Hunter Valley Wine & Wilderness Day Tour
  Hunter Valley Wine Experience (1 night/2days)    
  Blue Mountains and Hunter (2 nights/3 days)        

Offers a taste of Outback, history, Aboriginal culture and wine tasting in a full one day of complimenting experiences.  Meet some of the locals, travel through beautiful National Parks, learn of the  settlers' harsh days and convict conditions as they worked here to establish the European Australia. Then look back to what it was like for Australian Aboriginals before and after white people arrived.
Travel north over the Sydney Harbour Bridge via major roads until crossing the Hawkesbury River.  Leave the freeway to continue on sealed roads through the Yengo National Park.  Here travel through contrasting rural farmland and Australian natural bush, mountain ranges and grazing land.  En route  view several sections of the original convict built Old Great Northern Road.  Stop for morning tea before continuing through the pioneering Wollombi village, established in the early 19th Century and a good example of the small colonial rural townships of this era. 
Drive on over Mt View where you gain a panoramic perspective of the Hunter Valley wine areas. >From here, adjourn to a renowned vineyard café to enjoy lunch. During the afternoon, take the opportunity to sample some of the Hunter Valley's famous wines at a selection of respected boutique wineries and you have the opportunity to purchase wines that are not available anywhere else.  Your guide will explain wine making and the industry in the Hunter.  
Return to Sydney via the freeway for arrival at your hotel approximately 5.30 - 6.00pm.

Guides:  Great care is taken to ensure guides have an extensive knowledge of flora and fauna, local features and the recent and ancient history of the regions. 
Vehicles:  Vehicles are the most comfortable and safe touring vehicles of their size and carry between 4 - 14 passengers. Standard features include air-conditioning, cloth covered seats, carpet and music system plus first aid kit, telephone, library of flora and fauna and binoculars. Minimum 2 guests - maximum 12 guests 
Includes:  Return hotel transfers, morning tea, Hunter Valley Vineyard Café Lunch and Wine Tastings.
Truly Ref 46
Prices ...
 

Day 1 Sydney - Hunter Valley (LD)
(This tour is an extended version of the 1 day Wine & Wilderness tour above.)
Offers a taste of Outback, history, Aboriginal culture and wine tasting in a full one day of complimenting experiences.  Meet some of the locals, travel through beautiful National Parks, learn of the harsh settlers days and convict conditions as they worked here to establish the European Australia. Then look back to what it was like for Australian Aboriginals before and after white people arrived.
Travel north over the Sydney Harbour Bridge via major roads until crossing the Hawkesbury River.  Leave the freeway to continue on sealed roads through the Yengo National Park.  Here travel through contrasting rural farmland and Australian natural bush, mountain ranges and grazing land.  En route  view several sections of the original convict built Old Great Northern Road.  Stop for morning tea before continuing through the pioneering Wollombi village, established in the early 19th Century and a good example of the small colonial rural townships of this era. 
Drive on over Mt View where you gain a panoramic perspective of the Hunter Valley wine areas. >From here, adjourn to the renowned Hunter Vineyard Cafe to enjoy lunch. During the afternoon, take the opportunity to sample some of the Hunter Valley's famous wines at a selection of respected boutique wineries and you have the opportunity to purchase wines that are not available anywhere else.  Your guide will explain wine making and the industry in the Hunter.   Continue on to your chosen accommodation.

Choice of overnight accommodation:  Standard - Hunter Resort (pictured left), Hunter Room  Deluxe - Peppers Guest House Hunter Valley, Vintage Room

Day 2 Hunter Valley - Sydney (B)
After full buffet breakfast you are transferred to join The Hunter Valley Wine School which commences daily at 9.00am at the Hunter Resort and is an informal tutorial of wine education.  Walk through the on site vineyard of 30 year old Shiraz vines and discuss matters viticulture.  Then it's off to the crusher and into the Winery to see the air bag presses, huge tanks, the Potter Fermenters, the filtration equipment, and the largest Rotovats in the Hunter.  From there, the tour moves through into the oak cask maturation area, and on into the wine tasting cellars.  The informal wine tutorial and tasting follows.  On completion of the wine school at 11.00am, return to your accommodation to relax… enjoy lunch at your leisure (own expense) before being collected at 2.00pm.  Departing your accommodation, enjoy a further wine tasting at a boutique winery before returning on the freeway to Sydney for approximately 5.30 - 6.00pm arrival at your hotel.

Vehicles:  Are the most comfortable and safe touring vehicles of their size and carry between 4 - 14 passengers. Standard features include air-conditioning, cloth covered seats, carpet and music system plus first aid kit, telephone, library of flora and fauna and binoculars.
What to bring:  Luggage space is at a premium and you are requested to take only those items required for this 2 day tour, with excess luggage being stored at your Sydney hotel.
Includes:   Return Hotel Transfers, 1 morning tea, 1 lunch, 1 nights accommodation - your choice of Hunter Resort or Peppers Guest House, 1 breakfast, Hunter Resort Wine School including return transfers if at Peppers Guest House, Wine tastings as per itinerary.
Excluded:  Beverages with meals, dinner Day 1, Lunch on Day 2, items of a personal nature and any additional touring outside of itinerary inclusions.
Standard Truly Ref 47
Deluxe Truly Ref 48
Prices ...
 

After lunch, continue to your overnight accommodation.  The rest of the afternoon is free for you to wander the many tracks that run through the mountains, relax in the hotel grounds or take an optional tour. 
Dinner tonight is own expense.

Overnight Accommodation in Blue Mountains:     Deluxe - Lilianfels (right), Valley View Room

Day 2 (B,L)
Your guide will collect you at 8.00 for the drive down to Springfield.  Travel through the rural town of Richmond before turning north and skirting Wollemi National Park to Putty.   Enjoy Devonshire morning tea/coffee and scones at a farm.  Continue to Bulga to see some ancient Aboriginal Art located on private property - a painting of the Spirit God Biame and other art is explained.  Next, enter the Hunter Valley wine areas and enjoy tastings at fine boutique wineries and lunch at a renowned Hunter Vineyard Cafe. Your day finishes after lunch when we deliver you to Peppers Guest House, Hunter Valley.  The remainder of the afternoon is yours to relax at the property or you may wish to tour some more wineries or enjoy other Hunter activities.

Overnight Accommodation in the Hunter Valley:    Peppers Guest House (left), Vintage Room

Day 3 (B)
After breakfast  transfer  to join The Hunter Valley Wine School which commences daily at 9.00am and is an informal tutorial of wine education. Walk through the on site vineyard of 30 year old Shiraz vines and discuss matters viticulture. Then it's off to the crusher and into the winery to see the air bag presses, huge tanks, the Potter Fermenters, the filtration equipment, and the largest Rotovats in the Hunter. From there, the tour then moves through into the Oak Cask maturation area, and on into the Wine Tasting Cellars. An informal wine tutorial and tasting follows. On completion of the wine school you return to your accommodation for check out.  Then at 2.00pm you join a final wine tasting and return on the freeway to Sydney for arrival at approximately 5.30 pm.

Your Guides
Great care is taken to ensure any guides selected to lead the tours have an extensive knowledge of flora and fauna species, features of the areas visited and the recent and ancient history of the regions. Guides are also Senior First Aid Qualified. 

Vehicles Used 
Vehicles are the most comfortable and safe touring vehicles of their size and carry between 4 - 14 passengers. Standard features include air conditioning, cloth covered seats, carpet and music system. A first aid kit, telephone, library of flora and fauna and binoculars are all carried.

Inclusions
Return hotel transfers, Continental Breakfast and Wildlife Park Admission, Blue Mountains Touring, Picnic (Café Style wet weather & winter) 
1 night Fairmont (Standard) OR Valley View Room, Lilianfels (Deluxe) , Blue Mountains 
1 night Hunter Resort (Standard) OR Peppers Guest House (Deluxe), Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley Wine Tastings, 3 x continental breakfast,  2 x lunch, Hunter Resort Wine School with transfers (if applicable) and all touring as per itinerary.
Truly Ref 49