Day 1 (L,D) MELBOURNE, MAFFRA, SALE, BAIRNSDALE, LAKES ENTRANCE
With a promise of fresh mornings, bright sunny days and cool nights, we depart Melbourne and travel through West Gippsland – morning cuppa at the quaint village of Yarragon. Picnic lunch at Maffra. To Sale, Bairnsdale, Gippsland Lakes and the coast. Home tonight is the Pelican at Lakes, Lakes Entrance.
Day 2 (B,L,D) LAKES ENTRANCE, CANN RIVER, BOMBALA, COOMA, CANBERRA
To Cann River, then north, with lunch at Bombala on route to Cooma, once dubbed Australia’s most cosmopolitan city thanks to the thousands of migrants who flocked to the region to work on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme. We arrive in Canberra, our National Capital. Home for five nights, the Forrest Inn.
Day 3 (B,L,D) CANBERRA
This morning take in the spectacular 360 degree views over Canberra from Telstra Tower at Black Mountain before visiting the Australian National Botanic Gardens where we spend time surrounded by the world’s largest collection of native Australian plants. After lunch in the gardens café we enjoy viewing some of the wonderful collection of paintings at the National Gallery of Australia before exploring the miniature English garden and village settings at Cockington Green.
Day 4 (B,D) CANBERRA
This morning we enjoy a coach tour past many of the overseas embassies located in the National Capital before visiting the National Capital Exhibition at Regatta Point. Then, it’s time to view the highlight of our holiday, the annual Spring Floriade. With over one million blooms, it’s a sea of colour! In the afternoon enjoy a guided tour of Old Parliament House, now known as the Museum of Australian Democracy.
Day 5 (B,D) CANBERRA
Following a tour of New Parliament House, we visit the National Portrait Gallery. In the afternoon we enjoy a cruise on beautiful Lake Burley Griffin, the centrepiece of the capital. Then we visit Glassworks, housed in the Kingston Powerhouse, Canberra’s oldest building, followed by a drive up to Mt Ainslie Lookout with magnificent views and a perspective of how Walter Burley Griffin’s plan for Canberra has come to life.
Day 6 (B,D) CANBERRA
Today we visit the Royal Australian Mint, press your own Australian $1 coin. Then to the Australian War Memorial, one of the world’s great museums and an Australian icon. View the new “Great War in the Air” featuring rare WWI aircraft. In the afternoon we visit the National Sound and Film Archive, explore 100 years of recorded sound, radio, television and film.
Day 7 (B,L,D) CANBERRA, YASS, GUNDAGAI, HOLBROOK, ALBURY, WANGARATTA
Visit Yass District Museum on route to Gundagai. Picnic lunch in the park. Cuppa time at Holbrook (originally called “The Germans” because of its first European settlers), back into Victoria as we cross the Murray at Albury. Home tonight, Quality Hotel Gateway at Wangaratta.
Day 8 (B,L) WANGARATTA, GLENROWAN, SEYMOUR, MELBOURNE
We travel the Hume Highway to Glenrowan and view a theatrical recreation of Ned Kelly’s last stand. Then a two-course lunch at Seymour, returning to Southern Cross Station coach terminal via Melbourne Airport, arriving Melbourne at approximately 4:00 p.m., ending a wonderful eight-day Seniors Coach Tours Canberra Floriade holiday.
