SCHEDULE
| DAY |
Itinerary |
B |
L |
D |
| Saturday Feb 2 |
Arrive Melbourne. Check
into downtown Rydges Hotel . Free afternoon to explore
this capital city of Victoria state, or to recover from flight. Evening
drinks & briefing on Aussie agriculture |
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| Sunday, Feb 3 |
Sightseeing tour
of Melbourne’s pretty parks, gardens & history. Afternoon
departure for Great Ocean Road & spectacular
scenery with stops in Lorne & finally overnight Apollo
Int. Hotel |
 |
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| Monday, Feb 4 |
Continue on Great
Ocean Road area known as “Shipwreck Coast”
to Warmambool for visit to Flagstaff
Hill Maritime Museum. This is dairy country
and we visit a modern dairy farm en route to rich grazing land
for sheep & cattle near Naracoorte. Stay
Macintosh Motor Inn. |
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| Tuesday Feb 5 |
Tours into southeast
of South Australia noted for wine-grape industry as well as
livestock & crops which will be close to harvest. Evening
barbeque with South Australian Farmers Association. |
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| Wednesday Feb 6 |
Crossing into
dryer areas noted for pasture seeds, we visit a seed company
and see harvesting techniques. Then cross the mighty Murray
River, cross the Adelaide Hills & arrive in Adelaide…capital
of South Australia. Stay All Seasons Meridien. |
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| Thursday Feb 7 |
Morning sightseeing
tour of this “city of churches” and seaside Gleneig. Then
head to Barossa Valley, noted for fine table
wines. Settled by Germans, the valley is dotted with villages
and cottage wineries of which we will visit some. Stay Novotel
Resort and enjoy some R&R. |
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| Friday Feb 8 |
Travel along Murray
River to Riverland District noted for grapes,
stone fruits, citrus, tomatoes and other vegetables for export & domestic
sales. Informative tour of Australia’s largest orchard before
entering Sunraysia section of heartland
fruit & wine district. Stay Grand Hotel in
Mildura. |
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| Saturday Feb 9 |
Travel south in
sustainable grain farming area of fragile environment known
as Mallee District and meet with members
of Birchip Cropping Group with focus on
no-till and low-till techniques, GPS technology and tractor
compaction data enabling you to benchmark your own operation. Stay
Nirego Sundowner at Echuca. |
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| Sunday Feb 10 |
Crossing into New
South Wales, we cross the Riverina Plains noted
for Merino Wool production and crops like wheat, canola, corn
and sunflowers. Farm visits to Merino Sheep
stations and the Peppin Heritage Centre honoring
the developer of the Merino breed which accounts for 80% of
Aussie sheep. An afternoon visit to an Emu farm. Overnight
at Wagga Wagga Comfort Inn |
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| Monday Feb 11 |
It’s Sale Day
at Wagga Wagga stockyards & you’ll be
there! We then visit a rural supply business
which always generates interest. Afternoon visits to
integrated Livestock & Cashcrop farms using canola and
lupines for rotations. Inspection of Grain handling
facilities and discussion on handling, storing, marketing,
and exports with members of Kondirin Group. Stay
same hotel. |
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|
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| Tuesday Feb 12 |
Travel north to
visit a prominent commercial cattle herd, followed by lunch
with local farmer members of Landcare, a
grassroots farmers organization aimed at sustainable environmental
management. Continue through Gundagai and Yass to national
capital of Canberra & overnight. |
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| Wed Feb 13 |
Enjoy a guided tour
of Canberra, Australia’s picturesque national capital. Then
proceed to the central tablelands of NSW. At Greenthorpe,
meet farm hosts for overnight farmstay on
a cattle, wheat, canola, or sheep farm……….a definite highlight
of your Aussie experience. |
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| Thursday Feb 14 |
Regroup in the morning
after a farewell to you new farmer friends and visit large,
irrigated dairy farm supplying milk daily to Sydney from
their 2000 cow herd. Then continue to the fruit region of Orange
District. This area produces 50% of Aussie’s
apples & 66% of the pears in addition to other fruit from
300 orchards within a 20 mile radius. Stay Sundowner
Motor Inn. |
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| Friday Feb 15 |
Following an innovative
farm visit where the farmer is crushing his own canola, proceed
to Bathurst past Mount Panorama racing car
circuit. We pass through the Blue Mountains with
their magnificent bush scenery en route to Sydney. Next two
overnights at Menzies Hotel. |
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| Saturday Feb 16 |
Sydney tour
including Rocks area, Harbour Bridge, fashionable
Eastern Suburbs and Bondi Beach followed by a Luncheon cruise
on the incredible Sydney harbour. Free time in the afternoon
and evening to shop or explore more of the Opera House or Taranga
Park Zoo. Stay Menzies Hotel |
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| Sunday Feb 12 |
Checkout & transfer to Airport. Or
better still; continue on to New Zealand for 2 more weeks!! |
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