I am with a group of Australian Specialist travel agents from the UK, making an early start from Melbourne’s Southern Cross station; to begin our journey to Sydney on Countrylink’s XPT trains; we settled into our first class sleepers.
Having flown in the day before and spent a hectic day touring the Great Ocean Road, and a late meal at the wonderful Tutto Bene restaurant in Melbourne, it was nice to sit back, relax and watch the countryside unfold. At Albury Wodonga, Wine de Tour met us and whisked us off to meet the Wine Makers of Rutherglen. Close your eyes and imagine a warm April day of big blue skies, a gentle breeze rustling eucalyptus trees along the banks of a slow moving river, birds calling and flitting from tree to tree. On a wooden bridge, tables and chairs are laid out under the shade of big white umbrellas, picnic hampers full of local homemade produce and bottles of Rutherglen's finest wines are set out, and this is only the first day of our Capitols Wine Tour!!

Next stop an overnight in Albury Wodonga at the Albury Paddlesteamer Hotel and an excellent meal at the local Commercial Club. Next morning after a tour of the town (for golfers, at the edge of the town is a lovely pay and play golf course) we are back on Countrylink for our journey to Canberra. Once again our first class sleeper compartment allows us to sit back and enjoy the countryside. At Cootamundra we change onto a coach for the last leg of the journey. Our driver is a mine of information about the local communities and colourful characters.
An overnight at the Novotel Canberra and we are ready for a full day’s sightseeing. Canberra is often described as being a bit dull, don’t you believe it! First we visit the National Capitol Exhibition Centre and learn about the history and design of one of the world’s only purpose built capital cities. Parliament House is another must, with its renowned collection of Australian Contemporary Art. For the sports minded, take a tour of the Australian Institute of Sport and test your skills in the Sportex exhibition. After lunch at the Botanical Gardens it’s off again to the National Museum of Australia, where we discover all things ‘Australian’. Now it’s time for the wildlife!!
The National Zoo & Aquarium is great for children old and young! On the Zooventure tour you can feed the tigers, have a bear lick honey off your hand, get up close to cheetahs and as a special treat you can hold a snake (a big one). I managed to overcome a lifelong fear to do this, certainly not for the faint hearted !! Then it’s up to the Telstra Tower to watch the sunset over the nation’s capital -who said Canberra is dull?
Next day it’s an early start for the final leg to Sydney, as we wend our way through the rolling countryside we disturb ‘Roos breakfasting in the fields, while we breakfast on yet another excellent meal from the buffet car. Although we haven’t slept on the train, our twin sleeper compartment was extremely comfortable, with bed linen, towels and complimentary toiletries and breakfast provided. The ever changing scenery takes us through small towns and into the beautiful Blue Mountains before finally arriving into Sydney in time for lunch

The next day we leave Sydney’s Central Station on a Countrylink Xplorer train and travel north across the beautiful Hawkesbury River Estuary to Maitland, the starting point for the Hunter Valley. Boutique Wine Tours whisk us off for our first wine tasting at the impressive Irongate Estate, and then it’s onto Hunter Valley Resort for lunch at the Wine School’s San Martino Restaurant with wonderful Hunter Valley wine and beers before arriving at the beautiful Hunter Valley Gardens. This is a must for all of you with green fingers; the children’s garden is great fun! Afternoon tea is at the nearby Grand Mercure Hunter Valley Gardens Hotel, a superb base to tour the area – log fires and deep cushioned sofas, just what you need after a busy Hunter Valley day.

On our last day we join at AAT Kings tour to the Blue Mountains. Visiting Featherdale Wildlife Park, viewing the scenery at Govetts Leap lookout, lunch in the quaint village of Leura, and a ride on the world's steepest Scenic Railway; what a way to end a great trip.