From the Mountains to the Bay - 4 Day Rediscovery Private Tour

Day 1 The Greater Blue Mountains & Jenolan Caves

1. 1

   Blue Mountains National Park Glenbrook

   1 hour Admission ticket included

   Once we've arrived at the foothills of the Blue Mountains, we'll venture offroad into Australian woodland to spot a plethora of honey-eaters, eastern greys, long-necked turtles and a lyre bird. Of equal interest are the peppermint, scribbly and snow gums and other eucalyptus in the typical half-open savanna landscape.

2. 2

   Wentworth Falls

   1 hour 30 min

   On our circuit hike (app. 1-2 hours, pending on guests' agility and the weather) along the Jamison Valley today we'll discover waterfalls, magnificent canyons, eucalyptus and rainforests and an abundance of local birds.

3. 3

   The Three Sisters

   20 min

   The true beauty of the Jamison speaks for itself at the famous Three Sisters, sacred site of the Gundungurra and Darug people.

4. 4

   Cahill's Lookout

   20 min

   The scenic Blue Mountains Drive along the Jamison Valley leads us past a couple of fabulous lookouts over the valleys and eucalyptus forests. Like Cahill Lookout, offering best view point over the Narrow Neck escarpment and the Megalong Valley.

5. 5

   Pulpit Rock Lookout

   1 hour Admission ticket included

   After an Aussie picnic at our secret hideaway (far from any tourist canteen), we descent halfway down the remote Grose Valley for spectaculair and interrupted vistas over Mount Banks, the Bridal Veil Falls and Pulpit Rock.

6. 6

   30 min

   This little hamlet with its old post office, church, court house and Aboriginal art centre is a throwback to the Gold-rush times of mid 19th century.

7. 7

   Jenolan Caves

   1 hour

   In the afternoon, we drive up the Great Dividing Range and into the Central Tablelands to enjoy the solitude and beauty of country NSW, before arriving at Jenolan, home of one of the world's most spectacular limestone cave formations of the Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve.
   Approaching Jenolan, we are quickly greeted by pretty-faced wallabies (real name!), echidna's and a common wombat.

8. 8

   Blue Lake

   1 hour

   A 5 minute walk from our hotel is the Blue Lake, home of the platypus. Dusk or dawn is the best time to spot this very rare and endangered monotreme (egg-laying mammal).

9. 9

   Jenolan Caves

   1 hour

   The McKeown's Valley walking track, also known as Healing Waters walk, is a short and easy return walk at Jenolan Caves offering fantastic karst landscapes and wildlife spotting in the Blue Mountains.

10. 10

    Jenolan Caves

    1 hour Admission ticket included

    An easy 1 hour guided tour will take us on a journey into the heart of the Imperial Cave to learn about the limestone rocks, the history of the caves and the region and to admire the beautiful sights with colourful lights illuminating the rock walls.

Day 2 The Southern Highlands and Kangaroo Valley

1. 1

   2 hours Admission ticket included

   After a hearty breakfast at our hotel (included), we're straight off to yet another national park within the Great Blue Mountains World Heritage Area: the Kanangra Walls, of the Kanangra-Boyd National Park.
   An easy but refreshing walk along the valley ridge seamed with silver banksia, bright red mountain devils and white flowering hakeas offers unparalleled views across one of Australia’s most spectacular landscapes with its waterfalls, exposed spikes of ancient rocks and misty mountains.
   In the depths of the gorge, spot an Australian red cedar or the gorgeous flame robin. Or look up to see some soaring wedge-tail eagles.

2. 2

   1 hour

   Once we've made it back through the Australian woodlands of the Great Divide, we'll be following early stock-trade routes to descent from the Greater Blue Mountains towards so south, across the rolling hills of the Southern Tablelands.
   This is sheep country, with at it's centre: Goulburn and the Big Merino.
   But first we'll stop at the remote country town of Taralga

3. 3

   10 min

   The Big Merino, built in 1985 is a monument to Goulburn and the surrounding district’s fine wool industry. Standing 15.2 meters high, 18 meters long and weighing 97 tones at the time of construction he is an impressive life-like model of Rambo, a stud Ram from a local property, “Bullamallita”.

4. 4

   Kangaroo Valley

   1 hour

   In the hidden valley of Kangaroo Valley we experience yet another highlight of the tour: a close encounter with wombats in the wild! As most marsupials, these close relatives of the koala are active mostly early in the mornings or late at night, when they leave their undergrounds burrows to graze.
   Don't miss this unique opportunity to see this beautiful animal in its own habitat!

Day 3 Jervis Bay & Booderee National Park

1. 1

   Fitzroy Falls

   30 min

   At Fitzroy on the edge of the Morton National Park, we marvel at one of the highest single drop waterfalls in NSW.

2. 2

   Jervis Bay

   12 hours

   Leaving the enclosed Kangaroo Valley across the rolling green hills of the Shoalhaven country-side, we'll soon feel the sand between our toes as we walk along the beaches that bring us up close to resident dolphins, furry locals including possums and gliders, pelicans, new holland honey-eaters and rosellas.

3. 3

   Huskisson

   1 hour 30 min

   Today's highlight: a dolphin-watching cruise (between May and November we may even spot a Humpback or Southern Right Whale on its seasonal migration).

4. 4

   Hyams Beach

   2 hours

   After our close encounter with the aquatic wildlife of Jervis Bay, we take plenty of time to enjoy the very white sands of Hyams Beach and, our favourite, Murrays Beach - deep in the Booderee National Park. There's nothing like a dop in the crystal clear surf to wash off today's road dust.
   On the way back to our hotel at Vincentia, we'll make sure to include plenty of stops to observe the echidna's, swamp wallabies, bandicoots and eastern greys emerging from the bush.

Day 4 South Coast & The Grand Pacific Drive

1. 1

   Kiama Blowhole

   20 min

   The spectaculair plumes of water spouting out of the Kiama Blowholes - the largest in the world!

2. 2

   Minnamurra Rain Forest Centre

   1 hour Admission ticket included

   Spotting swamp wallabies of Minnamurra, the rare remnant rainforest that once reached throughout the Illawarra.

3. 3

   Jamberoo

   1 hour 30 min

   Not far from Jamberoo and the Minnamurra Rain Forest is the Illawara Flytop Walk - the 1.5 km treetop walk through the canopy of the beautiful warm temperate rainforest offers million dollar views over Shoalhaven and the Royal National Park.

4. 4

   The Sea-cliff bridge is a recent engineering wonder.

5. 5

   Bald Hill Lookout & Hang Gliding Spot

   15 min

   Take a selfie with the daring para-gliders throwing themselves taking off from Bald Hill Lookout

6. 6

   2 hours

   With the Captain Cook Highway and the Great Ocean Road, the Grand Pacific Drive is one of Australia's most spectacular coastal routes.

7. 7

   Royal National Park

   1 hour

   At dusk one has a good chance to see a black wallaroo between the giant gumtrees of the oldest national park in Australia.