It’s been a while - but our coach tours are officially up and running again.

We couldn’t be more excited. And our customers feel the same!

We’ve had so many people come to us, saying how good it is to be out and about with friends again. Our day trips in the Central West have so much to offer. We love exploring the sensational towns - going shopping, grabbing a coffee and treating ourselves!

We sat down with one of our regulars, Mary Parkes, to chat to her about how COVID has impacted her - and how travel has picked up her spirits.

How have you fared through the pandemic, Mary?

It’s been ok, I know some people have had things really tough. I’m used to being on my own, that doesn’t bother me a great deal.

But I’ve really missed that contact with people, you know? I’m part of several associations, and I have my book club - we’ll all that’s been on hold and I’ve really missed it.

So that first day trip with Langley’s getting out of the house and changing the scenery was just what I needed. Coming home, I felt rejuvenated and hopeful again. Hopeful that things are slowly returning to normal and all the good things in life are still here waiting for us.

Where was that first Central West day trip?

We headed off to Mudgee, which was really lovely. It was a bit fresh, but that didn’t stop us! It was just so nice to venture out and go exploring.

I hadn’t been to Mudgee for a few years, so it was great to see how it’s grown and changed. It’s a bustling little town, so many shops and cafes, it was great to see.

We went to the Honey Haven and I bought some delicious honey to take home, we headed out for a coffee which was wonderful, to have a perfect barista-made coffee! Sometimes it’s the small things that make all the difference.

I’ve also done the Parkes day trip recently, which was great fun. We went to the museum, I learned so much about Elvis Presley! I’m not even a huge fan, but it was still very interesting.

Honestly though, these days it doesn’t really matter where I’m going, it’s just good to get out and about with some lovely people and go exploring.

There are so many gorgeous towns in this region. I just love seeing new things and chatting to the people behind the counter, hearing about how they’ve been going and trading stories.

Do you feel Langley’s are doing enough to minimise risk on their tours?

Oh goodness, yes! The coach was absolutely spotless, as always - but you could see they had taken extra precautions, I couldn’t see a speck!

We all signed in before we got on, like you have to do everywhere these days.

We all sanitised our hands each time we got back on the coach, after all the stops. And they had allocated seats and smaller numbers to ensure we were socially distanced.

I also knew we were going to a place that had had no known cases for a long time - they wouldn’t take us somewhere where there was a risk, or that still had active cases.

Will you be going on more day trips or short breaks?

Definitely.

We are so lucky to have such a wonderful company right here in our backyard, conducting these fabulous tours. Some people have to travel to Sydney or Melbourne to take big trips, but we’ve got them right here.

I have such respect for Langley’s, they do an incredible job, everytime.

What will your next trip be, once travel returns to normal again?

Look, I’ve done a lot of overseas travel. I did plenty of that when I was working, so I think I’m finished with overseas trips.

But that’s ok, because Australia has so many beautiful places to go. Even the ones I’ve been to before, I could go back again and again, because there’s always more to see and do.

I haven’t been to Tassie since 1968, so it’s been a while - so I think my next bigger trip will be the Tasmania Tour. It really is one of the most naturally stunning places I’ve ever seen!

Want to be like Mary?

If you’re reading this and nodding your head, think yes - that’s exactly what I need, give us a call.

We can answer any questions you might have about safety protocols and find a tour that ticks all your boxes.