About Boutique Tours Australia
Boutique Tours Australia is a small, family-owned business, specialising in small group departures to Sydney's best regions. Our products focus on taking the discerning traveller beyond the places that the large buses and crowds go, exploring the best a region has to offer through personalised, genuine experiences and locations.
We currently operate Boutique Wine Tours, travelling daily to the boutique wineries of the Hunter Valley, and Boutique Mountain Tours to the less-travelled hidden spots of the spectacular Blue Mountains. Boutique Wildlife Tours will begin operations early 2009, taking small groups to experience the wildlife of Australia in an afternoon / evening itinerary to the Southern Highlands and South Coast.
Boutique Wine Tours
Join our multi-award winning tour discovering the best boutique wineries of the Hunter Valley. Departing Sydney daily, our fully flexible itinerary is tailor made every day to suit the needs and interests of our small group of travellers. Visit 3-5 wineries for tastings plus a behind the scenes tour in a boutique winery. Travel in our luxury Mercedes vehicles, customised to spoil. Small groups (max 14 pax) and fabulous Guides make for the Hunter's most personalised tour. Lunch options include a tasty cafe lunch, a 2 course Gourmet lunch at an award winning restaurant with a glass of fine Hunter wine, or the choice to do your own thing for lunch.
In 2007 and 2008 Boutique Wine Tours was awarded the title of "Best Tour Operator, Hunter Valley" in the Hunter Valley Regional Tourism Awards. We also came second in the 2007 New South Wales Tourism Awards, and are Finalists in the 2008 NSW Tourism Awards to be announced in November 2008.
Boutique Mountain Tours
Explore Sydney's fabulous Blue Mountains, with the region's most focussed Aboriginal and wildlife tour. Avoid the tourist traps with a small, personalised tour (maximum 14) for a day of culture, wildlife & stunning scenery.
Discover Aboriginal culture at Muru Mittagar as we receive an Acknowledgement of Country, and an explanation of native food, plants & medicines, with morning tea of Wattleseed pancakes and fresh damper. Experience the Blue Mountains through secluded lookouts and short rainforest walks, enjoying lunch along the way. See kangaroos and other native animals and birds in their natural bush setting amidst aboriginal occupation sites. Travel in luxury Mercedes vehicles, customised to spoil.
Boutique Wildlife Tours
With stunning bushland surrounding Sydney you don't have to go far to experience the uniqueness of Australia's native bush and wildlife - but you do have to know where to look. Join our Naturalist Guides on Sydney's most exclusive wildlife tour. Small, personalised groups (maximum 7) travel in luxury 4WD vehicles to the South Coast and Southern Highlands in search of Australia's iconic animals and birds.
See kangaroos and koalas in the wild, search for platypus, and night-spot for wombats, possums and gliders. See colourful and distinctive parrots, lyrebirds and bowerbirds while enjoying stunning scenery and short bushwalks. Includes light lunch and hearty dinner.
Ray & Annalise Andrews . . .
Boutique Tours Australia Pty Limited is owned and operated by Ray & Annalise Andrews, who purchased Boutique Wine Tours in November
2005. At that time, we were already very familiar with the business, as Ray had been working as a Guide for the current owner for 3 years,
while developing our other business interests. Since that time we have developed the business, adding to the products we offer and presenting them under the banner of Boutique Tours Australia Pty Limited.
Our purchase of the business builds on 30 years of combined experience in tourism. We both have extensive backgrounds as Guides -
Ray focusing on natural history & adventure tourism in Australia, Annalise on the luxury soft-adventure market worldwide. Our senior roles with
other operators gave us extensive experience in research, developing itineraries, costing & operations. Annalise also brings with her a
background in marketing & graphic design. In 2002 we began our own businesses in tourism, with Serendipity Journeys, & Nature Trails.
In the last year we have chosen to limit the scope of these businesses to focus on Boutique Tours Australia.
We're lucky enough to have 2 young children to add to the confusion and joy of our lives - a busy mix while running our own business!
