Days 1 - 3: NOOSA
There’s no better place in the world to convalesce
after your flight than an Australian beach. Which
is why, on landing in Brisbane, we suggest you
pick up your rental car - yours all the way to
Sydney - and point north. In a little over two
hours you’ll be in Noosa. Check into the Netanya,
an aparthotel right on the beach, with your own
kitchenette and living area. Throw off those
creased and crumpled travelling clothes, on with
the cossie and, twenty paces later, you’ll be
leaping into the gently frothing Pacific. You’ll
be born again. The town is small but fun, with
boutiques - surfwear a speciality - and a relaxed
café culture both along Hastings Street and along
the front. If you fancy a change of scenery, take
a bush walk along one of the trails in the nearby
Noosa National Park. And if you’re travelling with
children, take them to the Australia Zoo.

Days 4 - 5: SPICERS HIDDEN VALE
Rather than stay on the rather overdeveloped Gold
Coast we suggest spending two nights in the golden
Outback. An hour’s drive southwest of Brisbane,
tucked behind the coast on a 10,000 acre working
cattle station with a historic Outback homestead
at its core, Spicers Hidden Vale offers a range of
activities, from bushwalks to beauty treatments,
archery to abseiling.

Alternatively you could stay at O’Reilly’s,
located in the rainforest in Brisbane’s
hinterland.

Days 6 - 8: BYRON BAY
Compared with the Gold Coast resorts, Byron Bay is
a totally different, low rise, laid back and
wonderful other matter. As a work of nature, it’s
stunning. It sits at one end of a twenty five mile
long, wrap-around beach backed by a horseshoe of
purple-hazed mountain ridges, all part of a
massive volcanic caldera that blew its top 20
million years ago. The sands are so fine they
squeak underfoot and the sea is a flotsam of
surfers, swimmers and sea-kayakers. Byron Bay is
an ideal spot to learn to surf. Revive your senses
at the five star 'Byron at Byron', built within a
stunning forty five acre swathe of lush rainforest
yet moments from Tallow Beach and the Byron Bay
Golf Club. There’s also a tennis court, an
infinity pool, fully equipped gym, poolside sauna
and luxurious day spa.

Day 9 - COFFS HARBOUR
Follow the Pacific Coast Highway 1, which cuts
through miles of swampy bayou country and crosses
a series of ‘Meccano’ bridges spanning wide,
sleepy rivers. It’s a land of lost horizons, acres
of whispering sugar cane and thick forests of gum
trees, with a series of side roads that line up
like teeth on a comb and lead to deserted beaches.
Stop for lunch at Yamba at the mouth of the
Clarence River, known for its prawns and its ocean
swells. We suggest the Pacific Hotel Bistro, which
reigns on a bluff of rock looking way down at the
beach and the surfers. Spend the night at the
'Santa Fe B&B', 9km north of Coffs Harbour.

Day 10 - PORT STEPHENS
Continue south to Port Stephens, a deep bite of
sheltered water that has become a popular beachy
boaty playground for Sydneysiders. Try to fit in a
dolphin spotting boat trip (99% success rate) and
a koala spotting walk through the Tilligerry
Peninsula National Park, bordered by surf pounded
wild beaches. There may well be time for a detour
to take a 4WD wild ride on the colossal Stockton
sand dunes. You’ll be booked into Peppers
Anchorage overlooking the marina. Alternatively,
stay further south at Bells of Killcare, a
charming boutique property famous for its
restaurant, or Pretty Beach House, a luxury
retreat, both located on the Bouddi Peninsula, an
unspoilt region of extensive waterways, peninsulas
and natural vegetation.

Days 11 - 13: SYDNEY
Relish a stay at the contemporary Amora Jamison
which enjoys a prime location, minutes from
Sydney’s shoreline attractions, including the
Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay
where ferries sail to Manly, Darling Harbour,
Balmain and other waterfront suburbs. It’s also an
easy bus ride to the most famous of all Australian
beaches, Bondi. If the surf’s well mannered you
can swim - pay heed to the flags or speak to one
of the world famous lifeguards. And you can
certainly surf, with boards available to hire for
those who know how, or lessons for those who
can’t. We can book either.

ACCOMMODATION
3 nights in Noosa at Netanya
2 nights at Spicers Hidden Vale with breakfast
3 nights in Byron Bay at The Byron at Byron
1 night in Coffs Harbour at Santa Fe with
breakfast
1 night in Port Stephens at Peppers Anchorage
3 nights in Sydney at Amora Jamison

All Bridge & Wickers holidays are tailor-made and
no two are the same. The above is a suggested
itinerary incorporating some of our favourite
places to stay, however we will tailor your quote
to your preferred standard and style of
accommodation.

We'll also arrange your stopover accommodation en
route. You could even combine a holiday to
Australia with a trip to New Zealand whilst you're
in the Antipodes.