Sydney & Hunter Valley
This is a preliminary itinerary for our March 2016 Oz Odyssey trip and some details may change.
Day One - Wednesday March 15 - 11:15 am
We meet at the iconic Park Hyatt Sydney Hotel situated in the historic Rocks area of Sydney, a great location, overlooking the Opera House and easy walking distance to the downtown shopping district.
Suspended above the waters of Sydney Harbor, each king suite of our Park Hyatt Hotel has breathtaking views of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge where the traditional values of courtesy, care and comfort are delivered with Park Hyatt’s discreet and sophisticated style.
We depart from the lobby and limo across the Harbor Bridge traveling through Sydney’s Northern Beaches for a long, luxurious lunch with stunning foods overlooking a fabulous beach with a panoramic view of the South Pacific Ocean.
After a leisurely we lunch return to Park Hyatt for a free evening to relax or explore the Rocks area pubs and shops.
Day 2 - Thursday March 16 - 9:30 am
We take a short walk to Sydney Harbor Bridge wharf where we will board our 65’ MV Enterprise and cruise the stunning waters of Sydney Harbor. Please remember to wear soft, removable shoes as our time on the Enterprise is barefoot.
We disembark at beautiful Balmoral Beach for lunch on the beach front at Balmoral beach, a masterpiece in elegant understatement.
After lunch we will take our limo to Herbie's Spices in Rozelle where we will meet owner Ian "Herbie" Hemphill one of Australia's foremost culinary herb and spice experts.
Ian will take the our group through an interesting and informative hour of spice appreciation to show how easy it is to use spices in everyday cooking.
Return to the Park Hyatt area for a little free time to enjoy the local shops or hotel spa before changing for dinner. We stroll to the glass cylinder that is on the coveted S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant’s list, and is the highest ranked Australian restaurant in the world, and was also named "The Best Restaurant in Australasia."
Day 3 - Friday March 17 - 9:30 am
We begin with a drive north of Sydney to the Hunter Valley which has an international reputation for exceptional wines, most notably Semillon and Shiraz. On arrival we enjoy a light buffet luncheon and then it's on for a tour and tasting at the oldest family winery still making wines in the Hunter Valley. Founded in 1858 the Winery with its dirt floor and old world charm has been preserved in its current state for over 100 years.
Next we check in at a truly unique small five-star luxury hotel in the Hunter Valley,where our group virtually occupies the entire hotel. The hotel estate offers spacious suites with truly indulgent amenities set among vineyards and natural bush land and the Estate’s own restaurant is a Hunter Valley gourmet icon.
We are joined at dinner by a fifth generation Huntyer winemaker and his family to enjoy a Hunter Valley produce & wine dinner and they will then host us all at the winery the next day.
Day 4 - Saturday March 18 - 9:30 am
We continue our Hunter Valley Odyssey with a tasting in a museum room housed in the 100+ year old winery. The original vats and wine barrel making equipment are exhibited while outside are exceptional views of the Hunter Valley.
Next it's on to a great set of wines with a private tasting at a five-star winery. Here we get to enjoy the company of the winemaker as we lunch with delicious dishes then back at our hotel estate for a genuine Aussie barbecue.
Day Five - Sunday March 19 - 8:00 am
After breakfast is served in each suite we leave for Sydney Airport where we fly to Adelaide for the second half of our trip in McLaren Vale and The Barossa Valley.
We attempt an early departure (8:00 am) for Sydney Airport to catch the 12:30 pm QANTAS Airlines flight QF751 (click for baggage info) to Adelaide. We already have tickets purchased for each of our Oz Odyssey travelers from Sydney to Adelaide.