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Scott McGregor's Railway Adventures

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A Gourmet Wine, Food and Heritage Tour of Tasmania

11 days: 9 – 19 March 2017

Launceston | Tamar Valley | Cradle Mountain | Strahan | Lake St Clair | Hobart | Bothwell

Tasmania's West Coast Wilderness Railway

Tasmania is recognised as a vital part of Australia's wine future. Its cool climate and warm summers mean Tasmania is consistently capable of producing a wine quality that the mainland rarely achieves. Among the rollcall of gems are delicate sparkling wines to rival the classic champagne style, sparkling rose and world-class Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Add in emerging varieties and styles such as Pinot Gris, Merlot and some very exciting Cabernet Sauvignon blends and you have wines to suit all meals and situations. Pinot Noir is of major importance and is a delight here, achieving the highest form of classic wine quality while maintaining distinctive regional styles and flavours, making it the crowning glory of Tasmania.

To complement the bountiful offerings from the vines and kitchens of Tasmania is the island's wild and magical natural beauty, its quirky and stimulating art scene, a living industrial and colonial heritage and a small collection of extraordinary railway journeys. The Industrial Age is on show at the atmospheric Henry Jones Art Hotel and another highlight is the most unusual Pumphouse Hotel. Throughout the tour is a wonderful world of autumn colours, quirky transport, and passionate characters who bring to life all the flavours and stories of our precious island state.

In a nutshell

  • 14 lovely lunches and delicious dinners including sumptuous welcome and farewell wine tasting dinners
  • Selected wines, beers and soft drinks with meals
  • Special excursion by ferry to MONA in the Posh Pit
  • The wineries of the Tamar, Cole and Derwent River Valleys
  • Boat cruises on the Derwent, Tamar, Gordon and Franklin rivers
  • Iconic hotels such as; Henry Jones Art Hotel, Pepper's Cradle Mountain Lodge, unique Ratho Homestead and Tasmania's newest extraordinary hotel, Pumphouse Point!
  • Distilleries, museums, markets and nature tours and walks
  • Vintage trains on the Don River Railway and Tullah
  • West Coast Wilderness Railway adventure from Strahan to Queenstown with champagne, wine and feasting in the trains charming restaurant balcony car.
  • Last night gala farewell dinner at legendary Stillwater in Launceston

Your Tour Leader

Chris Harding recently retired as the manager of the Railway Bookshop at Sydney's Central Station. He also spent many years with the steam operating company, 3801 Limited, and conducted tours of Sydney's disused tunnels for the Australian Railway Historical Society. He is often called upon to talk about railway history on local radio. His early career with the Bank of New South Wales/Westpac Bank gave him the desire and opportunity to travel and he chalked up an impressive list of adventures all over the world on all manner of trains, boats and planes.

For the last few years Chris has been hosting popular and acclaimed journeys by rail across Switzerland for Railway Adventures and has more recently been developing tours closer to home with the theme of Wine and Rail. Chris has been expanding his wine collection and pallet all his life and has experienced all aspects of the wine industry. He is the first to admit however that great winemakers all have their own story to tell and when it comes to their wine he is all ears and nose.

This brochure covers the regions and holiday types listed below. Click on the links to see more free travel brochures covering the regions and holiday types you are interested in.