BOOK BEFORE JUNE 30TH FOR TRAVEL BETWEEN JULY 5TH AND SEPTEMBER 30TH 2013 AND RECEIVE 10% DISCOUNT.
This Wayoutback adventure captures all the best bits of the Sunshine State of Queensland. From making your own boomerang to learning how to throw it, to driving along one of the best routes in the world to sailing the Whitsundays. From four-wheel-driving the largest sand island in the world to exploring the rainforests of the Atherton Tablelands. From Brisbane to Cairns – this is your Queensland adventure.
Tour Price Includes:
Professional guide, travel in an air-conditioned vehicle, sightseeing and meals as indicated including make your own boomerang with Aboriginal people, overnight on Fraser Island with two days of sand four-wheel-driving, 2 nights / 1 day cattle station activities, Whitsunday Island sailing, day in the Atherton Tablelands, accommodation with all bedding and National park fees.
What you need to Bring:
Hat, sunscreen, walking shoes/boots, insect repellent, water bottle, bathers/towel, flip flops/thongs and camera.
Optional activities:
White-water rafting $165 + $30 local payment
Hot Air Ballooning $205 + $30 local payment
Great Barrier Reef day cruise $185
Goat muster by horseback $65
Quad biking through a cattle station $65
Tour extensions
3-day live-aboard certified dive course on the Great Barrier Reef from $710
1, 2 & 3 day Cape Tribulation Rainforest Tours from $145
Note:
- Please call our Reservations Team (1300 551 510) at least 48 hours prior to departure to confirm pick-up location and time.
- Safari not suitable for children under 8 years.
- Travel insurance is recommended for passengers due to the adventure activities undertaken throughout this safari.
- Optional activities and tour extensions prices are subject to change without notice.
- For those wishing to spend a little more time on the Great Barrier Reef there are options available for extended beginner and advanced dive trips which can be arranged by our guide.
- If you wish to explore more of Tropical North Queensland then 2 and 3-day trips further north to Cape Tribulation can also be organised through your guide.
- White-water rafting can also be booked ex-Cairns for Day 12. Rafters will be returned to Cairns accommodation in the evening to meet up with the rest of the group.
- Twin/double customers will have bathrooms on a shared basis during our cattle station stay.
Day 1 (Dinner)
Welcome to the first day of your East Coast adventure.
Spend the day getting to know the Queensland capital of Brisbane – also commonly known as “Bris-Vegas” before meeting in the evening for a group welcome dinner at our accommodation. Here you will get to know your fellow travellers and learn more about your trip. We spend the night in our Brisbane accommodation, dreaming about your unfolding adventure.
● Meet and greet group dinner
Day 2 (Breakfast / Dinner)
This morning we visit the sharp and shiny town of Noosa where your guide will take you on a walk along the coast at the Noosa Headland National Park. Enjoy free time to explore the beaches, have lunch or maybe pick up some arts and crafts at Noosa Village. In the afternoon it’s on to Rainbow Beach – gateway to World Heritage listed Fraser Island. We settle into our accommodation for the evening with a meal in the bar/restaurant.
Day 3
Today you will be treated to a unique experience as you design and paint your own boomerang, a traditional Aboriginal hunting implement. Yarra (Bundalung tribe) and local artist Ze will help you by using Aboriginal symbols, animals and processes to create a personal memento of your Australian adventure. After lunch opt to go for a swim in the ocean, the pool or stroll along the kilometres of beach just minutes away. In the afternoon take a guided walk to the Carlo Sand blow.
Rainbow Beach's name is derived from an Aboriginal legend that tells of Yiningie – the rainbow spirit who was killed in a clash over a woman. Yiningie crashed into the cliffs, shattering his rainbow spirit and creating the coloured sands that are visible today. On your walk this afternoon we will explore these “rainbow” dunes, made up of more than 70 different colours of sand. Here you also learn how to throw a boomerang and play a didgeridoo.
● Boomerang making with indigenous host
Day 4 (Lunch / Dinner)
Allow us to introduce you to the largest sand island in the world, World Heritage listed Fraser Island.
Your adventure onto this famous island begins in the morning when your local guide picks you up from our Rainbow Beach accommodation. After a short 10-minute ferry crossing we start our two full days of four-wheel-driving on the sand highways of Fraser Island.
On Fraser, you will have the chance to spot dingoes in the wild, swim in crystal clear freshwater lakes and swimming holes and explore the diverse landscapes in this unique habitat. Don’t forget to bring your new boomerang to practice your throwing on the beach.
Before heading to bed don’t forget to look up and enjoy the millions of stars . You may even spot the five stars on the Aussie flag – the Southern Cross.
Day 5 (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
Continue to experience Fraser Island and then in the late afternoon your guide will return you to your Rainbow Beach accommodation where we spend the evening sharing photos with your fellow travellers or making new friends in the bar.
Day 6 (Dinner)
This morning it’s time to hit the road and travel to an outback cattle station. Upon arrival, meet the station owners who will show us around the property before settling in around the camp fire for a traditional camp oven dinner. Tonight you can choose to sleep in a farmhouse cabin or spend the night under the stars in a swag – a traditional Aussie bedroll with nothing between you and the sparkling outback skies.
● Rainbow Beach to the Outback
Day 7 (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
Awake to the sounds of birds chirping and the crackle of the campfire preparing for your hearty camp oven breakfast. Experience a day of typical Aussie outback life: try your hand at whip cracking, clay target shooting and lassoing and releasing a goat in a rodeo. You can also choose to participate in a goat muster by horseback or quad bike through the cattle station (both optional). In between these activities you’ll get to experience a traditional Aussie BBQ lunch to keep your energy levels up. Tonight, we return to the campfire for another camp oven dinner followed by a mechanical bull ride. Who will reign supreme as the expert bull rider?
● Cattle Station Experience ● Whip Cracking ● Target shooting ● Optional goat muster or quad biking
Day 8 (Breakfast / Dinner)
This morning we bid farewell to our outback paradise and head to the gateway of the Whitsunday region, Airlie Beach. As we will be driving a lot of the day, we suggest counting kangaroos! Upon arrival into the township we will have a little time to freshen up before meeting for a group dinner. Airlie is one of the liveliest towns on the East Coast and has entertainment to cater to just about every taste.
● Outback to the coast
Day 9 - (Breakfast / Lunch)
This morning we head to Abel Point Marina for our cruise through the magnificent Whitsunday Islands. Our sleek catamaran features a boom net where you can laze about as you watch the blue water break against the sides and the islands slowly cruise by. Later in the morning, we venture onto Whitsunday Island to take in the breathtaking seven kilometre long Whitehaven Beach where you can snorkel, swim and even clean your jewellery with the white pristine silica sand. For lunch we return to the boat for a BBQ and cruise around the area before returning to Airlie in the late afternoon. If you don’t have a case of the sea legs, then tonight you may want to check out the nightlife which makes Airlie Beach so famous.
Day 10 (Breakfast)
Rise and shine early as we continue our journey north with a coastal drive to Mission Beach near popular white-water rafting spot the mighty Tully River. The beautiful town of Mission Beach is one of a few places in the Australia where two World Heritage areas meet – the Wet Tropics rainforest area and the Great Barrier Reef. Palm tree-lined Mission Beach also prides itself on its adrenalin kicks thanks to a white-water rafting experience on the Tully River and sky-diving on the golden sands of Mission Beach. This afternoon your guide will take you on a walk through the rainforest in search of the Cassowary bird which belongs to the same family as the emu and ostrich. In the evening take a relaxing walk along the beach and dine at your leisure at one of the beachfront cafes and restaurants.
Day 11 (Breakfast / + Lunch for White water rafters)
If you have decided to take on the wild rapids of the Tully River today, our rafting partner will pick you up at our accommodation. Those choosing not to raft will continue onto our final destination of Cairns by road via the stunning Atherton Tablelands. Here we will visit the magnificent Millaa Millaa Falls, the Curtain Fig Tree and the volcanic crater of Lake Eacham. Following a stunning day in the Tablelands we arrive in Cairns for two nights.
● Optional White Water Rafting or Atherton Tablelands
Day 12 (Dinner)
Today Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef is your oyster. Your guide can organise a boat trip on the Silverswift luxury catamaran where you will spend five hours on the world’s most famous reef swimming and snorkelling to your heart’s content. The awe-inspiring Great Barrier Reef carries many titles: one of the seven wonders of the natural world, the largest coral reef system on the globe and the only living thing on Earth visible from space. It stretches for over 3,000 kilometres (1,800 miles) and is up to 65 kilometres wide in some parts. It contains over 400 different kinds of coral, more than 1,500 species of tropical fish, 200 types of birds and 20 types of reptiles including the elegant and graceful green sea turtle. The beauty of this magnificent piece of nature will remain in your mind long after you leave. For those opting to stay on dry land then perhaps you’d prefer to soar above it. Hot Air Ballooning is a unique and tranquil way to greet the day and can be organised by your guide. To finish the day, regardless of your desired activity, our group re-joins at a local Cairns restaurant for our end of tour dinner.
● Cairns optional activities
Day 13
In the morning we meet by the pool to take an end of tour group snapshot and plan further activities. We look forward to seeing you again on the great East Coast of Oz.
