Days 1 & 2
Blue Mountains: After a rendezvous in Sydney, journey inland to the
Blue Mountains, a scenic range carved out of a sandstone plateau by
wind and water erosion, with peaks rising as high as 3,600 feet. (The
mountains take their name from the fine, bluish-coloured mist given
off the eucalyptus trees.) Enjoy bush walks in this UNESCO World Heritage
Site, along beautiful gorges, through forests of gum trees to spectacular
clifftop vistas.
Day 3
Scone: From the mountains, bike down to a working ranch where you can
see kangaroos, stumpy-legged wombats and the native Australian dog,
the howling dingo. Belltrees, our country home for the night, is set
in a 23,000-acre farm famed for its polo ponies.
Day 4 & 5
Hunter Valley: Bike past world-renowned vineyards such as Rosemount
and Wyndham Estate in Hunter Valley, the Napa of Australia, a peaceful
landscape dotted with gracious homes, superb restaurants and beautiful
rolling countryside. We stop in for private tastings, then explore further
by bike through bush and cattle country, with chances to spot Koala
bears.
Days 6, 7 & 8
Great Barrier Reef: Flying to Cairns, we enter tropical Australia. From
Port Douglas on the Queensland coast, walk trails with a naturalist
in the famous Daintree rain forest and explore scenic Mossman Gorge;
take a boat excursion with a marine biologist to the Great Barrier Reef
(where you can go snorkelling); try mountain biking through the rugged
bush country; or just walk the beach, ranked among the most beautiful
on the planet.
Hotel Highlights
Set among elegant gardens on the edge of the magnificent Jamison Valley
in the Blue Mountains, Lilianfels Guest House was recently voted the
best luxury hotel in New South Wales. Nestled among the Hunter Valley
vineyards, The Convent in Pepper Tree is a beautifully restored residence,
originally built by Irish nuns, featuring tennis courts, pool, spa facilities
and a critically acclaimed restaurant. B&R's home base for exploring
the Great Barrier Reef is Thala Beach Lodge, a gracious resort set on
a peninsula overlooking forest-clad mountains, secluded coves and magnificent,
UNESCO-protected beaches along the Coral Sea.
Dates
2001:
March 19, April 16, September 17, October 15, November 5
