Day 1
Travelling through the Blue Mountains, having left Sydney in good time, we were amazed how advanced everything Spring was. Rhododendrons, prunus blossoms, wattle and so much more. However, the promised warm weather looked improbable as we climbed higher into the mountains and were greeted by a thick mist.
We had morning tea at Leura then had free time to wander around the village. Many members of the club returned to the coach with bags of many varieties. We back-tracked to Wentworth Falls Golf Club for lunch then continued our journey to Mudgee.
After arriving at our accommodation and settling in, we went for a walk to blow away some of the cobwebs. Then it was back to freshen up for pre-dinner drinks and dinner.
Day 2
Another beautiful day greeted us and after breakfast we set off for a historical tour of the town of Mudgee. We had a very good guide who is passionate about the history of the town and really showed us some beautiful old properties as well as telling the story of Mudgee’s history.
After a brief morning tea we finished off the tour and then headed out of town to visit a small olive grove and winery. After re-boarding the coach (many with more bags of goodies) the next stop was the Blue Wren winery where we had a tasting followed by a super lunch.
After lunch we were dropped off in town for a walk around – and more shopping.
Day 3
We headed for Gulgong this morning, just a short drive from Mudgee. Our first stop was the Henry Lawson museum where we were met by a local historian. We had a brief talk about the life of Henry Lawson.
Morning tea was followed by a wander through the Gulgong Pioneers Museum. This would be one of the most fascinating museums you could ever visit. Such a wonderful collection of artefacts from every conceivable aspect of life in the past. A couple of hours was certainly not enough.
After a leisurely lunch at the local bowling club we had plenty of time to wander through the town and local streets which offered up some beautiful old buildings.
Day 4 – Hill End
The now sealed road to Hill End wound its way up in to the ranges passing through hills and valleys of open pastures and dense bush. Through the trees there were wattle trees showing off their startling bright yellow blossoms.
In the village we picked up a local guide resplendent in period costume. After a comprehensive walking tour of the town we visited the cottage she and her husband restored under a conservation management plan. Certainly a labour of love.
It was a lovely drive back through the rolling hills. We saw a number of kangaroos, alpacas, beautiful birds of many varieties and the sheep we had seen on the way up, awaiting their fate in their pen, now shorn.
Day 5
Much cooler this morning but another lovely clear sunny day. We had a visit to a stud farm and winery organised. Before that, however, we visited the local honey place, Honey Haven, which has been a popular place to visit in Mudgee for many years. Lots of tasting followed by lots of shopping followed by morning tea, filled the time before heading out to the stud.
Goree Park is a premium thoroughbred horse stud owned by a prominent businessman from the Philippines. We spent a very interesting hour or so touring the extensive property. We learned about how horses are bred at Group 1 level, how they are cared for during the breeding process and their subsequent care as they develop into top class racers. It was a very interesting morning.
We returned to the wine tasting room where there was also lots of tasting and lots of shopping.
After a picnic lunch in the grounds we returned to town for one last look around.
Day 6
Sadly our tour has come to an end. Today we return to life back in the city. We left early and made it to Mt Piper Power Station for our morning tea stop. There were two coach loads of school children just starting a tour as we arrived, so we had the picnic area to ourselves.
Heading off again we were soon climbing back up in to the Blue Mountains. Always a wonderful place to visit so it was lovely to be dropped at Echo Point for a short stop before lunch. Clouds were building and it was quite cold, but the view was magnificent.
After lunch at Wentworth Falls Golf Club we continued on through the mountains and returned to Sydney without any problems with Friday afternoon traffic. Another lovely trip has come to an end.
Travelling through the Blue Mountains, having left Sydney in good time, we were amazed how advanced everything Spring was. Rhododendrons, prunus blossoms, wattle and so much more. However, the promised warm weather looked improbable as we climbed higher into the mountains and were greeted by a thick mist.
We had morning tea at Leura then had free time to wander around the village. Many members of the club returned to the coach with bags of many varieties. We back-tracked to Wentworth Falls Golf Club for lunch then continued our journey to Mudgee.
After arriving at our accommodation and settling in, we went for a walk to blow away some of the cobwebs. Then it was back to freshen up for pre-dinner drinks and dinner.
Day 2
Another beautiful day greeted us and after breakfast we set off for a historical tour of the town of Mudgee. We had a very good guide who is passionate about the history of the town and really showed us some beautiful old properties as well as telling the story of Mudgee’s history.
After a brief morning tea we finished off the tour and then headed out of town to visit a small olive grove and winery. After re-boarding the coach (many with more bags of goodies) the next stop was the Blue Wren winery where we had a tasting followed by a super lunch.
After lunch we were dropped off in town for a walk around – and more shopping.
Day 3
We headed for Gulgong this morning, just a short drive from Mudgee. Our first stop was the Henry Lawson museum where we were met by a local historian. We had a brief talk about the life of Henry Lawson.
Morning tea was followed by a wander through the Gulgong Pioneers Museum. This would be one of the most fascinating museums you could ever visit. Such a wonderful collection of artefacts from every conceivable aspect of life in the past. A couple of hours was certainly not enough.
After a leisurely lunch at the local bowling club we had plenty of time to wander through the town and local streets which offered up some beautiful old buildings.
Day 4 – Hill End
The now sealed road to Hill End wound its way up in to the ranges passing through hills and valleys of open pastures and dense bush. Through the trees there were wattle trees showing off their startling bright yellow blossoms.
In the village we picked up a local guide resplendent in period costume. After a comprehensive walking tour of the town we visited the cottage she and her husband restored under a conservation management plan. Certainly a labour of love.
It was a lovely drive back through the rolling hills. We saw a number of kangaroos, alpacas, beautiful birds of many varieties and the sheep we had seen on the way up, awaiting their fate in their pen, now shorn.
Day 5
Much cooler this morning but another lovely clear sunny day. We had a visit to a stud farm and winery organised. Before that, however, we visited the local honey place, Honey Haven, which has been a popular place to visit in Mudgee for many years. Lots of tasting followed by lots of shopping followed by morning tea, filled the time before heading out to the stud.
Goree Park is a premium thoroughbred horse stud owned by a prominent businessman from the Philippines. We spent a very interesting hour or so touring the extensive property. We learned about how horses are bred at Group 1 level, how they are cared for during the breeding process and their subsequent care as they develop into top class racers. It was a very interesting morning.
We returned to the wine tasting room where there was also lots of tasting and lots of shopping.
After a picnic lunch in the grounds we returned to town for one last look around.
Day 6
Sadly our tour has come to an end. Today we return to life back in the city. We left early and made it to Mt Piper Power Station for our morning tea stop. There were two coach loads of school children just starting a tour as we arrived, so we had the picnic area to ourselves.
Heading off again we were soon climbing back up in to the Blue Mountains. Always a wonderful place to visit so it was lovely to be dropped at Echo Point for a short stop before lunch. Clouds were building and it was quite cold, but the view was magnificent.
After lunch at Wentworth Falls Golf Club we continued on through the mountains and returned to Sydney without any problems with Friday afternoon traffic. Another lovely trip has come to an end.
