DITCH the big smoke and join us on a tour of regional NSW.
The Senior and Travelrite are taking readers through some of the state's best regional towns including Parkes, Orange, Dubbo, Tamworth, Armidale and Coffs Harbour.
The tour is fully escorted and includes rail and coach travel, sightseeing tours in each region and special events for tour members.
Departing from Sydney's Central Station on October 29, travels will board the XPT train onwards to the historical city of Bathurst, home of former Prime Minister Ben Chifley and the iconic Mount Panorama racetrack where the Bathurst 1000 is held.
We'll visit the Ben Chifley's former home, now a museum, that provides a glimpse into how the Chifley's lived, and offers an experience of everyday life in the 1940's. Its original collection of household furnishings, kitchenware and personal effects date back to when the Chifley's first occupied the house in 1914.
In Cowra, we'll tour the Japanese War Cemetery and POW Camp, site of the largest Prisoner of War breakout in modern military history on August 5, 1944, before seeing the stunning Japanese Gardens. The garden is a tangible monument to peace and reconciliation between two countries. Its principal objective and purpose is the promotion of Japanese design, including landscape, garden and crafts.
We continue onto Parkes where we will visit the the King's Castle Elvis Exhibit and the Parkes Motor Museum. The King's Castle Elvis Exhibit is a unique collection of genuine Elvis artefacts which were owned by Elvis or directly connected to his life.
Parkes Motor Museum houses an impressive collection of mint condition motor vehicles representing all heritage motoring eras.
Parkes is also home to the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope, star of the movie 'The Dish,' (2000). It is one of Australia's most prominent landmarks - a sophisticated piece of scientific equipment ironically in the middle of sheep paddocks.
Foodies will enjoy our visit to food and wine destination Orange, where we will visit a local winery for a tasting. Orange has been blessed with ideal conditions to produce cool climate wines. Boutique wineries make a variety of wines including award winning chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon.
We'll also visit the animals at Dubbo's Western Plains Zoo and the Royal Flying Doctor Experience, where we will we discover the stories and challenges of the nurses, doctors and pilots servicing 7.69 million square kilometres of outback Australia.
Then its onwards to Australia's country music capital Tamworth.
We will see the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame. This museum includes stage outfits worn by the stars of Australian country music, and fascinating items like the Panther motorcycle Geoff Mack (who wrote the song I've Been Everywhere) and his wife, Tabbi, rode from London to Australia, in 1954, and the cheap guitar Kasey Chambers took to South Africa (on holiday with her mum, in 2001), and with which she wrote several of her hit songs, including The Captain.
We'll enjoy a panoramic tour of Armidale, where you will get an amazing view of its grand cathedrals and colonial buildings in green, tree-lined streets, before travelling through the Cathedral Rock National Park to Coffs Harbour.
In Coffs, you will see some of the spectacular beaches and marine conservation areas, including the Solitary Islands Marine Park and Muttonbird Island.
You'll also travel inland to Sealy Lookout in Orara East State Forest and stop at the 'Big Banana'.
The tour price per person/twin share is $3,900 with a single supplement of $1,000. This includes accommodation, breakfast daily, and both welcome and farewell dinners. It also includes first-class train and coach travel as well as sightseeing and general entrance fees.
For more information contact Travelrite International on either 1800 630 343 or (03) 8803 6868. Alternatively, send an email to balwyn@travelrite.com.au or visit www.travelrite.com.au
