Hunter Valley, Newcastle & Port Stephens Highlights

Today we travel down to the setting for Kate Grenville’s renowned historical novel “The Secret River”. We arrive at Brooklyn on Broken Bay at the mouth of the Hawkesbury River estuary. The first Englishman to see Broken Bay was Captain Cook on 7 May 1770. The next white man here was our first Governor, Arthur Phillip on 22 August 1778. The Riverboat Postman is Australia’s last operating mail boat and a great way to get a feel for the Hawkesbury River as she chugs 40kms up the river from Brooklyn to as far as Marlow delivering mail and other essentials to the river access only settlements. Be entertained by stories of the River whilst cruising in comfort up this spectacular waterway. We enjoy morning tea which includes delicious home-made ANZAC biscuits and later a very Aussie Ploughman’s lunch on our journey. After disembarking our cruise we travel back up along the scenic Central Coast via Gosford, The Entrance, Swansea and Belmont, which offer some of the most amazing views out across the South Pacific Ocean. After another wonderful day out we head back to our hotel to relax before dinner.

Overnight Pokolbin: Mercure Hunter Valley Gardens

Daily: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today we explore the amazing Hunter Valley Gardens. Designed with sight, colour and fragrance very much in mind, the Hunter Valley Gardens were created by Bill Roche, who along with his wife Imelda and family, formed the Australianowned company Roche Group. Our visit begins with a Horticulture Garden Talk through the different themed gardens, as our guide provides us with a wonderful overview as well as some interesting history and plant facts along the way. We are then free to stroll as we wish, with eight kilometres of walking paths spread across 14 hectares of spectacular gardens, consisting of over 6000 trees, 600,000 shrubs and over 1 million ground cover plants, plus waterfalls, statues and murals, there is sure to be areas of interest for all to enjoy. Those wishing can also take a break and purchase a cuppa to enjoy in the Garden Terrace Restaurant, located within the gardens complex. Next door at the Hunter Valley Gardens Shopping Village, we take a stroll through a unique collection of bespoke shops, cafés and cellars. A visit to this premier wine growing region would not be complete without visiting one of the regions cellar doors. Our wine tasting experience takes place at Ben Ean. Wine lovers are spoilt for choice at the Ben Ean Estate Cellar Door, which hosts a range of Hunter Valley wines including Petersons Wines, Savannah Estate, Lisa McGuigan Wines, Lindeman’s, Neil McGuigan Wines, Penfolds, SOMM and Weerona. Afterwards we return to our accommodation to freshen up before dinner, after a wonderful day.

Overnight Pokolbin: Mercure Hunter Valley Gardens

Daily: Breakfast & Dinner

Today we travel across through the stunning Port Stephens area to the Nelson Bay Marina. Here we board our 90 minute Moonshadow Dolphin Watch Cruise on the sparkling blue waters of Port Stephens Harbour. Enjoy the scenic beauty of Port Stephens Harbour exploring the spectacular headlands and eastern harbour, and meet the local resident dolphins. After our cruise we are able to purchase our lunch from one of the many cafés at the Marina Precinct. This afternoon we arrive at Anna Bay and the amazing Stockton Beach Sand Dunes. After meeting our expert drivers and guides we board our 4WD Vehicles to tackle the windswept rolling dunes, covering an area of over 2,500 hectares along the 32 kilometre long Stockton Beach. We stop by ‘Tin City,’ a small makeshift fishing village that emerges from the dunes like a mirage! We see the WWII and historical sites, with beach activities including pipi catch and release, and ‘if you’re game’, sand boarding and more. After a delightful day out, we return to our accommodation for a rest before dinner at the hotel.

Overnight Pokolbin: Mercure Hunter Valley Gardens

Daily: Breakfast & Dinner

After breakfast and checkout we head to the historic Tocal Homestead heritage site with one of Australia’s finest collections of colonial farm buildings dating back to the 1830’s. Our two hour guided tour of the site will entertain us with stories of the characters and activities at Tocal over the past 200 years. See the Colonial Architect designed barn, hear about a lad who went on to become Captain Thunderbolt and learn about a wealthy businessman’s vision to change the lives of destitute children. After lunch we then travel to Newcastle airport for our mid afternoon flight home after a wonderful time away in the Hunter Valley, Newcastle, Port Stephens and with Trade Travel.

Flight Details: VA1107 Newcastle - Brisbane 1530/1650 (subject to change)

Daily: Breakfast & Lunch