Tours

Marvel at the remarkable bluestone heritage of regional Victoria.

 

Visit 'Clontarf' (c1862) in Castlemaine, 'Duneira' (c1872) in Mt Macedon and the 1860 Malmsbury Viaduct, the largest masonry structure in Victoria.

 

Learn how gold changed Australia by feeling the fever of tens of thousands of migrant opportunists. Plus, explore the 'emerald heartland' of Victoria, brush up on the exploits of Irish-born Robert O'Hara Burke, who was stationed here before teaming up with William John Wills to make his fateful voyage inland, and celebrate St Patrick's Day!

 

With four nights in Kyneton, and day trips to surrounding towns, unpack once and enjoy the following tour highlights:

* exclusive Historic House and property visits

* old-world charm and National Trust–listed streetscape in Maldon

* 19th-century houses in Kilmore, once described as “the typical Irish centre of the colony of Victoria”

* antique shops, mineral springs and 19th-century botanic gardens in the delightful town of Kyneton

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Click for the full itinerary and terms & conditions. 

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Members:  $2,250 pp share twin/double ($450 single supplement)

Non-Members: $2,700 pp share twin/double ($500 single supplement)

Flights not included

Savour the magnificent South Island of New Zealand at the end of 2025.

 

Enjoy the splendour of Christchurch, Akaroa, Kaikoura, Blenheim and Picton and travel on the scenic Coastal Pacific train during 12 amazing days. Delve into the stories, incidents and places that shaped early New Zealand, find out what drove Ngati Toa - under warlord Te Rauparaha - in its wars with Ngai Tahu and learn how close New Zealand came to becoming French! 

 

This exclusive, small group tour brings to life the connections between 'Te Wai Pounamu' and Australia, particularly Sydney, Tasmania and Broome. 

 

Highlights include:

* the former houses of suffragette Kate Sheppard, crime writer Dame Ngaio Marsh and ex-Premier of New Zealand, Sir John Hall

* the charming French settlement of Akaroa

* the rugged Port Underwood which is steeped in both Maori and convict history

* the aura of the 'tohora' (whale) and the bloody history of the whaling industry

* world-renowned gardens at Fishermans Garden and Mona Vale

* luxury accommodation, including in late 19th-century stone buildings at the Observatory Hotel.

 

Click here for the full itinerary (and here for terms and conditions).

 

Members:  $8,995 pp share twin/double ($1,500 single supplement)

Non-Members: $10,495 pp share twin/double ($1,500 single supplement)

Flights and airport transfers not included

From 7 to 24 October 2024, and covering roughly 4,000 years of engaging history, stimulating art and impressive architecture.

 

In Athens, we visited the unforgettable marble buildings of the Acropolis, other archaeological sites and museums, plus some outstanding 19th-century Neo-Classical houses.

 

In southern Greece, we travelled through the picturesque landscape to visit the Late Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae, the harbour town of Nafplio with its Venetian, Turkish and Greek overlays, the Byzantine citadel town of Mystra, the fortified tower houses of Mani (the ultimate in neighbourhood disputes), the site of the ancient athletic games at Olympia, and the revered sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi.

 

On the island of Crete, we explored 3,500-year-old palaces and on Thira contemplated the power of the volcano which blasted a huge caldera out of the island. Plus we enjoyed local cuisine and sample wines from the resurgent Greek wine industry.

 

John Wade, a former archaeologist and museum curator, led the tour.

Twelve HHA members and guests were treated to blue skies, fabulous food and wine and exceptional guides on our study tour of Auckland and the Bay of Islands.

 

The jam-packed itinerary included visits to 15 properties over ten days (including those belonging to Heritage New Zealand) with the group soaking up the history of the first contact between two cultures in the early 1800s.

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Our study tour took guests back to this era to learn more about the relationships and visit many of the locations where events took place, such as Marsden Cross, the site where Samuel Marsden performed the first Christian service in the presence of Ruatara (1814) and the Treaty Grounds (where on 6 February, 1840, the first Treaty of Waitangi signatories were recorded.) 

 

Other highlights included heritage strolls around Mt Eden, Devonport and Warkworth and dinner at historic places such as the Warkworth Hotel and Duke of Marlborough in Russell. Plus we experienced geothermal hot springs, sailing on a tall ship in the Bay of Islands, and a delightful trip to Mansion House on Kawau Island on the Mail Run!

In May, Dr James Broadbent AM led a study tour of England focusing on the Arts and Crafts Movement that transformed the architecture, garden design and decorative arts of late 19​th​ Century and early 20​th​ Century Britain.

 

The group visited the Home Counties, the West Country and the Cotswolds. 

 

Subsequently, Dr Broadbent led a group that visited ancient sites, historic gardens, landscapes, “ruins in demesnes deserted”, private country houses and public museums in the counties of Kilkenny, Waterford, Cork, Kerry and Limerick.​

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Both tours were fully booked.