The annual Australasian Quilt Convention is one of Australia’s premier quilting events. It's location, The Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne's Carlton Gardens, is one of the world's last remaining grand 19th-century exhibition pavilions and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Each year, this compelling show brings together specially selected quilts from Australia and beyond. There is also a vibrant daily programme of free seminars and demonstrations, along with classes taught by top international and Australian tutors, lectures and social events. And of course, plenty of stalls selling all the latest fabrics, patterns and tools. Bring an extra bag!

Specific exhibits and participants are yet to be announced but we will update with information when it becomes available.

AQC is organised by Judy Newman at Expertise Events. We asked her to explain what makes the show a must-visit event for quilters and textile fans.

"AQC is Australia’s highlight event for quilters and textile artists. It is held in an amazing World Heritage listed building – the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne - which was built in 1880 to showcase the International Exhibitions that brought ideas, culture and technology from around the world to Melbourne. It's the only remaining building of this style around the world. The AQC quilt show looks incredible hanging under the fresco painted dome ceilings and massive chandeliers, but more than the magnificent building is the fact that the best quilts from around Australia, as well as curated international exhibitions, come together in this unique quilt show.

"Visitors from abroad will find Australian quilt works to be broad ranging in style and highly original in design. The standard of work is exceptional, as is evidenced by the awards won by Australians in shows around the world. Quilt styles include traditional, art and modern, but distinctly Australian are the pictorial quilts influenced by the landscape, flora and fauna. In the expo, visitors will find Australia’s best quilting retailers, showcasing a wealth of designs, and some uniquely Australian fabric ranges displaying Aboriginal themes, indigenous wildflowers, animals and typically Australian colours."

Highlights of the 2027 editions  include:

• A themed challenge set for quilters around the world - the theme for 2027 is 'Chaos or Harmony'.
• A special exhibition by The Ozquilt network, whose members include Australia’s best textile artists.
• The travelling QuiltCon exhibition which comes to AQC direct from the USA’s premier modern quilt show.
• The ‘Teach Me’ exhibition of work by textile tutors. The full list will be announced in late September but we can reveal that it will include Argentina’s Cecila Koppmann, Sarah Fielke from Australia and Annabel Wrigley from the USA.
• An expo of traders selling quilting, sewing and textile art supplies.
• A comprehensive education program of workshops, classes and lectures.
• The Welcome Cocktail Party which promises an outstanding selection of food and wine and an entertainment show. The social functions make AQC different to other quilting events - even those who come alone will find themselves among new friends. 

The National Wool Museum in Geelong holds a nationally significant collection showcasing the importance of Australia’s wool and wool industry. It is also home to one of Australia’s largest and most significant public collections of quilts and waggas.

Waggas are a distinctly Australian quilt traditionally made from multiple layers of jute bags, calico sacks, recycled clothing, blankets and fabric scraps. The term is believed to derive from the 'Wagga Lily' flour sacks produced by the Murrumbidgee Co-operative Flour Mill in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, during the 1890s. Originally, swagmen stitched together unopened jute flour or wheat bags to create a sturdy, wind-resistant bedroll for cold nights on the road. Later, women began making domestic waggas for family use, born out of hardship and the quintessential Australian 'make do' culture.

The Museum collection also features a wonderfully diverse range of heritage quilts, from intricately pieced crazy quilts stitched with elaborate herringbone and feather embroidery, to beautifully crafted patchwork quilts made by Country Women’s Association members as cherished group endeavours. Each quilt, whether humble or elaborate, tells a deeply personal story of the hands that made it and the families it warmed.

Day One/12 – Thursday 22nd April

06:45 - check out and depart for Sydney airport for your flight to Ayres Rock

09:30 - depart SYD on Qantas flight QF728 for Ayres Rock

12:40 - arrive Ayres Rock and transfer by private coach to Ayers Rock Resort /Yulara Desert Gardens Hotel 

16:00 - Guided Garden Walk, approx. 45 min duration (Please note, this is a scheduled activity offered by the resort not an exclusive tour.)

17:30 - Uluru Sunset Tour. We will transfer to the sunset viewing platform where refreshments will be served (antipasto shared platter with a selection of vegetables, cheese, crackers, and dips) with sparkling, red or white wine and orange juice. (Please note, this is not an exclusive tour.)

Return to hotel approx. 30 minutes after sunset.

20.30 - buffet dinner at Illkari Restaurant at the Sails in the Desert Hotel

Day TWO/13  - Friday 23rd April       

Breakfast at the hotel

09:00 approx - depart the hotel on a private morning Sacred Sites and Base tour to the base of Uluru inside the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. The tour takes around three hours and a head fly net is recommended. 

We will also make a stop at Uluru Cultural Centre to visit the Walkatjara Art Gallery

Afternoon - at leisure. At 15:00 we will enjoy a 30-minute private tour of the Gallery of Central Australia, Yulara, followed by free time in the gallery.

We will then return to the hotel for an evening at leisure.

Alternatively, there is an optional Field of Light Tour. This tour departs the hotel 30 minutes before sunset (approx 18:30) and returns around 20:45. Canapes and sunset drinks are included. Please note, this is not a private group and carries an extra charge.)

Day Three/14 – Saturday 24th April

05:00 – depart for the Uluru Sunrise viewing area by private charter to watch the incredible spectacle of sunrise in the desert. 

07:15 - return to hotel for breakfast

The rest of the day is at leisure 

You may like to join the Optional 3-hour afternoon excursion to Kata Tjuta

Kata Tjuta (formerly known as The Olgas) is a spectacular group of 36 massive red rock domes in Australia's Red Centre, located 25 km (16 miles) west of Uluru. Meaning "many heads" in the local Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal language, the sacred site covers 20 square kilometers, with its tallest peak, Mount Olga, soaring 546 meters above the desert. Please note, this is not a private group and carries an extra charge.)

Day Four/15 - Sunday 25th April

Breakfast at hotel

08:15 - check out and transfer to Ayres Rock airport for your flight to Cairns

10:15 - depart Ayres Rock on Qantas flight 1964 for Cairns

13:15 - arrive Cairns and transfer by private coach to Port Douglas. A local guide will meet you at the airport and provide commentary about the area whilst travelling with you to your hotel.

Check in to the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Port Douglas and settle into your room before departing on our evening excursion

17:00 - transfer to Port Douglas Marina for a Sunset Cruise. The 1-hour journey along the coast includes a  welcome drink and canapes. There is also a fully licenced bar onboard for additional drinks. (Please note this not a private group.)

Return to hotel

Day Five/16 – Monday 26th April

Breakfast at the hotel

Today is at leisure. Alternatively you might like to join an optional full day excursion to the Great Barrier Reef. (Please note this not a private group and carries an additional charge.)

OPTIONAL EXCURSION – GREAT BARRIER REEF

09:00 approx – transfer from hotel to Port Douglas Marina. A hot and cold tropical buffet lunch will be served on the platform (included). There are full bar facilities where drinks can be purchased.

15:00 - the catamaran returns to Port Douglas

16:30 – arrive at Port Douglas Marina and transfer to hotel

Day Six/17 - Tuesday 27^th April   

Breakfast at the hotel

10:00 - transfer to Daintree Rainforest National Park to visit the Mossman Gorge. After some free time in the galleries /shop, you can choose from three options: 

OPTION 1: Explore the Mossman Gorge at your own pace. There is a shuttle system from the Visitor Centre.

OPTION 2: Indigenous Dreamtime Ngadiku guided walk. 11:00-12:30 

Conducted by Kuku Yalanji people, this Dreamtime Walk explores culturally significant sites along gentle tracks. After a traditional ‘smoking’ ceremony to cleanse and ward off bad spirits, your experienced interpretive Indigenous guide will lead you on a meandering stroll through stunning, lush rainforest, observing traditional huts or humpies along the way. Your guide will also demonstrate traditional plant use, identify bush food sources and provide an enchanting narrative of the rainforest and their special relationship with this unique tropical environment. You will discover traditions such as bush soap making and ochre painting and enjoy traditional bush tea and damper at the end of the tour. 

OPTION 3: Ngana Mayi Bubu Experience 11.30-12.45    

This is suitable for those who need a more accessible experience. The walk is graded 'easy' but please note that the track is on uneven terrain, is slippery when wet and has some inclination. It is wheelchair accessible. 

The experience begins with a traditional Welcome Smoking Ceremony, inviting you onto Kuku Yalanji Country and acknowledging the land, ancestors and stories. Following the ceremony, you will take part in a guided walk around the Centre grounds, exploring and learning about the flora and fauna used for food and traditional healing. To complete your experience, you will enjoy freshly made traditional damper and locally infused bush tea served in Mayi Café.

12.45pm – 13:35 - group light lunch in Mayi Cafe

13:45 - transfer to Mossman for a 2-hour Aboriginal Art Workshop at Janbal Gallery. (Please not this is not a private group.)

16:30 - return to Port Douglas hotel

Evening at leisure 

Day Seven/18 Wednesday 28th April

07:45 – check out of the hotel and depart for Hartley’s Wildlife Adventures for a Koala Breakfast and Wildlife Adventure

09.30 - enjoy a fully escorted private group guided tour with one of their experienced wildlife keepers at Hartley's Crocodile Adventures.

11:45 – depart for Cairns airport and your flight to Sydney 

13:40 - depart Cairns on Qantas flight QF923 for Sydney

16:35 - arrive SYD and check in to Sydney airport hotel 

Day Eight/19 Thursday 29^th April

Breakfast at the hotel and check out

14:45 - depart SYD on Qantas flight QF1 for London Heathrow, via Singapore 

Day Nine/20 Friday 30^th April

06:15 - arrive LHR

Extension programme Flights with Qantas

• Thurs 22/04 Sydney – Uluru QF728 09:30-12:40 3hr 40mins
• Sunday 25/04 Uluru-Cairns QF1964 10:15-13:15 2hr 30 mins
• Wed 28/04 Cairns-Sydney QF923 13:40-16:35 2hr 55 mins

Internal flights are Economy - please enquire should you wish to upgrade

Optional Excursions Fees:

Day Two/13  Friday 23 April : OPTIONAL EVENING EXCURSION – Field of Light £95/person

Day Three/14 – Saturday 24 April: OPTIONAL AFTERNOON EXCURSION Kata Juta (The Olgas) Non-exclusive  3-hour tour. £130/person. (No min number)

Day Five/16 – Monday 26th April: OPTIONAL EXCURSION – Great Barrier Reef, Full day. £229/person. (No min number)

Day Six/17 -Tuesday 27th April:  DAINTREE RAINFOREST NATIONAL PARK
OPTIONAL EXCURSION 2 – Indigenous Dreamtime Ngadiku guided walk, conducted by Kuku Yalanji people £79/person. (No min number)

OPTIONAL EXCURSION 3 – Ngana Mayi Bubu Experience, £59/person. (No min number)

We will confirm optional excursions after you have booked, fees will be added to your final invoice.