Let the fun begin as we travel south along the Grand Pacific Drive to the Eurobodalla region of Batemans Bay, Naroomba & Tilba. We stop at Stanwell Park to enjoy a morning tea break and the opportunity to take in the wonderful sea views. Close by is the iconic Sea Cliff Bridge, a great feat of engineering, which we drive across on our way to glorious Seven Mile Beach and Gerroa. Enjoy lunch looking out over the Pacific Ocean before we drive to Bateman’s Bay, our home for the next four nights. Check in and relax before we join together in fellowship over our first group dinner.

Our day starts with a picturesque drive to the charming village of Central Tilba via the coastal townships of Dalmeny and Narooma. Central Tilba was settled in the 1880s during a gold rush and its historic streetscape has been classified by the National Trust.

A visit to the ABC Cheese Factory which started operations almost 130 years ago; these days the factory makes award winning dairy products with the delicious, creamy jersey milk sourced from local farms. Enjoy a cheese tasting, listen to a talk, and watch the factory at work through the glass viewing area. Browse Tilba’s various small galleries and craft shops before we drive to the impressive private gardens of Foxglove Spire Gardens in Tilba Tilba.

The 100-year old cottage is surrounded by an extensive 3.5 acre garden and after lunch you will be able to wander along its many enticing fragrant paths and enjoy the flowers, woodlands and pond of this tranquil spot. What a delightful day.

This morning we will learn about the bushfire recovery work of local Churches and the Christian disaster relief organisation “Samaritan’s Purse”. Then a return cruise to Nelligen on MV Merinda takes us up the beautiful Clyde River which has the cleanest, least polluted waters of any major river in Eastern Australia. Oyster farming in the estuary is an important local industry and the pristine waters are home to Sydney Rock Oysters, considered by connoisseurs as the “best oysters in the world”. After our cruise, we will visit the “Oyster Shed” to hear about the region’s oyster farming and to sample a couple of these culinary delicacies.

We say farewell to Bowral and drive north to historic Campbelltown and Camden to visit Glenalvon House, a fine colonial Georgian townhouse built 1840. We take a tour through the beautiful historic property that showcases the agricultural heritage in the area, coach house, stables and heritage garden.

From here it is onto the renowned Camden Valley Inn for a scrumptious lunch before we return to Sydney. We head home feeling blessed with happy memories of sharing fun and fellowship with new friends.

We travel north and then leave the coast behind as we head inland to Berry. With its heritage buildings, pretty surrounds and wide variety of boutique shops and gourmet cafes the charming village of Berry is a delight. You will have some time to browse the shops or relax over a coffee before we transfer you to the nearby Treat Factory. You are never too old for a treat and The Treat Factory, located in the historic South Coast Central Creamery, ticks all the boxes; as the area’s most prestigious providore it offers handcrafted jams, preserves, chocolates, confectionary and gourmet foods. Enjoy a lunch of delicious local foods before we experience a chocolate making demonstration and a gelato talk (and taste). YUM!

With a smile on our lips (and gelato in our tummy) we head homewards with lots of great memories of fun times shared with like-minded people.