NGA VERSAILLES AND GARDENS OF THE MONARO

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1 NGA VERSAILLES AND GARDENS OF THE MONARO HIGH CULTURE AND HIGH COUNTRY APRIL 2-5, 2017 TOUR LEADERS: DR MICHAEL ADCOCK WITH LIBBY LITCHFIELD

2 OVERVIEW ADFAS Travel invites you on a four-day visit to Canberra and the Monaro. In Canberra join French art history expert Dr Michael Adcock for lectures and a tour of the National Gallery of Australia s Versailles: Treasures from the Palace exhibition and spend a full day visiting three exquisite private gardens of the Monaro region, south of Canberra. The spectacular Monaro High Country is home to some of Australia's most stunning private gardens, situated on historic merino sheep and cattle stations. Also included are visits to the impressive National Arboretum, a private bird watching tour at the Canberra Botanic Gardens, a special dinner and a private reception hosted by ADFAS Canberra. Three nights accommodation and breakfast at the Avenue Hotel is also included. Thanks to the generous input of ADFAS Canberra, the program includes events not available on a regular tour. TOUR PRICE The tour price is $2,195 per person, twin share (plus airfares). The supplement for a single room is $560. ENQUIRIES AND BOOKINGS For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Hannah Kleboe at Academy Travel on or (outside Sydney) or hannah@academytravel.com.au ACCOMMODATION Avenue Hotel Canberra 4.5* The award winning Avenue Hotel provides comfort and luxury in the heart of Canberra, close to Parliament House, local museums, dining and entertainment in the Braddon district. INCLUDED IN THE TOUR PRICE Three nights accommodation and breakfast at The Avenue hotel, Canberra Background lectures on the NGA Versailles exhibition and entry cost Welcome dinner, reception, lunch at Curry Flat and farewell brunch, with drinks included Private coach transport to all sites All entrance fees to all sites visited Services of tour leader throughout NOT INCLUDED IN THE TOUR PRICE Travel to and from Canberra TOUR LEADERS/MANAGERS Dr Michael Adcock is a social and cultural historian who specialises in the field of modern France. Michael's teaching experience includes several years with History Department of the University of Melbourne and a series of popular lectures at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, the Art Gallery of Queensland and the National Gallery of Victoria. He has also published works on the French Revolution with Cambridge University Press. Michael has led several highly successful residential tours to Paris for Academy Travel. Libby Litchfield is the co-owner of Hazeldean, one of Australia s premier sheep properties. Libby has a good network of contacts throughout the Monaro region and has co-ordinated the garden visits on this tour.

3 ITINERARY SUNDAY APRIL 2 Make your way to Canberra and check in to our hotel from 2pm. This afternoon Dr Michael Adcock gives two detailed lectures, one on the history and culture of Versailles and a second on the NGA exhibition. The exhibition features more than 130 paintings, intricate tapestries, gilded furniture items, monumental statues and other objects from the royal gardens, and personal items from Louis XIV to Marie Antoinette. Each item in the exhibition has a story to tell and will bring to life a fascinating and tumultuous period of French history. This evening we gather at one of Canberra s fine restaurants, for a celebratory meal. (D) MONDAY APRIL 3 We spend the entire morning at the National Gallery of Australia, exploring not only the Versailles exhibition, but also with time to visit the current exhibition on War Artists or perhaps the adjacent National Portrait Gallery. This afternoon we travel out of Canberra to the National Arboretum. Opened in 2013, the Arboretum occupies a huge 250-hectare (618 acre) site and is one of one of the world s largest living collections of rare, endangered and significant trees. The Arboretum is organized into 44 forests with over 44,000 trees, some of them more than 100 years old. This evening we attend a special reception organized by ADFAS Canberra. (B) TUESDAY APRIL 4 We spend the entire day exploring three magnificent private gardens in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains. All the gardens are located on historic pastoral properties, where sheep and cattle graze over the extensive Monaro plains. At altitudes of around 1000mtrs, the gardens are cold climate with four distinct seasons. After travelling to Cooma, our first stop is Hazeldean a sheep property run by the Litchfield family since the 1850s. After a morning tea in the 1907 homestead, our host Libby Litchfield shows us the extensive gardens, well established with mature trees and traditional plantings. We then head for Curry Flat Station, established in 1846 by William Jardine. The current owners, Sue and Jim Jardine, have done extensive work on the garden surrounding the 1890 house planting avenues of trees and herbaceous plants chosen for the cold climate. We will have lunch at Curry Flat before heading to Shirley. The six acres of gardens at Shirley have been recently redesigned by renowned landscape architect Paul Bangay. The garden features expansive lawns, mature trees and a private lake. (B, L) WEDNESDAY APRIL 5 We conclude our visit with a private morning bird watching expedition at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, organized by the Friends of the Botanic Gardens. This is followed by brunch at Floresco in the Gardens cafe. We return to our hotel, where the tour ends. (B, BR) Clockwise top left: Marie-Antoinette. Oil on canvas: NGA exhibit on loan from Versailles. Bust of Louis IV, marble: NGA exhibit on loan from Versailles. Eagle sculpture on Dairy Farmer s Hill at the National Arboretum, Canberra. A scene from the iconic homestead gardens of the Monaro.

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7 ADFAS TRAVEL 2017 TOUR PROGRAM NEW ZEALAND NATURE, CULTURE & THE ARTS March 9-20, 2017 Tour Leader: Robert Veel FROM BRUGES TO THE BALTIC ART IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF MERCHANTS May 12-28, 2017 Tour Leader: Gerald Deslandes GREAT GARDENS OF ITALY September 3-19, 2017 Tour Leader: Michael Turner IMPERIAL CHINA HISTORY AND THE ARTS September 25 October 12, 2017 Tour Leader: David Rosier BERLIN & BEYOND BERLIN, LEIPZIG & DRESDEN October 9-22, 2017 Tour Leader: Thomas Abbott MOROCCO AND SOUTHERN SPAIN October 9-25, 2017 Tour Leader: Sue Rollin TASMANIA HISTORY, ART AND GARDENS December 2-10, 2017 Tour Leader: Dr Kathleen Olive

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