A patchwork of National Parks to the north of Sydney protects a special environment surrounding the Hawkesbury River and the coastal developments to the east of Gosford. Gardens, galleries and historic houses combine to offer special touring opportunities. A highlight is the special cruise along the Hawkesbury River to retrace the original route taken by the River Postman – the only form of mail delivery service & daily essentials !!

Covering more than 95,000 hectares of unspoilt wilderness, The Barrington Tops is a “must-see” destination - an extinct volcano that is world heritage listed. There’s sparkling streams, waterfalls and lush rainforest canopies. The Barrington River runs through the park and is one of the finest unpolluted rivers in New South Wales. Gloucester is the closest town to Barrington Tops National Park.

Coffs Harbour is a major resort town on the New South Wales North Coast. Many say the area has the best climate in Australia with the maximum temperatures rarely falling below 19C, summer or winter. Coffs Harbour was originally a major port town with one of the safest harbours between Newcastle and Brisbane. Today banana plantations provide a backdrop to Coffs Harbour and the jetty, that once loaded tonnes of red cedar, has been restored as a heritage structure.

Its located just two hours from Sydney & Australia’s oldest wine growing region. There is much more to the Hunter Valley than wine! Nestled in the foothill of the Brokenback Ranges, are the Hunter Valley Gardens – 60 acres of spectacular display gardens. The Hunter also has its fair share of horse studs- and one of the finest is Darley Stud at Denman.

Located on the world's richest deposit of black opal, Lightning Ridge is a place that abounds with colourful characters, barrels of dreams, opportunities and experiences! It is something about the pioneering spirit that allowed this area to develop. Many become so captivated by the place, they stay. Famous for the elusive and distinctive Black Opal, which is unique to the area, Lightning Ridge is a frontier town full of the iconic Australian characters who remind us that the Australian Spirit is not a thing of folklore.

Port Macquarie must be one of the best tourist destinations on the NSW coast. A history which dates back to convict times, superb nature reserves in the area, interesting historical buildings, lovely beaches, a fine museum, beautiful walking tracks - even a koala hospital!. The European settlement of Port Macquarie was established in 1821, three years after John Oxley reached the region by trekking down the Hastings River from the New England area. It is one of the oldest penal settlements outside of Sydney.

The triangle that connects Newcastle, Port Stephens and the Hunter Valley contains some exceptional touring opportunities. The industrial city of Newcastle has transformed itself to become a vibrant cosmopolitan city with a rich maritime history and a world-famous surfing destination. The nearby Hunter Valley is Australia’s oldest wine region and home to the popular Hunter Valley Gardens. Back on the coast Port Stephens is known as the “blue water paradise” because of the beauty of its marine surroundings.

Merimbula, Bega and Eden are the main centres on the south coast of New South Wales. Its coastal, forest, mountain and rural country combine to create a sensational holiday destination. Our tour will enable us to enjoy this scenery along with some history associated with the whaling industry at Eden, the farming history at Kameruka, the cheese making at Bega and the splendid villages of Tilba Tilba and Central Tilba that were developed in the 1880s when the local gold boom was at its peak.

This delightful 3 day tour combines a 2 night stay at Mudgee with a day of touring to Gulgong. This 19th century village, 300km northwest of Sydney, began as a gold mining centre. Founded in the 1870s, it was one of the last to be dominated by 'poor man's diggings' – because the gold here was near the surface and did not require substantial capital investment to retrieve. Highlights of this tour include a visit to Gulgong’s Prince of Wales Opera House, cheese, honey & wine tastings.

Broken Hill is a fascinating outback town - an artificial oasis in the vast arid lands of far western NSW. “Beyond the Darling River, on the edge of the sundown” is where they used to say you would find Broken Hill! Unlike modern mining towns, where the accommodation is built well away from the mine activities, Broken Hill’s population, in the pick and shovel days, built their houses as close as they could to their work.

Goulburn was Australia’s first inland city. The city is strategically located on the Sydney - Canberra corridor and provides a unique blend of city facilities with a country lifestyle. Just north of here is a beautiful area known as the Southern Highlands - home to the towns of Bowral, Mittagong, Moss Vale, Berrima, Bundanoon and many other villages. This region is one of Australia’s oldest and best loved holiday destinations. It has a cool temperate summer climate and, if gardens are your passion, make sure you visit in the spring!

Prominent hills lie at each end of Dean Street. Once aptly named Eastern Hill and Western Hill, a memorial Pillar (to the Soldiers of WWI) resulted in the name change from Western Hill to Monument Hill. The twin cities of Albury Wodonga, on separate sides of the NSW/Victorian Border, straddle the Murray River. On this tour we will hear the story of the European immigrants who arrived in this area after World War 2, as part of the Government’s post war immigration scheme.