Sydney's Local Natural Wonders & Secrets Diamond Day

Tour itinerary and highlights:
Private luxury touring
Morning tea at West Head overlooking Barrenjoey Headland, Broken Bay and the Pacific Ocean
Explore Aboriginal rock engravings and art of Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park
Luxurious lunch at the Jonah’s Restaurant
Explore the delightful little-visited Northern Beaches of Sydney
Awe-inspiring views of theSydney Harbour entrance and Sydney city at North Head above Manly
 
8.00AM   Departing from your hotel with AEA Luxury Tours we travel out to Sydney’s Northern Suburbs and our first stop of the morning at Ku-ring-gai National Park, approximately 1 hour from your city hotel.  This spectacular 14,928-hectare park, 20 to 30km from the city centre, forms Sydney’s northern boundary. It’s a classic mix of sandstone, bushland and water vistas, taking in over 100km of coastline along the southern edge of Broken Bay, where it heads into the Hawkesbury River.  Ku-ring-gai, declared in 1894, takes its name from its original inhabitants, the Guringai people, who were all but wiped out just after colonisation through violence at the hands of settlers and the devastating introduction of smallpox.  Remnants of pre-colonial Aboriginal life are visible today thanks to the preservation ofmore than 800 sites, including rock paintings middens and cave art.

 
We enter the park and travel alongside the tranquil waterways, past Akuna Bay Marina home to luxury boats and then on up to West Head Lookout.  Here the views from the lookout vantage point are simply breathtaking across Pittwater to Barrenjoey Headland, the Hawkesbury River and beyond to the Pacific Ocean. After enjoying the views, your guide will discuss “bush tucker” and bush medicine and you will possibly have a chance to see wallabies and goanna's and an extensive range of native birds and wildflowers (seasonal). We then enjoy a delightful Australian Bush morning tea/coffee and refreshments.
 
From West Head, we drive a short distance to explore areas with vivid Aboriginal Rock Engravings that are believed to be 1,000's of years old. Ku-ring-gai National Park has one of the highest concentrations of art sites found in Australia. Primarily these are engravings in the sandstone and relate to hunting and initiation stories from the Guringai people who lived in this area at the time of European settlement in 1788. An explanation of their significance, meaning and how the art was created is given.
 
Departing the National Park, we head down to the spectacular coast enjoying the Pittwater views as we travel through the picturesque suburb of Church Point with its multi-million dollar homes. Wilder and more distant than Sydney's eastern strands, the Northern Beaches are a must-see, especially for surfers. Although you'll most likely approach them as part of a day trip, they're very much a part of the city, with the suburbs pushing right up to the water's edge. Some neighbourhoods are ritzier than others, but what they all have in common is a devotion to the beach. 

We arrive at our lunch destination Whale Beach. Here you will enjoy a delicious 2 course lunch at Jonah’s Restaurant – perched on the cliff top overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  Jonah’s main dining room offers uninterrupted views of the ocean with floor to ceiling glass windows. This multi award winning restaurant showcases a seasonal menu offering the finest local produce. On conclusion of lunch, we depart Whale Beach and commence our return to the city, heading along the coastline via Curl Curl and Manly beaches. We pause at North Head for stunning views back across the harbour entrance to Sydney city.  Then on to Manly Cove and back to the city via Spit Bridge, Balmoral Beach and back roads through the exclusive and quaint north shore suburbs of Mosman, Cremorne and Neutral Bay. Crossing Sydney Harbour Bridge, we arrive back in the city for approximately 5.00PM
 
Inclusions: Private touring as per itinerary, morning tea, 2 course lunch with one beverage @ Jonah’s, National Park fees.   
 
Departures: Daily from Sydney City Hotels. Recommended pick up at 8:30am and returns to hotels at approximately 4:30pm.