Cocky Guides

20/01/2025

Cocky Guides Leader Buck is at Joe Maguires Tamworth, the birthplace of Country music in Tamworth. Check out the legendary Memphis Cowboys in this 2 minute video.

16/01/2025

Ever wondered what a tactile tour of the Sydney Opera House is like?

Cocky Guides is excited to return to the Sydney Opera House next week, Thursday 23rd January, for a supported day trip including a tactile tour of the Opera House, an audio described screening of Runt (thanks to Guide Dogs NSW/ACT) and some socialising at local venues by the harbour.

For more information and secure your spot please click on the this link: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1343137

Image is of Charlie holding a small 3D model of the Sydney Opera House in both hands.

Sydney Opera House
Guide Dogs Australia

Cocky Guides is Australia’s leading small group tour operator and support provider for blind and low-vision travellers. Our Leaders and Support Guides work closely with local communities to deliver fun and engaging experiences. We look forward to providing reliable and engaging group support to di...

11/01/2025

A trip to Tasmania is only complete with a breakfast!

Image is a selfie by Trip Leader Buck with five Cocky crew seated at a table in the dining room of the bakery. Buck is holding a potato pie.

10/01/2025

Pinot Noir is the centrepiece of Holm Oak Vineyards sensory wine garden where you can revel in the sensory delights of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and cherries.

Image of Cocky Guides Leader Kellie leaning into a bush to grab a raspberry for blind adventurer Charlie.

Tourism Industry Council Tasmania VisAbility Tasmania Travel Without Limits Visit Northern Tasmania Sparrowly Group Blind Citizens Australia

09/01/2025

Did you know that Holm Oak Vineyards created Tasmania’s first sensory wine garden?

Image of Cocky Guides Leader Kellie, plus our blind and low vision crew at the start of the garden walk next to the cellar door. Kellie is explaining how biodiversity thrives to protect the vines with guardians like ladybirds, lacewings, bees and hoverflies.

VisAbility Tasmania Tourism Industry Council Tasmania Visit Northern Tasmania Travel Without Limits Sparrowly Group

08/01/2025

The crew in Tasmania are running a muck in the lavender fields of

Image of Ness, Leigh, Charlie, Kristy and, possibly Graham, who is unseen. They arein a single line between two rows of lavender flowers, leaning alternately in different directions left and right, Their hands are in a peace symbol position in the direction they are leaning.

05/01/2025

It’s Tasmania Scallop Pie Time at who are at

Image is a collage of two photos. Left photo of Trip Leader Buck eating his pie with his hands. Right photo of Trip Leader Kellie eating her pie on a plate with cutlery. The text crass (on Buck’s image) vs class (on Kellie’s image) is under each photo.

05/01/2025

are back and on the move for 2025, bound for Tasmania!

Image is a selfie of Graham, Kristy, Charlie and Leigh at ready to board their flight to Tasmania.

29/12/2024

Did you know that our travel partner Autopia Tours help Cocky Guides continue to provide experiences across Australia for blind and low vision Australians? Not only do their amazing crew help us deliver experiences in destinations like Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, they also enable us to present Sydney’s Blue Mountains to International visitors every single day.

Image is a photo of eleven international guests standing on Lincoln’s Rock with the Sun setting behind them across the valley. This photo was taken on Saturday 28 December 2024 by Trip Leader Deepak.

27/12/2024

We felt it in our fingers, we felt in our toes. Christmas was all around us and our Cockyness showed!

Luckily for Skye, Jack, Tyler, Andrew and Amy the Melbourne Chistmas 4 day escape proved to be 1000 times better than Dutchys above attempt little festive jingle!

All participants were treated to the amazing musical called The Christmas Carole, a naughty Christmas comedy show, a visit to the Myer Melbourne Christmas windows and a thrilling orchestral performance of the classic Christmas movie Love Actually.

PICTURE 1 - On set with cast members of Love Actuall Christmas Comedy.
PICTURE 2 - In the falling snow out side the Christmas Carol musical.
PICTURE 3 - On stage at the Christmas Carol musical
PICTURE 4 - Looking at the famous Myer Christmas windows.
PICTURE 5 - Love Actually cast live on stage

27/12/2024

Christmas celebrations were full of cheer, laughter and the odd bark at the Melbourne Cocky Guides Xmas Brunch on the banks of the Yarra.

The beautiful Studley Park Boathouse played host as we sampled the wine and chocolate from Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and a glass of bubbles from Soumah Winery Yarra Valley.

Secret Santa then paid us a visit and participants were given the option to keep or trade in their randomly allocated gift.

The laughs continued with a Xmas quiz... congrats to our winner Cas!

Picture 1 (top) - welcome picture with 10 people and 4 dogs gathered at entrance to the Studley Park Boathouse.

Picture 2 (bottom right) - Andrew in his xmas elf hat holding up his Secret Santa gift to the camera ... a pair of yellow and green socks with white Cockatoos splashed over them.

Picture 3 (bottom left) - some of our group and dogs enjoying a festive glass of bubbles and some local chocolate while sitting around the outdoor Christmas table

14/12/2024

The Blue Mountains crew got together for the first time at for an afternoon of sunshine and laughter to celebrate a successful year leading tours for

Image of trip leaders Mitch, Derek, Buck, Kellie, David, Donna and Ashley standing behind a table in the dining room of Manly Pavilion

11/12/2024

This evening is special for as we introduce three blind and low-vision Australians to the where they’ll participate in a free non-accredited CPR training course at

Techniques will be explored to expand training to a greater number of our blind and low-vision community in 2025.

Image of David Winner talking to a group of of course participants who are seated in a semi circle in the club lounge. There are mannequins on the floor and a man demonstrating to the group.

09/12/2024

2 spots remaining for the free Cocky Christmas event tomorrow in Sydney!

Ever wondered what it is like to participate in a Cocky Guides experience? Well tomorrow is the time to ask your questions and meet other past travellers.

This is a casual, unsupported Christmas lunch outing with a walk on the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and a cosy pub lunch.

Secure your spot here:
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1322820

Image of a traveller and his Guide Dog in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

06/12/2024

What a way to conclude Cocky Guides inaugural visit to Kangaroo Island. Our blind and low-vision explorers got to meet the team from Kool Tours at Penneshaw Hotel to share stories before our return to the mainland!

Without collaboration with hundreds of visitor economy businesses and communities we visit right across Australia, Cocky Guides would not be able to deliver the experiences that make us so proud of what we do.

Image of Mark, Joe and Leon from Kool Tours. Buck and Rick from Cocky Guides, plus five explorers (and Guide Dogs Australia trained Tinker), experiencing Kangaroo Island for the very first time. They are seated around two tables in a corner of the dining room.

Blind Citizens Australia Blind Sports Australia Tennis Australia South Australian Tourism Commission See Differently with the Royal Society for the Blind Australian Tourism Industry Council Tour Guides Australia Mark Koolmatrie SeaLink Kangaroo Island Vacayit Sparrowly Group Australian Tourism Export Council

06/12/2024

To celebrate inaugural visit to Kangaroo Island, we called into to raise a glass and reflect on our amazing adventures on Australia’s third largest island!

Image of local guide Rick with five Cocky Explorers seated around a rectangle table on a deck. The view of the Backstairs Passage (which is the waterway between Kangaroo Island and the mainland), is behind them.

04/12/2024

We’re exploring the impressive Remarkable Rocks formation perched high above the sea in Flinders Chase National Park. This remarkable rock formation appears to be a cluster of precariously balanced granite boulders.

This stunning work of nature has been shaped by the erosive forces of wind, sea spray and rain over some 500 million years. The golden orange lichen covering some of the rocks make for a great photo!

Our explorers loved Eagle Rock, a formation that looks like an eagles head.

There are three images. The first is an image of trained Tinker lying on a flat rock with Eagle Rock behind her. Second are our five Cocky explores with leader Buck and local guide Rick. Third, is an image of Cocky explorers Stewart and Marian feeling the outline of Eagle Rock from underneath what appears to be an eagles beak.

03/12/2024

Kangaroo Island is a Ligurian Bee Sanctuary

Ligurian bees were brought to the island from Italy in 1884, and was declared a sanctuary in 1885. The bees were selected because of their mild temperament, gentleness and productivity. As Kangaroo Island is 13 kilometres off the coast of mainland Australia they have been protected from disease and breeding with other races of honey bee, as a consequence the Kangaroo Island Ligurian Bee is the purest strain of Ligurian bee remaining in the world.

Image of local guide Rick talking about the bee with Stewart at a transparent vertical beehive in store at