Barrington Tops Wine and World Heritage (BTER)

3 days, 2 nights.

Pick up from Sydney and return

The Barrington Tops are the southern-most of Australia's World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests, within easy access of Sydney and offering some wonderful nature, heritage, food and wine experiences.

The region features enchanting rainforests and pristine rivers in the Barrington Tops National Park, gently rolling hills, historic villages and dedicated farmers producing delicious wine and foods in beautiful settings. Despite all this the district remains quiet and peaceful, with a delightful absence of crowds, traffic and development.

Travel through picturesque countryside with panoramic views, walk through lush subtropical rainforest, dip your toes in a cool mountain stream. Visit historic wineries, olive groves and lavender farms, with the chance to taste and buy award-winning produce at farm gate prices. Enjoy a delicious riverside picnic and home-made afternoon tea.

You’ll travel in a fully-equipped, air-conditioned, 4WD coach and stay in unique accommodation in an award-winning mountain top resort.

.

You’ll stay in constant touch via phone and mobile internet to share your experiences with family and friends. And you’ll be in a small group of like-minded people who want to see and learn more about this amazing country.

Itinerary

Day 1

Departing Sydney you travel to the historic village of Clarence Town on the Williams River for a look at heritage properties and relics of the river trade, with morning tea on the riverbank.

You then head to a lavender farm to stroll through the heritage gardens, sample some of the products and enjoy a gourmet picnic lunch by the creek in the company of the resident llamas.

After lunch you travel to East Gresford to visit Camyr Allyn Wines, an historic property on the Allyn River, originally settled in 1828 by Welshman Charles Boydell, a neighbour and friend of colonial wine pioneer Dr Charles Lindeman. This delightful property has been developed as a premium estate winery by John and Judy Evers, producing an award-winning range of Verdelho, Shiraz, Merlot and Pinot Noir - which can be hard to obtain through normal retail outlets. After a tour of the vineyard and a wine tasting, you'll enjoy a delicious picnic lunch by the river, where you may be lucky enough to spot a resident platypus.

Then it's off to Bunna Bunoo Olive Grove on the Paterson River at Fishers Hill, where Chris and Irma Iacono and their family grow, harvest and process their own olives in the same manner as in southern Italy where their families originated. Apart from the finest cold-pressed oils, table olives and tapenades, the Iaconos also produce and sell a range of other farm preserves such as jams, chutneys, dukka and vinegars. They also serve a wonderful home-made afternoon tea from Irma's Kitchen.

You arrive at your mountain top accommodation with free time to enjoy the resort before dinner in an award-winning restaurant with stunning views.

Day 2

More time this morning to enjoy the surroundings and facilities of the resort before setting off for a look at the World Heritage Barrington Tops National Park.

You travel through the picturesque countryside of the Williams and Paterson River valleys, over gently rolling hills and through historic villages, before embarking on a 90-minute guided stroll along the Blue Gum Loop. The trail crosses a high steel-span bridge over the Williams River and traverses vigorous young forest with signs of past logging. The track winds gently upstream around the hillside, dipping in and out of small gullies high above the river. Young wet eucalypt forest and subtropical rainforest are interspersed with many young and fast-growing Sydney blue gums reaching for the light. Overgrown roads and tall stumps with notches cut in for climbing boards tell some of the stories of old logging days - on the boards, the axemen could get above the thicker and often defective base of the trees to make their task easier. A small branch track leads to a delightful resting spot on the cascading Fern Tree Creek before the main track re-crosses the Williams River and climbs into dense rainforest; the last section passes some massive old Sydney blue gums and a sidetrack to the peaceful Crystal Pool.

After your walk you return to your resort accommodation for afternoon tea and a choice of activities ranging from tennis, fishing, swimming, bike riding or kayaking (complementary equipment) to a deluxe beauty treatment at the resort's day spa (optional at additional cost). This evening you can enjoy another delicious dinner in the restaurant or opt for a gourmet BBQ hamper to prepare your own repast.

Day 3

A late checkout allows you to rise late  - or rise early and marvel at the wonderful range of birds and native wildlife that abound in this mountain top retreat.

You return to Sydney today via the Hunter Valley - including a cellar door tour in the famed Lovedale region and a magnificent winery lunch. The route then takes you through the charming historic village of Wollombi and the Laguna Valley before arriving back in Sydney refreshed and invigorated in the late afternoon.

What You Get

Pick up in central Sydney and return, two nights accommodation, all meals, morning and afternoon teas, entry and admission fees, local tours and tastings, individual trip kit including personal comfort pack, use of a netbook computer for the duration of the tour.