DAY 1 – DEPART GRAFTON and COFFS HARBOUR TO HUNTER VALLEY

We travel south today to the Hunter Valley where we will stay at the Luxurious Crowne Plaza Hotel.
On arrival we will pause for a hearty lunch at Harrigans Irish Pub before travelling down the road to the Hunter Valley Gardens where you will have a few hours to explore the gardens before returning to the Crowne Plaza and dinner.

Spread across 14 hectares encompassing 10 internationally themed gardens to explore, there is something for everyone, including the everpopular Storybook Garden. 8km of pathways will lead you to spectacular vistas including a 10m high waterfall, topiary displays, man-made ponds, statues, murals, beautiful architectural structures and much more. In the Gardens there are 6,000 trees, 600,000 shrubs and over 1 million ground covers to discover from Australia and around the world.

“Dinner tonight will be at the Crowne Plaza in their elegant dining room along with some of the local Hunter Valley Wines”

DAY 2 – HUNTER VALLEY TO BATHURST

Early breakfast and we get underway to visit the first of our blue mountains gardens at Mt Wilson. First up we have Windyridge Garden, where we will have an hour and a half to wander around and grab some morning tea.

The garden sits just shy of 5 acres. The entire property is landscaped. Each section of the garden has a theme and focus for the visitor to view. Crowd pleases include a large selection of Japanese maples featured throughout the garden, camellias, rhododendrons, peonies and hydrangeas. No matter the time of year, there is always something to see. Tonight we stay at the Rydges in Bathurst. Located on the chicane at the the famous Bathurst motor racing circuit. We will base ourselves here for the next two nights while we enjoy the Bathurst Spring Spectacular.

Our Second visit for the day is to be the Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens. The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden is the only botanic garden in Australia located within a UNESCO World Heritage Area. The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah is the spectacular cool climate garden of the Royal Botanic Garden and Domain Trust. Located in the Blue Mountains, just 90 minutes from Sydney, the garden features thousands of plants from the southern hemisphere and around the world.

At 1,000 metres above sea level, the Garden at Mount Tomah overlooks the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and boasts stunning panoramic views. A walk around this 28 hectare estate is a botanic journey. While at the Gardens we will lunch at the Ugly Mug Café, just to give you the energy you need to wander this wonderful garden.

Tonight we stay at the Rydges in Bathurst. Located on the chicane at the the famous Bathurst motor racing circuit. We will base ourselves here for the next two nights while we enjoy the Bathurst Spring Spectacular.

DAY 3 – BATHURST SPRING SPECTACULAR

Today we will spend in Bathurst visiting the open gardens that are participating in the 2022 Bathurst Spring Spectacular. We will take time out to visit the Plant and garden Expo for those who would like to take a little bit of Bathurst home.

Some of the Open Gardens we may visit

• The Glen
• Bishops Court Estate
• Mary & David’s Garden
• White Hollow
• Gwen’s Garden
• Greenbrook
• The Gorrick’s Garden
• Somerset Rose

DAY 4– BATHURST to GOSFORD

Back to the spectacular Blue Mountains and our first garden today is Campbell Rhododendron Gardens. The Campbell Rhododendron Gardens were created in 1970 on 18.3 hectares (45 acres) of Australian bushland, 1065 metres above sea level at the northern end of Blackheath, in the beautiful Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. The Gardens are unique in the world—no other garden has attempted to plant exotics, on such a large scale, underneath and amongst their existing native bushland. While at the gardens we will have a picnic lunch amongst the beautiful azaleas and rhododendrons .

Moving on from the Campbell Rhododendron Gardens we will be heading down to the Everglades House & Gardens. The rare beauty of Everglades House & Gardens in Leura – one of the most exquisite villages of the World Heritage Listed Blue Mountains region. The Modern-style 1930s house is set amongst 5.2 hectares of gracefully designed gardens. From Everglades House & Gardens, you can enjoy sweeping views over Jamison Valley to Mt Solitary.

Named ‘The Everglades’ by the original owner of the house, Georgina Stonier, in 1923 the architecture was complemented by its world-renowned gardens in the 1930s. Designed by Danish-born landscape gardener, Paul Sorensen, Everglades treats its visitors to the most spectacular example of inter-war period designed gardens in Australia.

Enjoy the tranquil reflection pool, the grotto pool and walk the winding paths down the terraced garden. After a day exploring, enjoy the delicious fare available at the Everglades House & Gardens Tea Room, currently only open on weekends. Alternatively, feel free to bring your own morning tea, lunch or afternoon snack and enjoy a picnic on the beautiful grounds instead.

A special treat this afternoon and off we go to the The Norman Lindsay Gallery & Museum , the setting of the movie Sierens and home to the famous Norman Lindsay. The former Lindsay home in Faulconbridge has so many stories, and all of them weave into the rich fabric of Australian post-World War I identity, cultural heritage, art and literature and the story of the Blue Mountains. Never one to shy away from controversy, artist and author Norman Lindsay shared this beautiful sandstone home with his wife Rose and their children.

The house now showcases Norman Lindsay’s many paintings depicting Bohemianism and Arcadian pantheism, his sculptures can be found in the sprawling gardens that wrap around his former home. After a big day in the Blue Mountains we are off to The Central Coast for tonights accommodation. We will be relaxing at the Galaxy Motor Inn which partners with the Gosford RSL Club where we will have dinner and Breakfast tomorrow . With your temporary membership you will also be able to use all the
facilities of the Club.

DAY 5– GOSFORD HOME TO COFFS AND GRAFTON

After Breakfast at the Gosford RSL Club we are off to Somersby Falls .

Somersby Falls is a series of attractive cascading waterfalls situated near Gosford on the Central Coast of New South Wales. There are two waterfalls lower down a bush track: The top and bottom waterfalls. The top waterfall is the most beautiful waterfall and it’s located mid-way down the path. The bottom waterfall is at the bottom of the trail. After you have had a wander to the falls we will have the kettle on for a quick cuppa before we head off to the Mt Penang Gardens for our final Garden visit. While at the gardens we will partake of an early lunch and then get us back on the road home.