APT Touring: Natural and Gourmet Wonders of NSW

Your tour starts with a pick-up in Sydney, then journey by custom designed 4WD to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. 

Staying Two Nights, Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa

Spend a day immersed in the beauty of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains. Visit Scenic World to ride the world’s steepest railway into the lush Jamison Valley then follow the boardwalks to explore the rainforest. Enjoy views of Katoomba Falls and the Three Sisters suspended almost three-hundred metres above the forest on the Skyway cable car and gaze out at distant mountains from Echo Point Lookout. Be spoilt with more majestic Blue Mountains views while savouring a delicious high tea at the historic Hydro Majestic Hotel before tonight’s Signature Experience.

Signature Experience Prepare to be awed as you go on a journey through space, time and celestial wonder through the southern skies above the Blue Mountains. Be guided through the story of the sky by Astrophysicist Dimitri Douchin, who will help you identify stars, constellations and the planets with the naked-eye before you take a look through a professional-grade telescope to gaze into deep space beyond our own Milky Way.

Depart Katoomba after breakfast and journey to the Broken Bay Pearl Farm on the Hawkesbury River north of Sydney for a discovery tour including a scenic cruise along the iconic Hawkesbury. Enjoy lunch at leisure along the Hawkesbury before travelling into the heart Australia’s oldest wine region, the Hunter Valley, and your luxurious home for the next two nights, Spicers Guesthouse. Settle in and unwind before a sumptuous dinner tonight at éRemo, the hotel’s highly regarded Italian restaurant.

Staying Two Nights, Spicers Guesthouse Hunter Valley

Home to 120 wineries, a plethora of award-winning restaurants serving heavenly food and some of the finest varieties of Semillon and shiraz in the world, you don’t have to spend long in the Hunter Valley to understand its drawing power. More than eight million visitors from across the globe venture here every year. Today, you’ll explore the region starting with a morning visit to the beautiful Hunter Valley Gardens. Wander around the immaculately kept gardens, kept in award-winning condition by a dedicated team of over 40 landscape gardeners, architects and engineers. A special lunch awaits, featuring wine tasting and gourmet fare at a local winery. During lunch, you will be introduced to the art of wine tasting and food pairing whilst learning about this unique region.

After breakfast, enjoy the morning at leisure. Perhaps take a stroll around the grounds to soak up the views one last time before departing mid-morning for Port Stephens. Otherwise known as Blue Water Paradise, the region comprises a string of idyllic seaside towns, 26 beaches, sweeping coastlines and national parks. Admire stunning views of the region from Gan Gan Hill Lookout before arriving at your hotel. Home for the next two nights is the luxurious Bannisters Port Stephens, the perfect base from which to explore the area.

Staying Two Nights, Bannisters Port Stephens

Spend the day exploring Port Stephens. Get active with a guided nature walk with your Driver-Guide in Tomaree National Park and be rewarded with panoramic views of the area and the coast. Later, board a catamaran for an afternoon of dolphin watching, keeping your eyes peeled for a pod or two of the hundreds of bottlenose dolphins who call the crystal-clear waters around Port Stephens home. Return to land and prepare for tonight’s Signature Experience.

Signature Experience Feast upon some of Australia’s best seafood at Rick Stein’s acclaimed restaurant inside your luxury hotel. At Rick Stein at Bannisters, the freshest seafood is served, caught by local fishers on the day. Enjoy perfectly prepared meals complemented with wine pairings chosen with the help of the restaurant’s sommeliers. 

This morning, after breakfast, transfer to Newcastle for your onward flight.