Warrumbungles Dark Sky Adventure

Welcome to Sydney! Your adventure begins this morning at a centrally located point – check the ‘Joining Point Instructions’ of your Essential Trip Information for further details. Once you’ve introduced yourself to your group leader and travel group, it’s time to hit the road! Leave the city behind, take a coffee stop en route and begin breathing in the fresh air of the Blue Mountains. Your first stop is one of Australia’s most renowned vistas – the Three Sisters and Echo Point Lookout. Stretch your legs and have your camera handy for some awesome shots. Continue your journey west hugging the range, keeping your eyes peeled for kangaroos, emus and wedge-tailed eagles in and above the plains. Grab yourself some lunch as you continue your drive towards Orange, arriving in the mid-afternoon. After a reasonable amount of driving today, it’s time to relax. Join the group as your friendly hosts provide a spread of local wines and produce to welcome you to regional NSW. Afterwards, freshen up then keep the festivities going for an included welcome dinner and drink. Today is all about introductions, so after dinner perhaps head with a couple of your newfound mates for a shot of pool and a couple of drinks.

Thinking that just because you’ve left Sydney, the brunch scene won’t follow you? Think again. Treat yourself to a gourmet breakfast at an Orange cafe with your group, with sweet and savoury options, plus some great coffee. Continue towards Parkes – home of the mighty CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope. The Dish, made famous by the 2000 Australian film of the same name, has been crucial in receiving data from space exploration, including during the Apollo 11 mission. After exploring the site, continue to Warrumbungle National Park. Formed over millions of years, the Warrumbungle region is a bushwalker, birdwatcher and stargazer’s dream. This afternoon, hear from a local ranger the First Nations history of this area – the wildlife, nature, geography and cultural significance of this land. Take the time to ask questions and understand the importance of this region to traditional owners. Afterwards, retire to your nearby accommodation, nestled in a valley and flanked by the Castlereagh River. Tonight, head to Peter Starr’s Warrumbungle Observatory and experience an eye-opening 90-minute astronomy and stargazing presentation. Learn about how to navigate the night sky, see up to four telescopes in action, and get the chance to snap some incredible shots of the Milky Way. This area is home to Australia’s first Dark Sky Park, so no pollution or light will impede your view of constellations on full display.

Enjoy a hearty included breakfast, then head back to visit the Warrumbungle National Park another time on a leader-led walk. Depending on your group’s desires and fitness level, there is a range of walks in the national park that you can discuss at the visitor centre, including the Spirey View Track (approximately 2 hours) or to Whitegum Lookout (30 minutes). There may even be some better trails if you are all interested in a spot of birdwatching this morning. Later in the afternoon, you have plenty of time to explore the area at your own pace, or instead simply chill out back at your accommodation. Here, there’s a pool and a three-hole golf course, so take your pick at how you’ll relax!

Have some breakfast with your group surrounded by the mountains before setting off on a drive towards the historical, cultural and epicurean highlights of the region. Make your way to the regional town of Gulgong, home to the Henry Lawson Museum – the revered Australian writer and bush poet. After soaking up some stanzas and Gulgong’s small-town feel, continue to Mudgee, where you’ll head to a couple wine and produce tastings at local haunts. If you haven’t realised by now, regional NSW is renowned for its high quality and locally sourced produce, and especially wines. And while on holiday, it’s all the more reason to get a true taste of a place, so indulge yourself! Tonight, celebrate your regional NSW adventure with your group, perhaps with dinner and some drinks in town. There are plenty of places within walking distance of your comfortable accommodation tonight, so ask your leader their recommendations.

Continue to be impressed by regional NSW’s food scene with some breakfast at a local cafe, before joining the travel group in your private vehicle for a road trip back to Sydney via the back roads through Broke, Woollobi and the renowned Hunter Valley. Today is a relaxed day with plenty of stops along the way to stretch your legs, buy some food and appreciate the scenery at viewpoints. Plus in the afternoon, you’ll stop by a boutique winery in the Hunter Valley for a tasting, further reinforcing how good the region’s drop is. Arrive back in Sydney in the late afternoon, bound for the central Mcleay Hotel, where the tour finishes on arrival.