Christian Fellowship Tours (CFT) is proudly part of a family-owned Australian company based in the beautiful Blue Mountains of New South Wales. We’ve been creating meaningful travel experiences since 1974 – combining a love of adventure with Christian faith and fellowship.
Our story begins with John Cronshaw, a science teacher with a gift for organising school excursions. Inspired by the joy his students experienced on those early trips, John stepped out in faith to start a tour company. On 1st November 1974, Golden West Tours opened its doors in Katoomba, offering day trips within 100km. What started small soon grew into a full-time calling; over the next 50 years, John would go on to travel across all seven continents – from the Arctic Circle to Antarctica – bringing people together through the joy of travel.
For four decades, John was behind the wheel, personally planning and leading tours across Australia. With the acquisition of Christian Fellowship Tours (CFT) in 2008 and opportunity to lead tours around the world, John was able to fully combine his three great passions: faith, education and international travel.
CFT was born from a desire to create Christ-centred travel experiences – where people could explore the world, grow spiritually, and enjoy deep connection with others who share their beliefs.
“It’s hard to put into words what motivated me to lead CFT tours. But anyone who has travelled with us knows what I mean – that sense of love, care and unity we share, whether we’re on a coach or a plane. If you haven’t travelled with CFT yet, I invite you to join one of our special tours.” (John Cronshaw )
As a Christian lay preacher, John has always had a heart for sharing God’s Word. His travel devotions became so popular that he published them as a CD and book: Moving Devotions with Buspa. He’s also written other books: Click here to find out more.
John’s commitment to mission work began in the mid- 1970s, after a visit from a Bush Church Aid Society (BCA) minister to his local church in Leura. BCA was founded in 1919 with the core purpose of supporting rural, regional and remote communities throughout Australia by sending Field Staff to work in churches, medical facilities and related institutions.
Inspired by what he heard, John saw an opportunity to aid this mission by taking BCA supporters to these remote areas to meet the BCA Field Staff in person.
And so, the first BCA Coach Tour set off in 1977 with the purpose of connecting faith communities across the country. John later served for 30 years on the BCA National Council and Executive, helping champion its mission. Today, CFT continues this special partnership with BCA through our regional and Outback tours.
