Silo Art and Safari Tour

May 16-22, 2023

DAY 1 – MT L D

Departing Grafton and picking up in Coffs Harbour we travel up the Waterall way through Dorrigo onto Ebor where we will stop at the Trout Farm for Morning tea and a tour of the facility From there we will travel on the the University City of Armidale for a visit to the National Trust Property , Saumarez Homestead for a tour of the beautiful property. We will partake of a picnic lunch in the gardens of the homestead. Our journey will then take us to the country town of Tamworth, our destination for the next two nights. A Scrumptious Dinner this evening at the Hotel.

DAY 2 – B MT L D

After breakfast at the hotel, we depart Tamworth and drive approximately 100km to the town of Barraba which abounds with natural beauty. As well as being tucked into a bend of the Manilla River, this little country town is surrounded by the Nandewar Ranges and the Horton Valley.
The Barraba Silos are privately owned by Simon and Amanda Koopman and are located at the southern entrance to town on Manilla Road. 25 artists were approached from across Australia to seek their interest in painting the Barraba Silos. From those 25, 14 proposals were received. The Barraba Silo Art Committee, including the owners of the silos (Simon and Amanda Koopman), chose Fintan Magee as the winning artist. Time to enjoy the art and morning tea refreshments in town before continuing along country roads to the country town of Gunnedah where on arrival we have a lunch before viewing the Gunnedah Silo Art. Dorothea Mackellar and an extract from her famous poem “My Country” are immortalized on this 29metre high, privately owned maize mill in Gunnedah. Established silo artist Heesco completed the artwork via cherry picker at the mill site on Barber Street. There is a perfect viewing platform from the walkway on Gunnedah’s new bridge that links the Oxley Highway and Warrabungle Street. Time permitting, we will also explore the town before returning to Tamworth (approximately 1 hour drive). Another Scrumptious Dinner this evening at the Hotel.

DAY – 3 B MT L D

Departing from Tamworth, travelling the country roads has us arriving in Merriwa . The history of Merriwa dates back to 1839 and the town has many examples of colonial architecture. Merriwa is also the home to the first NSW Art Silo. The mural depicts an image of sheep wearing red socks in a canola field. After Morning Tea we continue on our journey to, picturesque town of Dunnedoo by the Talbragar River. The Dunedoo Silo side one and two have been painted by Peter Mortimore over three months during July, August and September of 2020. Depicted on the side silo is Winx, a retired champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse and her famous rider Hugh Bowman, who was born in Dunedoo. Also featured is Chris Waller, Winx’s trainer, whom without this very famous horse may not have been the true champion that she was. Side two silo displays the local fauna and flora. Lunch at the pub/local café is included today before we head to our next destination, Dubbo and the Western Plains Zoo.

Here you will experience a slice of Africa without leaving Australia! The Zoofari Lodge is positioned right beside a stunning savannah, home to giraffes, rhinos, zebra and antelope and offers an unrivalled in-zoo safari experience with accommodation in unique lodges. This wild escape is inclusive of meals, accommodation, exclusive tours, zoo entry and bike hire. On arrival time to relax and enjoy the views from your luxury tents. This evening includes dinner and Wine Tasting at the Lodge Dining Room (Beverages with dinner are NOT included and at your own cost) followed by an evening Spotlight Tour with a Zoo Ranger.

DAY 4 – B L D

Set your alarm or just rely on the Zoo’s wildlife alarm to wake you in the morning! We will set off early for a guided morning Tour at the Zoo, followed by breakfast. Checking out of the lodge, we will spend majority of the day exploring the Zoo and its range of exhibits. The Zoo is home to hundreds of rare and endangered animals including giraffes, rhinos, elephants and big cats. Daily keeper activities (included in zoo entry) deliver magical experiences you will never forget. You will have time also to purchase lunch at leisure at the Zoo’s Café.

Mid-afternoon, we depart from the Zoo and commence our drive to Parkes. This afternoon we have time to visit the Elvis Museum. The Kings Castle is a collection of Elvis’ personal artefacts. The King’s Castle’s exhibition – “Walk A Mile In My Shoes – A Day in the life of Elvis Presley”. This interactive exhibit is designed to try and bring to you some of the highs and lows that Elvis Presley encountered throughout his life and career. As you experience the new audio-visual journey, you will see genuine artefacts from Elvis’ homes and items he wore or used on stage. Check into our accommodation. Dinner tonight is included at a local restaurant.

DAY 5 – B MT L D

This morning we visit the Parkes Observatory which hosts the 64-metre Parkes radio telescope, one of the telescopes comprising CSIRO’s Australia Telescope National Facility. An icon of Australian science, the Parkes radio telescope has been in operation since 1961 and continues to be at the forefront of astronomical discovery thanks to regular upgrades. Astronomers from across Australia and around the world utilise the Parkes radio telescope to undertake world-class astronomical science. Affectionately known as ’the Dish’, the telescope operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Time to visit the 3D theatre before we depart for Grenfell. The 1926 Grain Silos at Grenfell are proudly owned by Grenfell Commodities and it was the initiative of the founder, Peter Mawhinney, to commission the silos to be painted. Peter was inspired by the artwork on the Weethalle Silos and could envisage that the silos at Grenfell were the perfect canvas for Heesco Khosnaran to create another masterpiece. Here we will also visit this fascinating gold rush town with it’s many galleries, historic buildings and super country pubs. Lunch will be enjoyed in town and time to visit the Grenfell Art Gallery. Late afternoon we arrive at our overnight accommodation in Bathurst. Dinner tonight is included at a local restaurant

DAY 6 – B MT L D

After breakfast at a local café in town and time exploring around Bathurst we drive to Portland located 45 minutes from Bathurst and our final Silo of our tour. The Portland Silos which are now known as “The Foundations” were the 20th Silos to be included in the Australian Silo Art Trail and were completed in May 2018. The old Portland Cement Works were painted by Guido van Helten and depict five male and one female past Portland Cement workers. From here we commence our return to Sydney via the picturesque Blue Mountains. We will stop at Govetts Leap for spectacular views and enjoy a 2 course lunch at the Boilerhouse Café at the historic Hydro Majestic hotel. On completion of lunch head down the motorway and up to the Hunter Valley for the night.

DAY 7 – B MT L

After breakfast at a local café in town we start our journey home. First stop Port Macquarie for a Cruise on the Hastings River. We will enjoy Morning Tea and lunch aboard the cruise boat along with the sparkling repatee of the skipper. From here we wend our way home to Coffs Harbour to drop off our first group of friends and finally back to Grafton to end another wonderful tour away.

COST:
TWIN SHARE                  – $2995.00
SINGLE SUPPLIMENT – $ 430.00
DEP: $250.00  – FIRST IN FIRST SERVED FOR ZOOFARI ROOMS
REMAINDER DUE BY 31 JANUARY 2022

INCLUDED:
Meals
Breakfast        x 6
Lunch              x 7
Dinner             x 6
Morning Tea  x 6

Accommodation
Tamworth                             x 2 Nights
Dubbo Zoofari                     x 1 Night
Parkes                                    x 1 Night
Rydges Bathurst                  x 1 Night
Harrigans Hunter Valley    x 1 Night

Venue Entry
Ebor Trout Farm Tour
Saumarez Homestead Entry & Tour
Western Plains Zoo Entry and Tours
The Kings Castle ( Elvis Museum ) Entry
Parkes Motor Museum
Parkes Observatory Entry and 3D Theatre
Hastings River Cruise

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