Highly, highly recommended.
Okay so here's the amazing scoop on the awesomeness that is Gregg Peek of Peek Tours. Let me lay some groundwork just before we begin this little 'ol review.
1. I'm a history nut. I love it. I am fascinated and passionate about colonial Australian History. I read a lot, ya'know?
2. I'm a Sydne-can. Syd-wegian. ARGH. Sydnernian. GRRR! I mean Sydneysider (god I hate that collective!). And I'm proudly of convict heritage.
Gregg gets it. He truly does, and with an awesome penchant for being able to read a crowd (young and happening our tour was) he was able to tailor a walking, drinking, pub-exploring history tour of the Rocks into a fun-filled fact-finding mission of utter enjoyment, aided naturally and considerably by the inclusion of booze at each lay-over point.
But its more than that. Why does it matter than I'm a bit of a history nut, and that I live in Sydney? Glad you asked:
It matters because Gregg gets it absolutely, categorically right. I even tried to throw him a bit with one or two questions as we walked (sorry Gregg) and he didn't bat an eyelid - solidly right, and backed up by that peripheral knowledge you can only get from having a deep understanding of a particular subject. This fella knows what he's talking about. And I even surprised myself, because I learnt things too. I learnt things I had forgotten, and there were even one or two surprises that I didn't know. Mind = Blown.
The tour of The Rocks was fun and informative. The pace is leisurely, and Gregg has a flair for building on the notoriety of The Rocks both past and present, transitioning smoothly from convictry to Regency and Edwardian/WWI periods and beyond.
Gregg has a voice that easily carries, and I have a hunch he could still make himself heard even in a Force 9.
Tourists in Sydney would do well to have a wander around Ol' Sydney town with this fantastic tour guide, and learn something interesting about us wild colonial boys (and gals) of yesteryear.
Kudos Gregg, and congratulations on a fantastic tour read more