Port Bus Charters, Tours & Rentals Pty Ltd

11/10/2026

🚍☀️ **DAY 1 – RIVERBOAT POSTMAN OVERNIGHT ADVENTURE!** 🚢🍫🌿

What a fantastic start to our two-day Riverboat Postman getaway! With an early 7:30am departure from the depot, we were off and running, collecting our lovely passengers and looking forward to a wonderful couple of days away.

Our first stop was **Wade Park, Bulahdelah**, where we enjoyed morning tea from the coach in glorious sunshine. ☕🌞 We had a bit of a Port Bus reunion happening too, with retired drivers Roni and GK joining us, along with current driver "Pop". And wouldn't you know it, another of our drivers, Lachlan, happened to pull into Wade Park while heading south on holidays! What are the chances? 😂🚍

Continuing south, we arrived at **Harrigan's Cameron Park** for lunch. What a beautiful establishment! The surroundings were lovely, the service was smooth and efficient, and the meals were absolutely delicious. A wonderful place to stop and enjoy a leisurely lunch.

Next up was **Mount Penang Gardens**, and what a hidden gem these gardens turned out to be! 🌿🌸 Beautifully landscaped grounds, fascinating boab trees and even a pelican enjoying quite the feast in one of the ponds! Some of our travellers enjoyed a cuppa, while others couldn't resist an ice cream before it was time to move on.

Then it was off to the **Chocolate Factory at Gosford**! 🍫😋 Plenty of delicious samples to tempt the tastebuds, and judging by the number of shopping bags, quite a few treats made their way back onto the coach!
🎉 A special congratulations to **Victoria**, our lucky winner of the Port Bus Chocolate Gift Pack!

With a full day of exploring behind us, it was time to check in at the **Galaxy Motel, Gosford RSL Club**, and enjoy a little downtime before dinner.
And what an impressive venue Gosford RSL is! Beautifully presented both inside and out, with wonderful facilities. Tonight we're dining at **The Gardens Restaurant**, where everyone can choose whatever takes their fancy using their dinner vouchers. Now that's a lovely way to finish the day! 🍽️🥂

☀️ **Glorious weather, great food, beautiful gardens, a little chocolate indulgence and wonderful company – what more could we ask for?**

It's been a fabulous first day, and tomorrow we have the highlight of our getaway to look forward to – our **Riverboat Postman Cruise!** 🚢💙

10/10/2026

🌸🍃 **DAY 5 – A BEAUTIFUL FINALE TO OUR BLUE MOUNTAINS & LEURA GARDENS TOUR!** 🚍💕

Our final morning began with one last wander around The Workies, a fantastic venue that has been our home away from home. Beautifully presented, wonderful facilities and such friendly, welcoming staff – they've certainly looked after us well!

As we began our journey home, we made our way to Penrith for one final treat – a relaxing morning tea cruise aboard the beautiful **Nepean Belle** on the picturesque Nepean River. 🚢☕

What better way to wrap up five wonderful days than sitting back, enjoying a delicious Devonshire tea, soaking up the riverside scenery and reflecting on all the lovely places we've visited and memories we've made along the way.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and it was time to head for home.

🌸 **Five days of beautiful gardens, breathtaking scenery, wonderful company and unforgettable experiences!**

A big thank you to everyone who joined us on our Blue Mountains & Leura Gardens adventure. It's been an absolute pleasure sharing this journey with you all.

Until our next adventure! 💚🚍

08/10/2026

🌸 **Day 4 – Blue Mountains & Leura Gardens Tour** 🌸\
📅 **Monday 5th October 2026**

What a wonderful day exploring Katoomba!

Our first stop was the magnificent **Carrington Hotel**, where we were secretly smuggled in through the staff entrance! 🤫😂 Nothing too suspicious, just a clever way to avoid all those stairs!

We were treated to a fascinating guided tour with Paul, whose incredible wealth of knowledge left our heads spinning! How he remembers so much history and information is beyond us!

Next, we settled into the beautiful dining room for a delicious **High Tea**. There was certainly no shortage of food, with plenty of takeaway containers making their way out the door filled with leftovers! 🫖🍰

Of course, no visit to The Carrington would be complete without a group photo on the grand entrance staircase! 📸

Then it was off to **Scenic World** for a little adventure! Being school holidays and the October Long Weekend, it was certainly busy, but nobody seemed to mind. We made the most of the waiting time with plenty of chatting, laughter and good company before enjoying the famous **Scenic Railway and Scenic Cableway**. 🚞🚡

After another fabulous day, we headed back to the **Workies** for a freshen-up before dinner.

🎂🎉 And a very special **HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Patricia C!** We hope you've had a wonderful birthday celebrating with us in the beautiful Blue Mountains!

Another fantastic day filled with history, delicious food, spectacular scenery and, most importantly, great company! 💙🚌

06/10/2026

# # # Day 3 – Blue Mountains & Leura Gardens Tour 🌿🌸

Today we were off to explore the magnificent **Mayfield Garden**, and Driver Dan started the day by pointing **The Beast** up the hill to drop us at **The Chapel Stop**. 🚌

Before we ventured too far, our guide suggested we make use of the amenities – which, I have to say, looked a little like a miniature jail! 😂 Then it was on to **The Chapel**, built for Alex, daughter of property owner Garrick Hawkins. What a beautiful little building, and the view from up there looking down across the gardens was simply breathtaking.

From here, our journey was mostly downhill as we began exploring Mayfield. Some chose to make their way partway down in the coach before touring the garden, while others went back to base and explored the garden from there. Everywhere you looked there was something different – beautiful water features, unusual plants, trees and flowers bursting into bloom. You really didn’t know where to look next!

By lunchtime we were ready to refuel, and a fresh wrap, piece of carrot cake and bottle of H2O hit the spot perfectly. 🥕🍰

Then it was back aboard The Beast and off to **Hartley Historic Village**. What an interesting little place! Hartley was an important early settlement west of the Blue Mountains, and today its beautifully preserved buildings provide a fascinating glimpse into colonial life. [NSW National Parks](https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/hartley-historic-site/learn-more?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Our tour began at **St Bernard’s Church**, a beautiful sandstone building dating back to the 1840s. Interestingly, before the church was built, Catholic services were actually held in the courthouse! [NSW National Parks](https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/historic-buildings-places/former-st-bernards-church?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Across the road we went to the imposing **Hartley Courthouse**, built in **1837** and once an important centre for law and order as settlement moved west. Inside, the old cells were a little creepy, particularly with the prisoner graffiti still visible on the walls. The courthouse even had three separate entrances – one each for the prisoners, the public and the magistrates. I’m glad those walls can’t talk! We heard plenty of stories in the courtroom though – some funny, others very sad. [NSW National Parks](https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/venues/hartley-courthouse?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Our final stop for the day was **Maple Springs Nursery and Goryú Japanese Gardens** at Little Hartley. What Margaret and Alan have created here is quite amazing, and you can only imagine the years of blood, sweat and tears that have gone into it.

The nursery specialises in cold-climate plants and boasts **more than 250 varieties of Japanese maples, conifers and shrubs**, while the Japanese garden features ponds, waterfalls, bridges, stone lanterns, shrines, pagodas and beautiful borrowed views of the surrounding landscape. Even the name **Goryú** has meaning – it refers to a *confluence*, or where waters meet. [Visit New South Wales](https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/blue-mountains/lithgow-area/hartley/attractions/maple-spring-nursery-and-goryu-japanese-gardens?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

But really... just take a look at the photos! 😍🍁

We finished our visit with another scone, cake, fresh fruit and a cuppa. **No photos, soz – I was too busy stuffing my face!** 🫣😂

Then it was back to the **Workies** for a freshen-up before dinner. The lovely Julie had thoughtfully set a place for **Driver Dan and Hostie Trish** where the **NRL Grand Final** coverage was front and centre. Bless her! 🏉❤️

And congratulations to **Maree**, our lucky ticket winner for the day! 🎟️👏

Another fabulous day filled with spectacular gardens, fascinating history, plenty of walking, lots of laughs and, naturally, another scone or two! 🌸🚌

04/10/2026

# # # Day 2 – Blue Mountains & Leura Gardens Tour 🌷🌿

Today was **Leura Gardens Festival Day!** But before tackling the gardens, we thought we’d better fuel up properly – and what better way than a delicious Devonshire Tea at **Bygone Beautys**!

The scones arrived warm, fluffy and absolutely delicious, accompanied by tea or coffee. We also discovered that Bygone Beautys is home to **over 12,000 teapots! ** 🫖 Owner Maurice Cooper shared some of the fascinating history with us before we were let loose to explore the museum and shop. There was certainly plenty to look at!

Suitably fuelled, it was time for the gardens. 🌸

Our first stop was **The Braes**, where Driver Dan assured everyone, he was dropping us at “the top” and that we’d only have to walk one way. 😂 Even under an overcast sky, the gardens were absolutely beautiful – just take a look at the photos! Of course, what Dan may have forgotten to mention was that our trek out involved going **UPHILL! **

Next was **Honeysett**, and by now a few of the ladies were considering staying comfortably aboard the coach. Dan convinced them otherwise: *“You won’t regret the views, and it’s only a short walk!”* Well, this time he was right! The walk was short and the views were **WOW! ** The gardens weren’t too shabby either. 😍

With the rain beginning to settle in, we decided to skip Garden Number Three and head into Leura for some lunch – **catch ’n kill style**, with everyone choosing whatever took their fancy.

Back aboard, we headed to our final garden for the day, the magnificent **Everglades Historic House & Gardens**. Thankfully, the rain had stopped for the moment and once again there seemed to be something magical around every corner. My personal favourite was **The Grotto** – and believe it or not, it’s man-made!

Unfortunately, the weather gods decided we’d seen enough. The sky turned black, the thunder started rolling and suddenly it was time for a quick dash back to the coach. We made it just in the nick of time! ⛈️🚌

Back at the lovely **Workies**, everyone had time for a well-earned rest before dinner. Birthday girl **Beve** returned to her room to find a lovely **Happy Birthday** message waiting for her, and we continued the celebrations together at dinner. 🎂🥳

And congratulations to **Sue**, our lucky ticket winner today! 🎟️👏

Despite a little rain, we certainly packed plenty into our Garden Festival Day – beautiful gardens, spectacular views, thousands of teapots, warm scones, plenty of laughs and a birthday celebration to finish.

**Cheers to another fabulous day in the Blue Mountains! 🌷🥂**

03/10/2026

03/10/2026

**Day 3 – Dubbo Zoofari Tour 🦏🐘🦒**

What an incredible day of wildlife encounters! We started early with our **Morning Safari**, climbing aboard the open safari trucks for close encounters with both **white and black rhinos**. Our guide gave us a fascinating insight into the work Taronga and other zoos are doing to protect these magnificent animals from extinction. From breeding programs and detailed health records to carefully managed habitats, it was inspiring to hear just how much work goes into protecting every individual rhino. **We learnt so much!**

Next came one of the real highlights – watching the **elephants’ morning bathing routine**. The bond and trust between the elephants and their keepers was beautiful to see as they happily changed positions to be scrubbed before presenting each enormous foot for its clean and check. A truly special experience. 🐘❤️

After a delicious breakfast back at **Zoofari Lodge**, we headed out again with one of the zoo’s wonderful volunteer guides for a 2½-hour tour. We spotted a cheetah relaxing beneath the trees, giraffes up close, giant tortoises slowly making their way around and, perhaps the favourite of the morning, a very active **platypus** who treated us to a fantastic underwater display! The passion and dedication shown by the zoo’s guides, keepers and volunteers towards conservation and animal welfare was wonderful to see.

After lunch, it was time to enjoy our amazing accommodation. Sitting on the decks of our **Safari tents**, we had our own private wildlife parade as giraffes, eland, rhinos and zebras wandered past, sometimes stopping right in front of us to graze. **Does it get much better than that?**

Another delicious African-inspired dinner finished off the day, along with our raffle. Congratulations to **Barry**, who scored himself a Zoofari umbrella – with a few cuddly African animals thrown in for good measure!

**What a truly memorable Zoofari experience this has been! 🦏🦒🐘🦓**

02/10/2026

**Day 1 – Blue Mountains & Leura Garden Festival 🌸🌿**

And we’re off! Our **Blue Mountains & Leura Garden Festival Tour** is underway, departing Port Macquarie at 8:00am and commencing our pickups as we made our way south.

Our first stop was **Wade Park at Bulahdelah**, where we enjoyed morning tea from the coach. We weren’t the only Port Bus travellers stopping in either! Another of our coaches soon arrived with **Hostie Kim and Driver Wassi**, taking their passengers to Sydney to see **My Fair Lady**. For a little while there, we had **over 70 Port Bus travellers gathered in the park** before both coaches headed off on their separate adventures.

We continued south to **Ourimbah-Lisarow RSL Club** for lunch, followed by a comfort stop in **Richmond** before beginning our climb into the beautiful Blue Mountains.

And WOW – we certainly knew when we arrived! We went from a rather warm **33 degrees down to just 15 degrees!** 🥶 Hello Mountain chill factor!

On arrival at the **Workies Motel**, Manager **Julie** hopped aboard to welcome us and give us the rundown while our luggage was whisked away. All we had to do was sign in, tag our bags and head to our rooms for a little rest before dinner. And just like magic, our bags appeared outside our doors – now that’s service!

We came together again this evening for a lovely dinner and plenty of chatter about the days ahead.

Now it’s time to hit the hay because tomorrow we’re off to enjoy the beautiful **Leura Gardens Festival!** 🌷🌺🌸

**Bring on Day 2!**