Arrive in Sydney on suggested Qantas flights. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including pre-tour accommodation and a private transfer from the airport.

Meet your tour leader Ute Junker and fellow travellers at the rear entrance of Sydney’s Four Seasons hotel at 10:00am and depart Sydney for Penrith. Enjoy a guided, private tour of Penrith Regional Gallery, located on the banks of the Nepean River and in the former home of celebrated Australian artists Gerald and Margo Lewers. The gallery combines heritage gardens with a strong collection of Australian modernist and contemporary art.

After lunch at a local restaurant, continue into the Blue Mountains and arrive at the historic Hydro Majestic Hotel, dramatically positioned above the Megalong Valley escarpment. Opened in 1904, the hotel has long attracted artists and writers drawn to the beauty of the mountains.

Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner at the hotel’s elegant restaurant.

(LD)

This morning, after a talk by Ute, travel to Springwood for a private visit to the studio of sculptor Leo Robba. Known for his expressive bronze sculptures and public artworks, Robba’s practice draws inspiration from the natural environment and Australian identity.

Continue to Leura for lunch at a local restaurant before visiting the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre. Opened in 2012, the centre presents an engaging program of contemporary exhibitions exploring the region’s artistic and environmental heritage.

Following a guided visit of the gallery, enjoy a short, guided street art walk uncovering some of Katoomba’s vibrant contemporary murals and urban artworks.

Return to the hotel in the late afternoon and enjoy the evening at leisure.

(BL)

Depart the Blue Mountains this morning and visit a local artist’s studio. Surrounded by dramatic escarpments, rolling hills and bushland, the region has long inspired artists drawn to its distinctive light, colours and textures.

Continue to Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, one of Australia’s oldest regional galleries. Established in 1955, the gallery presents an important collection of Australian art, including works by Grace Cossington Smith, Lloyd Rees, James Gleeson and contemporary First Nations artists. Enjoy a private, guided visit of the gallery and current exhibitions.

Later this afternoon, continue to Orange and check in to the hotel.

This evening, dinner is at the hotel restaurant.

(BLD)

Begin the day with a talk by your tour leader. Later, visit the Orange Regional Gallery, designed by award-winning architect Sam Marshall and home to a significant collection of Australian art from the twentieth century to today.

Afterwards, visit the nearby Orange Regional Museum for a guided tour of the current exhibition.

In the afternoon, continue to the historic village of Millthorpe, renowned for its beautifully preserved nineteenth-century streetscape, galleries and artisan stores. Enjoy time at leisure to explore the village before returning to Orange in the late afternoon for an evening at leisure.

(BL)

Today, travel through the scenic landscapes of the Central West to Sofala, Australia’s oldest surviving gold rush town and the subject of Russell Drysdale’s celebrated 1947 Wynne Prize-winning painting Sofala. Here, enjoy a private, guided visit to the studio of Amanda Penrose Hart, one of Australia’s leading contemporary en plein air painters. Known for her expressive interpretations of the Australian landscape, Penrose Hart paints directly in situ, responding to the light, atmosphere and physical experience of place. Her work has earned several major accolades, including the 2017 Gallipoli Art Prize and the 2024 Calleen Art Award.

Tonight, celebrate the conclusion of the tour with a special farewell dinner with Ute and fellow travellers in one of Orange’s renowned restaurants.

(BLD)

This morning, check out of the hotel and return by coach to Sydney, with a stop en route for lunch.

Tour arrangements conclude upon arrival in the mid-afternoon at the Four Seasons Hotel. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including airport transfers, travel insurance and additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour.

(B)