6 Day - Fun & Festive Forster Christmas
Departure Date: Wednesday, 22nd December 2010
Tour Cost: from $1974 per person twin share
Feel special as you set out on this fun and festive Christmas tour. Our base is the cool hinterland town of Gloucester and each day during our Christmas break we explore Foster and the Great Lakes region of NSW. Enjoy magnificent coastal scenery, calm water cruising, mountains and forest views plus some good old fashioned country hospitality based for three nights in one motel. You’ll enjoy the included highlights that have been blending to balance activity and relaxation. There is no doubt this Fun & Festive Christmas holiday will be a popular choice…so book early!
DAY 1 HERVEY BAY–TENTERFIELD (LD)
Wednesday 22nd December 2010: Welcome aboard for a Fun & Festive Christmas break! An early start for passengers joining between Hervey Bay and Caloundra. Brisbane and Gold Coast passengers join at Brisbane Roma Street Transit Centre at 10.00am. The Cunningham Highway leads us into the Darling Downs and through to Warwick, the “Rose and Rodeo City” for a lunch stop at the Abbey of the Roses. This former Sister’s of Mercy Convent is now classified by the National Trust and we are given an interesting tour and the opportunity to relax in their gardens. The afternoon tour continues south through Stanthorpe and over the New South Wales border to Tenterfield to our comfortable overnight accommodation. Stay Tally Hoo Motor Inn
DAY 2 TENTERFIELD–GLOUCESTER (BLD)
Thursday 23rd December 2010: Today we head into Thunderbolt country on our way to Gloucester. Travel down the New England Highway through the Celtic town of Glenn Innes and the University City of Armidale to Uralla for a morning tea break. Uralla was the stamping ground of bushranger Fred Ward, aka Captain Thunderbolt. Although an outlaw, he was known for his gentlemanly manners and became something of a folk hero in the district. We meet our guide for a town tour and we are sure to hear many stories of the town’s colourful history. Later, time to explore the New England Brass & Iron Lace Foundry, the oldest working foundry in Australia. Over the years the foundry produced most of the lacework and iron columns that grace historic buildings in the New England region.
Next, enjoy a country lunch at the nearby Uralla Bowling Club. Then after lunch we visit McCrossins Mill. Built in the 1870’s, it has been converted into a unique and vibrant museum with many interesting displays about Thunderbolt and the history of the New England region. Our afternoon tour follows Thunderbolt’s Way through remote and truly beautiful forest country. Along the way, time to stop and take in the views from Carson’s Lookout in the Giro State Forest. Afterwards be greeted by our Gloucester hosts and then we can relax and settle into our accommodation. Enjoy our wonderful cool hinterland base for a three night stay with daily sightseeing excursions to the coast and rainforest regions surrounding this fabulous area.
3 Nights Stay The Bucketts Way Motel
DAY 3 GLOUCESTER–GREAT LAKES CRUISE (BLD)
Friday 24th December 2010: Linger over breakfast before we travel down Bucketts Way to Forster’s twin town, Tuncurry. Here we meet local personality June Wright, for a tour of the fascinating Great Lakes Museum. The Museum has a number of interesting historical buildings including the original school and Tuncurry’s first lock up. June will give us a short talk on the history of the area and we enjoy morning tea with her.
Travel the short distance to Forster in time to join Captain Peter Mannow on the “Free Spirit” for a luncheon cruise. Enjoy colourful commentary and a delicious lunch whilst cruising the calm crystal clear waters of Lake Wallis. On our return to shore we visit Tobwabba Art Gallery. Many of the featured Aboriginal artists use vibrant colours that are not considered “traditional” but are representational of the life that surrounds them, such as the sea and lakes, which they combine with the more traditional symbols of their ancestry. The remainder of the afternoon is yours to explore the town, before we head back up Bucketts way to Gloucester in time to relax before dinner.
DAY 4 LAKES WAY TOURING & CHRISTMAS LUNCH (BLD)
Saturday 25th December 2010: Merry Christmas! A relaxed morning to attend early morning church services if required. This morning is free until we board our coach for the tour down to Forster where a special Christmas lunch awaits us at the Dorsal Hotel. Enjoy the festivities and all the good cheer of our friends before we take a relaxing scenic tour along Lakes Way to see the Green Cathedral. It is an enchanting al fresco temple, with rough timber pews, a wooden lectern and a rainforest canopy backdrop. Situated on the shores of Lake Wallis it is used for outdoor weddings.
Time to take in the serenity of the moment during this special time of year. On to the beautiful river port of Bulahdelah, then we join Bucketts Way through historic Stroud returning back to our home base at Gloucester. Relax before a light Christmas supper is served to those of us who are still hungry.
DAY 5 GLOUCESTER–GRAFTON (BLD)
Sunday 26th December 2010: Bid a fond farewell to our Gloucester hosts as we make an early departure on our interesting tour north to Grafton. Back down Bucketts Way once more and on to Taree, bypassing Port Macquarie to reach Kempsey for a morning tea break. The town is the commercial heart of the Macleay River Valley and home to the famous Australian icon, the Akubra hat. Our morning tour continues via the “verandah post town” of Bowraville and a brief look around Bellingen, including a visit to the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre, where we enjoy lunch at the Rainforest Canopy Café. After lunch time to stretch your legs with a brisk walk through the magnificent rainforest.
This afternoon travel back through Bellingen to Coffs Harbour and then tour inland through the small settlements of Coramba and Nana Glen to Glenreagh for an afternoon tea break at the Glenreagh Mountain Railway Siding. This railway project is run by a community group committed to restoring the old Glenreagh to Dorrigo railway branch line. As is the case with so many of these rail restoration projects, there are many difficulties and we wish them well in this very worthwhile tourism project. Our afternoon tour arrives in Grafton for our last night together on tour. Stay Jacaranda Motor Lodge
DAY 6 GRAFTON—HERVEY BAY (B)
Monday 27th December 2010: Enjoy breakfast before departing Grafton. Travel through the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales, passing by Maclean and through Ballina before arriving at Tweeds Heads for a break (passengers drops offs on the Gold Coast as required) and on to Brisbane where our Brisbane friends leave us. For passengers staying on the coach free time in Brisbane for lunch. 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 for some Festive Fun!