TROPICAL CAIRNS AND THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
Day 1 | Arrive Cairns (5 Nights)
Hello explorers, the diverse natural wonderland of tropical Far North Queensland is your home and playground for the next six glorious days. Wrapped in the lush greenery of the ancient Daintree Rainforest and colourful coral of the spectacular Great Barrier Reef, you’ll kick things off in Cairns. Meet up with your Travel Director and fellow travellers in your hotel and get right into your adventure with a walking tour to discover the best tourist attractions in Cairns. Breathe in the fresh sea air from the beachfront boardwalk and crystal-clear saltwater swimming lagoon, no doubt beckoning you back for a relaxing swim. Tonight, celebrate the start of the journey with a delectable dinner at Ochre Restaurant, this modern Australian menu features sustainable local produce washed down with Australian wine pairings. You’ll love trying Aussie favourites like Gulf Bugs, Leaf Prawn and Rocky Creek Beef. Feeling refreshed, refuelled and relaxed, you’ll be ready for the coastal adventures tomorrow.
Meals: Dinner
Hotel: DoubleTree by Hilton
Day 2 | Great Barrier Reef
Rise and shine explorers! Sand, sea and sunshine awaits as you set out to explore one of the seven wonders of the natural world on a Great Barrier Reef tour. Set sail on a Sunlover Reef Cruise for a bucket-list worthy journey with a Local Specialist. You’ll visit Moore Reef on a catamaran that docks alongside a floating pontoon in crystal clear waters and join marine biologists, dive instructors and qualified lifeguards for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. The world’s largest coral reef system, the reef is home to unique wildlife like parrotfish, green turtles and clown fish in colourful coral. If you wish, you can pull on your snorkelling equipment and be prepared to be blown away at this underwater oasis. If staying dry is more your thing, there’s a spectacular glass bottom boat and underwater observatory available to join from the pontoon, where you’ll get a front-seat to all the oceanic action and enjoy a tropical lunch. Feeling adventurous? You could choose to take your day to the next level with an optional scuba dive, Seawalker Helmet Dive or scenic helicopter flight above the picturesque reef. After ticking off this wonder of the world today, relax and unwind with a night in or graze your way around the buzzing restaurants and cafés along Cairns Esplanade. Cheers!
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel: DoubleTree by Hilton
CHOICE OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES:
Seawalker Helmet Dive – Experience the Great Barrier Reef’s underwater world without getting your hair wet! This fully escorted experience takes you 3.5 metres below sea-level, where you walk along our underwater platform amongst spectacular reef fish. Sunlover’s experienced PADI dive instructors make this a fun and safe experience for guests aged 12 and over and a photographer is also at hand to capture your underwater journey. Seawalker helmet diving is a fantastic option for those who are not able to swim but want a truly unique reef experience.
Adult: 149.00 AUD
Sunlover Guided Snorkel Safari – Have marine experts guide you on a personal 35 minute tour exploring areas of the reef not accessible by others, highlighting brilliant corals and fascinating marine life. Our marine naturalist has a large rubber ring that you can hold on to, making it great for non-swimmers and those who aren’t confident to snorkel alone, as well as those who want an indepth experience of the outer reef.
Adult: 52.00 AUD
Sunlover Introductory Dive – For an underwater adventure to remember, experience an introductory dive! It’s fun and no experience is necessary to take a fully supervised introductory dive. Professional and experienced instructors will guide you through every aspect of your dive, allowing you to have a relaxed, enjoyable experience.
Adult: 149.00 AUD
Day 3 | Tropical Food Trail
Foodies, rejoice! The rich volcanic soil, lush green rolling hills and rainforest around Cairns provide the picture- perfect food trail to sample fresh mangoes, crunchy macadamia nuts and fragrant coffee to name a few and today is all about exploring through food, with plenty of tasty options to choose. You could choose to join an optional full-day tour with Brett’s Outback Tasting Adventures. Led by a Local Specialist, you’ll make seven stops as you taste your way through growers’ markets, cheese factories and coffee plantations. If you’d prefer to soak up the sun and sample some of the region’s best fresh seafood, ask your Travel Director about the best places to find it freshest or head down to the waterfront lagoon to relax in the Queensland sun.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: DoubleTree by Hilton
CHOICE OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES:
Brett’s Outback Tasting Adventure – This boutique food and wine experience from Cairns will be tasting some of the best food and wine that the Atherton Tablelands has to offer. Outback Tasting Adventures will take you through a variety of contrasting landscapes, from lush rainforest to stunning ochre savannah plains. The rich volcanic soil allows farmers to grow many and diverse crops from Bananas, coffee, sugar cane, avocados, mangoes, macadamia nuts, citrus and more which you will learn about as you taste our way around the regions ‘Food Bowl.’ Take in the beautiful views as they take you on a fascinating and tasty journey through another gem of Far North Queensland.
Adult: 235.00 AUD
Dinner And Harbour Cruise On Spirit Of Cairns – A Cairns Dinner Cruise is the perfect way to end a perfect day in paradise. Step aboard the luxury catamaran Spirit of Cairns for a 2.5 hour evening cruise through the calm water inlet and waterfront precinct of Cairn. Enjoy fabulous dining and live music with the lights of Cairns City and mountain silhouettes as your backdrop.
Adult: 119.00 AUD
Day 4 | Ancient Rainforests, Flora and Fauna
Cameras at the ready! Today is the day we can make your travel dreams a reality with an Optional Experience in the Daintree, home to towering ancient trees, forested valleys, and emerald canopies in the world’s oldest surviving tropical rainforest. At a whopping 180 million years old, the Daintree Rainforest is a treasured natural wonder that deserves a spot on everyone’s Australian Bucket List. See it your way and discover the Daintree, Cape Tribulation and Mossman Gorge on a guided tour, cruising along the Daintree River and joining a guided walk through the rainforest after fuelling up with a delicious lunch. Those who travel for culture and history will find it hard to pass up the chance join a local Aboriginal Guide at Cooya Beach to learn more about the Traditional Custodians of the land, visiting the traditional fishing grounds of the Kuku Yalanji people. You’ll be welcomed with a traditional smoking ceremony, learn the connections of the people, sea and land and discover how their fishing skills continue to be used to this day. With another day coming to an end, you could choose to visit Cairns Night Markets and feast your way around the many local stalls and ignite the tastebuds with fresh food options from across the globe right here in Australia.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: DoubleTree by Hilton
CHOICE OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES:
Daintree Dreaming – A cultural journey taking you from coast to rainforest experiencing natural beauty and ancient culture. Learn traditional hunting and gathering skills as you search for bush tucker of mud crabs, fish and mussels before tasting and sharing what you have caught and gathered. A short drive away is the lush rainforest of Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre. Here you will experience the splendour of the World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest. Enjoy a guided interpretive walk through the ancient rainforest and along the banks of the pristine waters of the Mossman Gorge. Lunch & damper included.
Adult: 306.00 AUD
Hot Air Cairns Classic Ballooning – Experience the fun & unique sensation of being in a Hot Air Balloon, flying gently high above the Atherton Tablelands, Australia. The balloon takes off from Mareeba on the Atherton Tablelands. Enjoy the picturesque landscape at dawn, floating in your Hot Air Balloon, time to really breathe in the wide-open spaces! We have Australia’s largest fleet of Hot Air Balloons and a fun and highly trained crew to maximise the enjoyment of your balloon flight. It’s just like a balloon festival, every day!
Adult: 495.00 AUD
Day 5 | Kuranda, Rail and Sky
It’s our final day of exploring together – and we’ve saved one of the best destinations for last! If you’re looking to see even more of this lush landscape, you could choose an Optional Experience to visit the most picturesque town in Australia, the “Village in the Rainforest” Kuranda. With many ways to access this charming village through the Baron Gorge National Park you’re spoilt for choice. You could choose to begin your journey on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, relaxing as this heritage train winds its way up the mountain, framed by dense rainforest and dramatic waterfalls, before exploring the markets and stores at the top. The ride back down is just as thrilling, and as you settle in for a ride on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Ticking off birds-eye views, green landscapes, rugged mountains, oceans and the 125m waterfall view of Barron Falls, you’ll want to pinch yourself at seeing nature at its best. Tonight, join your Travel Director and fellow travellers at the iconic waterfront restaurant, Salt House. You’ll love raising a glass to your adventures on your Queensland tour before tucking into a three-course menu, proudly sourced by local fishermen and graziers to include ocean trout, pork belly, and sirloin with a tropical twist. This is the life!
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Hotel: DoubleTree by Hilton
CHOICE OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES:
Kuranda, Skyrail And Scenic Railway – Join your Down Under Tours coach transfer to Smithfield Station. Here you join Skyrail and marvel at the World’s Most Beautiful Rainforest Experience, including time at both Red Peak and Barron Falls stations, both with spectacular lookouts. On arrival in Kuranda, the Village is yours to explore. The vibrant and colourful Heritage markets take place daily. Your return to Cairns is aboard the famous Kuranda Scenic Rail. Winding around curves, across bridges and through hand-hewn tunnels, this amazing engineering feat is a tribute to our pioneers. Upon arrival at historic Freshwater Station, you will board your coach back to your accommodation.
Adult: 186.00 AUD
Down Under Tours: Kuranda, Scenic Rail Skyrail and Hartley’s Crocodile (KHC) – Enjoy this historical rail journey to Kuranda, with breathtaking views across the cane fields of Cairns, to the tropical rainforest of Kuranda. Upon arrival you will have around one hour to explore this fascinating village of colourful and interesting arts and crafts. At 11.30am, make your way directly to the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to experience this iconic rainforest. After arriving at the Smithfield Skyrail Terminal, the coach will transfer you to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures. Explore the park, including the unique eco experience of the Wetlands cruise through the ecologically significant Melaleuca wetlands; the domain of the saltwater crocodile. (Operates Daily)
Adult: 243.00 AUD
Day 6 | Depart Cairns
Bid farewell to the balmy weather of Far North Queensland, a place like other in the world! You may like to consider a trip south for a cosmopolitan getaway in vibrant Sydney and trendy Melbourne.
Meals: Breakfast
