Heritage Ventures
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.
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Join us on our hidden histories tours to the lesser known places and stories with expert guides and local knowledge holders.
Clay Hill
and Beyond
10 September 2023
Adventure into the bush slopes behind 'Sunnyview Estate' Spencer. Gymea lily and banksia woodland lead onto a ridge top of angophoras and grass trees framing river views of Mangrove Creek. We walk through eriostemons, wedding bush and pea flowers exploring sandstone caves and overhangs. Looking across to Wendoree Park and NeverFail hear about the forgotten histories of these tiny settlements.
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The Secrets of
Dubbo Gully
tbc August 2024
Explore the historical remains of Dubbo Gully when Mangrove Creek was a thriving community with wharves, inns and slab homes. Gain insight into the past at St Thomas' Cemetery and visit Fairview to hear about the experience of growing up in the area and the campaign to save the last remaining homestead. We will visit the original road from Sydney to the cast and hear about the haunted 'inn of the Damned'
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Fish of the Hawkesbury
in Watercolours
29 September 2023
Enjoy a day of water colours at the Hawkesbury Duck in Spencer. Get to know the creatures of our local and Australian waters with artist and designer Leonie Loewe. Painting from a beautiful fish illustration learn techniques of texture and shading and how to turn this into a finished fishy watercolour. Hawkesbury marine stories + watercolour workshop. Morning tea, lunch and all materials provided.
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The Mysteries
of Mullet island
tbc November 2024
David Reynolds, local historian and President of the Dangar Island Historical Society takes us on an insiders tour of Dangar Island on the Hawkesbury River. Starting with a ferry ride to the island on a restored heritage boat, the tour explores the rich indigenous and colonial histories - from evidence of Guringai occupation to Gov. Authur Phillip's search for arable land in 1788. Lunch at waterside cafe and visit to summit for Hawkesbury River views.
Mailman Track:
Mt Olive and Ironbark
15 October 2023
All day adventure exploring the bridle bush tracks of the mailman's route - Ironbark catchment to Mt Olive with side trip to Donovan's Forest. Visiting rare volcanic diatreme forest, sandstone overhangs and passing through 'the eye of the needle'. On the way we hear stories of life for the creek dwellers in the 19th and 20th centuries. Physical evidence of an older culture can be seen in tessellated platform engravings along the track.
Red Hands and Birds Eye Creeks Tour
tbc 2024
Join us on an exclusive tour in the natural habitat of a number of vulnerable species of Hawkesbury river tributaries. We travel up spurs through lush forest to strands of rare biconvex paperbark and locations where the noisy pitta bird and the Sydney rock warbler have been seen. Visit red hands creek & the site of the elusive giant burrowing frog. Billy tea on route through regrowth forest once logged for orange groves and now the home of these rare wonders.
Terms and Conditions
1. Bookings can be made online, by telephone or in person at the office, The Hawkesbury Duck.
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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. COVID-19. 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.
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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.
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