Each of the resort's Field Guides is a skilled driver, highly knowledgeable of the demanding terrain and can tailor a safari tour around each guest's special interests to help you catch awe-inspiring views of the Blue Mountains and encounters with Australian wildlife.
For those with an inquisitive mind, Wolgan Valley's activities offer a chance for botanists, bird watchers and naturalists to discover the area is still abundant with the same intriguing species that so fascinated Charles Darwin.
Special interest tours are also available; please see below for further details. These take place all year round and are scheduled according to weather conditions on the day.
Duration: 2.0 hours
Grade: Easy
An all-encompassing tour of the Wolgan Valley reserve, the journey includes wildlife spotting and possibly a trip to the Wollemi Pine Grove; home to the world’s oldest and rarest tree, endemic to the Greater Blue Mountains Area.
Guests are met at the 1832 Heritage Homestead and Kitchen Garden approximately 30 minutes before sunset which is the best time to observe Australia’s native wildlife as most are nocturnal.
Kangaroos, wallaroos, wallabies, and a variety of smaller, lesser-known species are the focus, as are the Valley’s many native Australian birds. Field Guides are also well-versed in local bush lore and history.
The Wollemi National Park situated adjacent to the resort is the only place in the world where the Wollemi Pine grows in the wild. The critically endangered pine belongs to a 200 million year old plant family, previously only known to science through the fossil record and dates back to the time of the dinosaurs. In fact, the tree is so rare that until its discovery in 1994, botanists presumed it to be extinct. The find is considered to be the botanical revelation of the 20th century.
Driving over grassland, across creeks and through the forest in a luxury four-wheel drive, the journey ends with a leisurely stroll culminating with the sun descending over the sandstone cliffs.
The tour concludes with fresh canapés served accompanied by a glass of sparkling wine and refreshments as you watch the sun disappear over the horizon.
Tours depart late afternoon each day and is subject to weather conditions (Sundowners do not take place in Winter due to the cold but rather occurs at the Main Homestead).
Duration: 1.5 hours
Grade: Easy
Guests are invited to explore the nocturnal world of the Australian bush when the wildlife is at its most active. After an early dinner, the Field Guides drive guests out into the reserve in a luxury four-wheel drive.
From within the trees, torchlight reveals the flashing eyes of possums, while in the meadows, wombats, wallaroos and wallabies graze alongside a host of other animals. The excursion takes in the reserve’s secure reintroduction area, which over time will contain protected, rare and endangered species until their release into the greater Wolgan Valley Reserve.
Next, guests are escorted to the 1832 Heritage Homestead and Kitchen Garden where on a clear night, constellations such as the famous Southern Cross can be seen.
Tours depart each evening. This excursion is conducted all year round and is scheduled according to weather conditions on the day.
