| Australia: Springtime Down Under A Pacific Horticulture Society tour Nov 4-Nov 15, 2014 Escorted by Andrea Testa-Vought Limited to 24 guests. To reserve a space, please scroll to the bottom. Join us for a special opportunity to visit gardens in Australia when it's springtime down under. Our tour starts in the vibrant city of Sydney and continues on through the Blue Mountains and scenic highlands of New South Wales to the capital city of Canberra. Continuing to the state of Victoria, we'll visit charming townships like Daylesford, Dunkeld, and Sorrento, and Grampians National Park. The tour will end in the cultural city of Melbourne. Tour attendees may want to add a few days to their trip and take in the Melbourne Garden DesignFest, taking place the following weekend, before heading home to the United States. Tuesday Nov 4 Check in to the comfortable Holiday Inn Hotel Potts Point, stunningly located with panoramic views over the harbor and city, close to a vibrant restaurant area and within walking distance to the Art Museum and famous Opera House on Sydney Harbour. Gather in the early evening to meet up with Andrea Testa-Vought and Jo Connor who has organized the tour. We will go to a very special location for our welcome dinner. Dinner Wednesday Nov 5 Today we board our luxury coach and meet the driver who will look after us throughout New South Wales and Canberra. During the course of the day in the greater Sydney area we will visit historic Vaucluse House and garden and selected premium gardens designed by leading Australian landscape gardeners. There will also be an opportunity to be out on Sydney Harbor. Breakfast Thursday Nov 6 Our final destination today is Leura in the Blue Mountains. We stay at Fairmont Resort Hotel adjacent to the Three Sisters natural rocky monument and overlooking the Jamison Valley. The gardens we visit feature plants that grow in the cool climate of the area. We will enjoy private gardens and magnificent homes in the Mt Wilson area, and the Paul Sorenson-designed garden of Everglades, a brilliant blend of European design elements in harmony with the Australian landscape. Breakfast/Lunch Friday Nov 7 On the way to the Southern Highlands we stop at Camden House, an early colonial farm where we meet Mickey and Larry Robertson and see their charming garden. Mickey will serve our lunch in their home featuring produce from her abundant vegetable garden. Our next stop is the extensive Red Cow Farm Garden in Sutton Forest. To cap the day we visit the historic and well-preserved Georgian village of Berrima, tour the old gaol with stories to tell, dine at The Magpie nd stay at a comfortable local motel. Breakfast Lunch Saturday Nov 8 This morning our coach takes us to Canberra, the capital of Australia. After morning coffee we will be guided through the National Botanic Gardens of Australia where they maintain a scientific collection of native plants from all parts of Australia. We will see the post-modern National Museum beside Lake Burley Griffin with the symbolic landscape in the Garden of Australian Dreams, tour the Parliament buildings, and visit the National Gallery and accompanying sculpture garden before flying from Canberra airport to Melbourne. On arrival in Melbourne airport we will connect with the driver and coach for the Victorian sector of the tour. There is a short drive to our hotel Novotel Forest Resort in Creswick, which is within an old gold mining region and has Australia’s largest concentration of natural mineral springs. Breakfast Lunch Sunday Nov 9 We have a day enjoying this area that has a wonderful climate for gardens and charming villages to explore. As well as visiting very special private gardens, we will be taken around Lambley Nursery by David Glenn and enjoy morning tea by the old farmhouse. To end the day we will be hosted to dinner with local wines at a private home. Breakfast Dinner Monday Nov 10 After breakfast today we head for Grampians National Park, with forested craggy mountain escarpments and a renowned rich colorful wildflower display which will be near its peak for our visit. The park has over 800 indigenous plant species from sub-alpine to woodland and swampland, an abundance of birds and 40 species of mammals. We will see an important Aboriginal rock art site, and visit Brambuk Information Center. Tonight our hotel in Dunkeld is the Royal Mail Hotel. It has an award-winning restaurant, an extensive kitchen garden and looks out over a rural scene with the Southern Grampian Mountains as a backdrop. Breakfast Tuesday Nov 11 Today we will be traveling through the Western District of Victoria. We will visit Dalvui, one of the large farming properties this area is known for. The garden here was laid out to the design of William Guilfoyle in 1898 and has remained remarkably intact and well maintained, and considered the best example of his private gardens. The stylish Edwardian residence built in 1908 displays its original ornate carved interior and sweeping staircase. We will be treated to lunch in this home. There will be other spectacular gardens on our route to Queenscliff where we take the ferry to the Mornington Peninsula and our hotel at Sorrento for the next two nights. Beside our hotel is a lovely cliff walk and beach on Port Phillip Bay for you to enjoy. Breakfast Lunch Wednesday Nov 12 Our garden tour continues today with two coastal gardens owned and designed by landscape architects, using mostly indigenous planting. The area is also well known for wineries and we will have the opportunity to sample the wines, and have a delicious lunch. In the evening we will be treated to an Aussie Barbeque and meet some local characters. Breakfast Lunch Dinner Thursday Nov 13 Travelling north we come to Heronswood Garden and Nursery overlooking Port Phillip Bay. We can wander the gardens displaying perennial borders, scented plants, herbs and dry climate plants before enjoying a “Fork to Fork” lunch. We continue on to see the McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park in Langwarren. The last treat of the day is the recently completed Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne. Here the Australian Garden is an inspiring and immersive display of Australian flora, landscapes, art and architecture. Set across fifteen hectares, the garden follows a journey of water from the arid inland landscapes of central Australia, along dry river beds and down mighty rivers to the coast. Within this landscape are the exhibition gardens where we can explore the beauty and diversity of Australian plants. Tonight we arrive at our hotel Travelodge Southbank conveniently located on the Yarra River and close to many restaurants, art galleries, the Opera House, Flinders Street Railway Station and downtown Melbourne. Breakfast Friday Nov 14 We will have a full day for the last day of our tour, and see the best that Melbourne has to offer, including Cloudehill in the Dandenong Ranges, where its stone walls and jewel-like garden rooms are set within woodlands of magnificent and historic cool climate trees. Also on the list is Heide Museum of Modern Art which is set in a beautiful landscape. We will have lunch in the award-winning cafe in the sculpture plaza. Two gardens sensitively created by landscape architects and using indigenous plants cap the day. Tonight is a surprise farewell dinner which reflects the hospitality of Melbournians. Breakfast Lunch Dinner Saturday Nov 15 The tour ends after breakfast today. Guests may wish to stay on to enjoy the Melbourne Garden DesignFest Breakfast. TOUR LAND COST PER GUEST, based on a minimum of 15 paying guests Price based on double occupancy: $5998.00 for members of Pacific Horticulture Society, $6048 for non-members. Single supplement: $1188.00 COSTS INCLUDE:
COSTS DO NOT INCLUDE:
To reserve a space on this tour, please click HERE To view Terms and Conditions, click Here To print a copy of the Itinerary, click Here For more information, please contact: Sterling Tours, Ltd 2907 Shelter Island Drive Suite #105-262 San Diego, CA 92106 Tel: 619 299-3010 800-976-9497 CST2023849-40 |
sterling tours, ltd
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