CANBERRA GARDENS & SYDNEY WONDERS

Today we celebrate the most colourful time of year, Spring! We meet our local guide for a tour of the Nation’s capital. Get ready for some farming life at Gold Creek Station experiencing the life of a farming family on their 1500-acre Merino sheep and beef and cattle farm. Watch Australian kelpie dogs work merino sheep. See sheep shearing demonstrations. Hear informative talks on the Australian wool industry. Finishing up with lunch you can feel yourself relax during this friendly rural experience. Leaving here we ‘call’ in at the Telstra Tower on Black Mountain for stunning views of Canberra and surrounds.

Discover more bright fields of colour at the magnificent Floriade Festival and wander through the extensive displays of more than a million blossoming bulbs and annuals. We head to Parliament House and listen to our guide as they lead us through this political powerhouse, we are enlightened to the daily life of democracy. This afternoon we head to the Australian War Memorial to wander at your own pass through this sombre and uplifting memorial, unveiling the sacrifices made by the women and men who served in war. We stay for the very moving Last Post Ceremony before returning to our hotel.

This morning we visit the National Portrait Gallery. The gallery provides a permanent display of 500 portraits of people who have shaped Australia and who continue to shape our nation from the famous to the infamous! From here we stop to enjoy lunch before our next visit to the delightful Cockington Green Gardens. This unique attraction has a fascinating display of meticulously handcrafted miniature buildings from around the world. We finish the day at the international renowned National Arboretum Canberra. Created as a place of breathtaking beauty, you’ll experience the world’s largest living collections of rare, endangered and significant trees.

This morning’s visit is just out of Canberra, at the Tulip Top Gardens. We can meander around the 10-acre garden, enjoying the beautiful scents of magnificent tulips, daffodils, and other spring flowers that create the spectacular display. We make a time to meet up and make our way onwards to Sydney. We have a wonderful evening planned beginning by boarding the Captain Cook dinner cruise. Sydney Harbour by night is magical so to be on the water doesn’t get any better! Our ship has million-dollar views, which we can take in from the expansive viewing decks while taking in the magical surrounds.

Hotel: Novotel Sydney City Centre for 4 nights

Enjoying a relaxed breakfast this morning we head out to explore the heritage and plant diversity of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney with a knowledgeable guide. Nestled in the heart of the gardens is Botanic House this is where we enjoy lunch today. The Art Gallery NSW, one of Australia’s leading art museums is where we’ll meet our guide and get to know the secrets of Sydney’s most exciting new architectural landmark – the Art Gallery’s SANAA-designed North Building.

This morning we head into the Blue Mountains and start our sightseeing in Leura. We have some free time in Leura exploring the quaint shops before visiting Hydro Majestic Hotel for a tour followed by High Tea. After High Tea we travel to the Everglades Gardens, where we see one of the most important historic gardens in Australia. We take a drive along Cliff Drive to Echo Point and view the Three Sisters at Katoomba – a great stop for a photo opportunity. Returning to our hotel we have tonight at leisure.

This morning we make our way to the Harbour foreshore and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. The chair, carved out of the sandstone by convicts for Governor Lachlan Macquarie’s wife to watch the activity on the Harbour offers great views of the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Fort Denison. Afterwards there will be time to wander along Circular Quay. We then make our way to the Opera Bar for lunch followed by a tour of the Sydney Opera House. We have the rest of the afternoon free to explore Sydney at leisure. Tonight, we head to the Sydney Tower Restaurant, for our farewell dinner.

What a memorable holiday. It is now time to pack our bags and head to the Sydney Airport. Once comfortable on board we will no doubt find ourselves reliving our special moments of Floriade and all the spectacular gardens of Canberra and Sydney. Upon arrival in Perth, your driver will be waiting to take you home.