top of page

Tours & Events

Heritage Venture hosts regular tour experiences from village explorations to river cruises and historical meanders in the bush. 

Our tours range from half day to full tours, 'tag along' adventures and weekend tours.

​

Join us on our hidden histories tours to the lesser known places and stories with expert guides and local knowledge holders.

IMG_0281.JPG

Gift Vouchers
event, tour or workshop

Any time

Looking for the perfect gift idea, or even just a way to say thanks? Why not gift a Heritage Ventures experience? A Heritage Ventures Gift Voucher unlocks workshops, eco adventures, river cruises, historical walking tours and more. Our digital eGift Vouchers are a great way to let someone know you’re thinking about them. Gift a voucher sent directly to your friends email for them to choose any event and use whenever they want.

​

20221112_124327 copy.png

Deep Time Sandstone Country:
On foot with a geologist 


 19 April 2025

A one-day excursion focussed on the rocks and landscape of Sydney’s Sandstone Country with geologist Gil Jones. The tour will take us on foot up Devine’s Hill - the ascent of the Convict Road immediately north of Wisemans Ferry - which offers a continuous cutting through sandstone with characteristics that reveal its origin in Gondwana more than 200my ago. We then travel along the ridge-top track of Finch’s Line which has panoramic views over the Hawkesbury landscape to the Blue Mountains to hear about a landscape which has evolved in the last 100my.

​​​​

20211201_121900.jpg

Bound for Broken Bay

 9 May 2025

Views to Broken Bay and the mouth of the Hawkesbury River. Explore histories of first contact and what Lieutenant Cook and Governor Arthur Philip first saw here. ​

​

​

​

Featured in the 2025 National Trust Heritage Festival.

MaxFinch copy.jpg

A Taste of History: Butcher Boats and Colonial Rations

 7 June 2025

Join our expert heritage guide to hear the stories of food on the Lower Hawkesbury River–from the Singleton's 1820's tidal mill at Mill Creek, Gunderman to cabbage tree huts, wheat and maize production and the early barter systems. We visit the route hacked out by the No 3 iron gang in 1827-1832 - one of Gov. Darling's 'Great Roads' at Finch's Line - now part of a joint World Heritage listing and finish at the enchanted bend of the Hawkesbury River known as Trollops Reach.

 

A Central Coast Harvest Festival event​

IMG_2220.JPG

Waratah Wonders

13 September 2025
9am - 12.30pm

A half day meander through the wonders of McPherson State Forest along bush tracks of waratahs and gymea lilies. Hear about histories of Kulnura 'up in the clouds' and the evidence of indigenous occupation around the forest. An immersion amongst the yellows, blues, pinks and whites of our spring flowers. Waratahs are blooming and lyre birds are calling!. Join us for a special botanical, nature and history experience.  

​

​Meet for morning tea in Kulnura and travel together in convoy to the start of the adventure.​​​​​​​

​

Screen Shot 2024-12-14 at 2.46.53 pm.png

Natural History Illustration Workshop

 15 March 2025

A fun filled day learning a new craft at the Hawkesbury Duck in Spencer. Enjoy a day with natural history illustrator and artist Angus Fisher using ink pen and watercolour. The day starts collecting and identifying local botanical specimens, shells, feathers and other found objects from around the river landscape. Angus introduces simple techniques for rendering their likeness in pencil, pen, ink and watercolour. Be inspired by the tradition made famous by 'first fleet artists' interpretation of Australia. Morning tea, lunch and afternoon treat. All materials provided. ​

_RST7881_1.jpg

Voices from the Secret River

 27 April 2025

We're back with our flagship event for the year. Voices from the Secret River with Associate Professor Grace Karskens, eminent historians, fabulous raconteurs and maritime experts. Enjoy a day immersed in river history. Morning river cruise and afternoon symposium.

20240824_144157 (2).jpg

History Afloat
Kayak Popran Creek

 17 May 2025

Explore the incredible Hawkesbury landscape from a comfortable and easy to operate double sea kayak. Join us for a paddle along one of the Hawkesbury River's most beautiful creeks. Launching from Spencer we paddle with the tide past Holy Trinity Church into the serene waters of Popran Creek. Historical stories unfold through the lost names of Sawmill Flat, Kellys Creek and Kendall island. On the way catch a glimpse of the old school pick-up stop and abandoned wharves where once floating stores and butcher boats delivered to the small community of remote creek-dwellers.​

IMG_2008.JPG

Winter Solstice:
Bush Bites and Brews

 22 June 2025

Winter Warmer for the solstice. Taste your history with talks, brews and music. Billy tea and damper paired with single origin bush honey, accompanied by the fascinating story of bees and flower synergy. Discover the traditional flavors of native tucker and hear about Bush to Bowl, a remarkable social enterprise. Sample warrigal greens and native thyme omelette, roasted corn ('Hawkesbury Duck'), and colonial bush tea while enjoying captivating historical yarns. Sip on medicinal brews learning about key botanicals of a modern herbal apothecary, served alongside sweet treats inspired by the Australian bush. Explore a selection of bush-inspired foods and crafts, available directly from their creators—perfect for a unique gift. â€‹

IMG_7162.JPG

Red Hands and Birds Eye Creeks Tour

 23 March 2025

We begin our journey on the river flats where we explore the lush regrowth forest and hear about the layered histories of Mangrove Creek. Higher up we visit Red Hands cave and gaze out over the meandering river to spot old wharves and an abandoned cemetery. Along the way  the signs of Indigenous and European occupation are evident in the landscape. Exchange with people in rainforest, paperbark forest, hanging swamp and heathland. Enjoy stops to search for unique flora, local yabbies, and the tadpoles of the Giant Burrowing Frog, all while savouring billy tea and our special homemade biscuits.

IMG_0908.JPG

The Secrets of Dubbo Gully

 4 May 2025

On this Autumn walking tour we drop down into Dubbo Gully to Mangrove Creek and explore the hidden sites of a former community. First fleet lemons and blackberries, former orchards and slab huts. Our expert guide illuminates the histories of settlers from the 1830s and 1840s and living stories from growing up in the area - hear about what happened at 'the Matchbox' and 'Mead Gully'. We trace the original road from Sydney to the coast across heritage wooden bridges within the extraordinary landscape of gymea lilies, sandstone bluffs and trickling creeks.

IMG_4428.JPG

Fabulous Fungi

 24 May 2025

Fascinated by our local fungi?  Join us at the Hawkesbury Duck for a fungi forage and painting workshop.​

IMG_0884.JPG

Mill Creek Wonders - A Walking Adventure

 10 August 2025

Walk in wonder along bush tracks to the headwaters of Gunderman and Mill Creeks.We gradually ascend through gullies past rocky overhangs and wild flowers to Flat Rocks Ridge. High on the ridge is a large rock platform part of a long gallery stretching fo kilometers. Hear about McCarthy's explorations around Flat Rocks Ridge and other galleries between Gunderman and Mangrove Creek with Paddy Pallin in the 1940s. Join us and our expert guides for time travel, ecology and nature immersion in August.

Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions

1. Bookings can be made online, by telephone or in person at the office, The Hawkesbury Duck.

​

2. Cancellation and Refunds. There are no refunds if the cancellation is made by you. We reserve the right to cancel a tour for any reason and a full refund will be provided.

 

3. For the safety of all participants in our tours and our staff, tour leaders and tour managers, it is a condition of travel on all of our tours, day tours, festivals that all participants adhere to NSW Government Health Regulations. 

​

4. Fitness to participate. Most of our tours require a moderate level of fitness. This requires fitness to undertake walking tours of 2-3 hours duration, including using bush tracks, walking over rough stones and other uneven surfaces. Certain tours will require an above moderate or challenging level of fitness.

​

bottom of page