelling via Bondi Beach, Watson’s Bay and the notorious Gap, past historic Vaucluse House and Kings Cross to Circular Quay in the city. A vivid imagination is needed to envisage the Quay area as a convict settlement. The best way to see Sydney is from the harbour so we board the majestic M.V Sydney 2000 for a morning coffee cruise. See the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Fort Denison and the magnificent upper reaches of Middle Harbour where palatial homes, parks, beaches and mariners show Sydney life at its best. Back on shore time to explore the nearby historic Rocks area and later the attractions of Darling Harbour (optional own expense) and maybe some last minute Christmas shopping before we return to our accommodation.
DAY 5 CHRISTMAS DAY LUNCH (BLD)
Saturday 25th December 2010: Merry Christmas! The morning is free for church service or relaxing before we meet and set out together for our special Christmas lunch. We can look forward to a great meal and much merriment before returning to our hotel to relax before a light supper.
DAY 6 BLUE MTS SIGHTSEEING (BD)
Sunday 26th December 2010: Farewell to Sydney, the Western Highway leads us to the scenic Blue Mountains, where we visit the Norman Lindsay Gallery. This superb building was the home of the famous Australian Artist and we can admire his artworks within the house and his garden sculptures and fountains in the landscaped gardens. Our tour then continues to the resort town of Leura where we visit another National Trust property built in the 1930’s, Everglades Gardens, for a guided tour that reveals the history of the terraced gardens, resplendent in their summer colours. We now visit the Three Sisters at Echo Point before taking the Cliff drive to Scenic World for lunch (own cost) in the Brassiere or Harry’s Café. Optional rides are available on the Skyway, Railway or Cableway over or down into the Jamison Valley. Return to the Katoomba Township and time permitting we can visit the famous Carrington Hotel before checking into our accommodation. 2 Nights Stay Sky Rider Motor Inn.
DAY 7 ZIG ZAG RAILWAY & MT TOMAH (BLD)
Monday 27th December 2010: Today travel through Blackheath and Mt Victoria to Hartley, for a guided tour of this historic 19th century village. It is then only a short distance to Lithgow for a ride on one of the Blue Mountains most loved attractions the Zig Zag Railway. After our exhilarating ride enjoy lunch at the Lithgow Workmen’s Club. In the afternoon inspect the glorious Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens, one of the world’s finest collections of cool climate plants. Return via Bell and Mount Victoria to our comfortable Blue Mountains accommodation and dinner.
DAY 8 BLUE MTS–DUBBO (BLD)
Tuesday 28th December 2010: From Katoomba we call into the Lithgow Small Farms Factory Museum for an opportunity to learn a little of the towns culture and industrial beginnings. Nearby is Eskbank House, an 1842 built Georgian style home with period contents and the oldest standing in the Valley. Our guided tour reveals how the wealthy lived in the early days of Lithgow. Travel westward to Bathurst to do a lap of the famous Mount Panorama Racing Circuit before visiting the adjacent National Motor Racing Museum. Racing buffs can view the range of cars, cycles, trophies and photographs before we travel into town to the Café in the Visitor’s Centre for lunch. This afternoon on to the major central west city of Orange, then the attractive little town of Molong for afternoon tea. Arts and crafts aficionados may care to visit the Molong Yarn Market in Bank Street. On to Dubbo for our overnight stay. Stay Golden West Motor Inn.
DAY 9 DUBBO–MOREE (BLD)
Wednesday 29th December 2010: This morning we visit the Western Plains Zoo, home to more than 1,100 animals from around the world, many of them endangered species. The Zoo uses a system of water moats that allow many of the animals to roam freely without the usual barriers of fences, bars and glass. A Zoo Keeper will escort our coach and explain the open range layout and some of the behind the scenes operations of the zoo. Our late morning tour will take us up to Gilgandra for lunch at the Gilgandra Services Club. Well fortified we take in the scenery as we travel north through Coonabarabran to Narrabri and then on to the artesian town of Moree for our last night together on tour. Stay Burke & Wills Motor Inn.
DAY 10 MOREE–HOME (B)
Thursday 30th December 2010: An early start on our homeward journey. We cross the border back into sunny Queensland at Goondiwindi (watches back by one hour) and continue to Warwick for a break. Then into Brisbane where our Brisbane friends leave us. For passengers staying on the coach free time in Brisbane for lunch (own expense). Travel is then north on the Bruce Highway through the Sunshine Coast (passengers drop offs as requested), passing through Gympie enroute to Hervey Bay. Thank you for joining us and we hope you have many happy memories of Christmas 2010.