Bathurst Christmas in July

DAY 1

WODONGA / ALBURY – BATHURST TUESDAY 16TH JULY, 2024
Welcome to our Christmas in July tour to Bathurst for departure from Wodonga Plaza Smythe Street 7.00am, Albury Railway 7.15am and Lavington Shopping Centre 7.30am for our tour to Central NSW. Sit back and relax and get to know your fellow travellers as we travel via the Hume Freeway to Jugiong and continue to Galong where we arrive at the St Clements Retreat and Conference Centre. With a rich history as a Redemptorist Monastery and the home of the Redemptorist Fathers, St Clements is a warm and welcoming environment as well as an ideal place for relaxation and reflection. We enjoy a guided tour followed by lunch, then travel via Boorowa to Cowra for our afternoon stop. This afternoon we arrive in Bathurst and check into our accommodation that overlooks the famous Bathurst car racing circuit.
Accommodation: Rydges Mount Panorama (3 nights), Bathurst Ph: (02) 6338 1888

DAY 2

BATHURST & MAYFIELD GARDENS WEDNESDAY 17TH JULY
Our first visit today is to the nearby National Motor Racing Museum which celebrates the rich history of Australian Motor Sport, with a particular focus on Bathurst and Mount Panorama as the spiritual home of Australian motor racing in Australia. The collection has grown substantially over the last 30 years to cover all facets of motor sport from the 1920s to the present. The stories of drivers and events are told through original trophies, race suits, leathers, race footage and photographs. We then take a sightseeing drive around the famous Mount Panorama Motor Racing track and head into Bathurst with a local specialist who will introduce us to the town, one of Australia’s oldest inland cities. The Victorian era streetscape is relatively intact and there are some impressive buildings. Late morning, we arrive in Oberon. This isolated township is located on a plateau 1113m above sea level and takes its name from the King of the Fairies in Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Oberon area is well known for its gardens and today we visit Mayfield Garden, one of the largest privately owned cool climate gardens in the world. Nestled within a 5000 acre working farm, initial works on the garden were quite modest in scale but as tends to happen with gardens, it grew….and grew…and grew. We have the chance to wander through the entire garden, experiencing the colours and growth including an 80m cascade that tumbles down the hillside.  We have lunch and time here to explore and take in the beauty of the garden.  

DAY 3

HILL END & CHRISTMAS IN JULY AT ABERCROMBIE HOUSE THURSDAY 18TH JULY
Leaving Bathurst, we make our way to the historic gold mining area of Hill End, which had a population of more than 10,000 people at its peak. With its museum displays and many preserved buildings, Hill End offers a fascinating insight into the 19th-century gold rush. We enjoy a village tour and lunch before travelling back to Bathurst via Sofala, a village with an authentic old world charm. Our afternoon visit is to the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum. One man’s passion has become Bathurst’s’ greatest treasure - the collection of Professor Warren Somerville is a world class, exquisitely beautiful collection that includes Australia’s only full Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton. Tonight, we visit Abercrombie House for a special Christmas in July themed dinner. Built in the 1870s, the home contains some 40 rooms and the beautiful gardens are listed as part of the National Estate. With its mixture of Gothic and Scottish baronial styles Abercrombie House has been acknowledged as one of the finest historical mansions in Australia. What a fabulous way to finish the day!

DAY 4

BATHURST - ALBURY / WODONGA FRIDAY 19TH JULY
Leaving our hosts, we now head to the little town of Crookwell and visit the Lindner Sock Factory. A family owned and operated business, their fourth-generation sock-maker produces a variety of sock styles on site, in both wool and cotton.  We are able to see their machines in action and to browse through the huge range of colours and styles in the Sock Shop. We’ll have lunch at the Crookwell Hotel, followed by a guided tour of the town. From here make our journey home with wonderful memories of our Christmas in July tour to Bathurst.

TOUR COST

$1596.00 Per Person Twin / Double Share
$2010.00 Single supplement

INCLUDES

Luxury Coach Travel
Accommodation on basis as booked
Meals as indicated on itinerary
Entrances to attractions as per itinerary
Goods & Services Tax

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner