16 Day Cairns to Sydney Adventure

16 Day Cairns to Sydney Adventure HIGHLIGHTS: This adventure is not suitable for children under 12 years. Capture the essence of the East Coast of Aus...
Author: Aldous Parks
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16 Day Cairns to Sydney Adventure HIGHLIGHTS: This adventure is not suitable for children under 12 years. Capture the essence of the East Coast of Australia, one of the best road trips in the world, on this 16-day adventure. From learning how to surf to learning how to crack a whip. From spending the night on the world’s largest sand island to sailing the islands of the Whitsundays. From making your own boomerang and learning how to throw it. From an adrenalin filled jet boat ride around the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge to exploring the Blue Mountains. From Cairns to Sydney – this is your adventure. ★ ★ ★ ★

75 Mile Beach ★ Airlie Beach ★ Beaches ★ Blue Mountains ★ Brisbane ★ Byron Bay Cairns ★ Fraser Island ★ Indian Head ★ Kroombit Cattle Station ★ Lake McKenzie Lake Wabby ★ Maheno Wreck ★ Mission Beach ★ Snorkeling ★ Sydney ★ The 3 Sisters Whitehaven Beach ★ Whitsunday islands

INCLUDES: Professional guide, travel in an air-conditioned vehicle, sightseeing and meals as indicated including Sydney Harbour jet boat ride, Blue Mountains hiking, Surf camp, make your own boomerang with Aboriginal people, overnight on Fraser Island with two days of sand fourwheel-driving, 2 nights / 1 day cattle station activities, Whitsunday Island sailing, day in the Atherton Tablelands, accommodation with all bedding and National Park fees. Duration:

16 days and 15 nights

Departs:

Gilligan’s backpacker resort, 57-89 Grafton Street, Cairns.2015 Feb 5 March 3,11 April 6,17 May 8 June 22 July 13,24 August 14, 27 September 16,29 October 19,31 November 20 December 4 .2016 January 11, 20 February 12, 22 March 16

Arrives:

Sydney day 16 at 5.30pm at select accommodation.

Passengers:

21

Luggage:

20kg

Fitness:

Moderate

Dietary requests:

Some special diets can be catered for, please make a request on the booking form eg; Vegetarian.

What to bring:

Hat, sunscreen, walking shoes/boots, insect repellent, water bottle, bathers/towel, flip flops/thongs and camera.

Upgrades:

Note: Twin/double upgrades at our surf camp are subject to availability and are payable directly to the accommodation provider on the day. 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 Travel Forever. 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 us. While twin/double customers will have their own private accommodation during our cattle station stay, bathrooms are on a shared basis.

ITINERARY: Day 1 – Cairns Welcome to the first day of your East Coast adventure. Upon checking in at our Cairns accommodation you can opt to explore the city – the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef – or laze by the pool and sip on a cocktail. In the evening our group will meet for a welcome dinner with a few drinks.(D) Day 2 – Cairns to the Atherton Tablelands Today we head south through the stunning Atherton Tablelands. Here we will visit the magnificent Millaa Millaa Falls, the Curtain Fig Tree and the volcanic crater of Lake Eacham. In the evening we will arrive at our rainforest lodge in the village of Yungaburra. Yungaburra is a beautiful town nestled away from the coastline, amongst beautiful crater lakes, rainforest and tropical fruit farms. From our accommodation this night you will have the opportunity to go wildlife spotting by canoe, looking for the rare “Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo (yes a real kangaroo that lives in amongst the rainforest canopy), ring tail and brush tail possums, carnivorous possums, bandicoots, gliders and platypuses. What a great way to start. (B,D) Day 3 – Atherton Tablelands to Airlie Beach After your big night of activities we awake this morning to participate in a platypus spotting walk (in fact we have a 98% success rate in seeing the elusive platypus), with the option of biking in the neighbouring area. We then take the long drive to Airlie Beach, our base to the Whitsundays Islands. En-route you will get to participate in a game of Australian folk-lore, “lawn

bowls”. Stop at one of the great little towns in rural Australia to test your skills against your group and the locals that frequent these watering holes for the “sport”.(B,D) Day 4 – Whitsunday Islands free day or Overnight Sail Today you will have the option of relaxing in Airlie Beach, to rest up and take in the tropical atmosphere of this chilled out town. For those wanting a more action-packed, experience you have the option to upgrade to a 2 day/1 night sailing experience with our partners, Explore Whitsundays. If you would like this option please contact us and we will get you an upgrade price. This will be on a maxi-yacht with young fun loving people. You will travel with additional people outside our tour group on this trip, and will have larger group sizes. Experience sleeping overnight on a fast sailing yacht, calling in at the best spots on the Whitsunday Islands……Yes! you will go to the amazing Whitehaven beach on this trip.(B) Day 5 – Sail the Whitsunday Islands to Whitehaven Beach 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. In the morning we will venture onto Whitsunday Island, to take in the breathtaking seven kilometer-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, where we will meet the others who upgrade to the two day sailing. 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.(B,L) Day 6 – Airlie Beach to outback cattle station Bid farewell to the beautiful Whitsundays region as we make our way to our outback cattle station for two nights. We will be driving a lot of the day, we suggest counting kangaroos. In the evening we settle around the campfire for a traditional camp oven dinner, followed by a mechanical bull ride, to bring out our inner cowboys and girls. Who will reign supreme as the expert bull rider.(B,D) Day 7 –Kroombit Outback cattle station Awake to the sounds of birds chirping and the crackle of the campfire preparing for your camp oven breakfast. Today is a day of Aussie outback life, try your hand at whip cracking, clay target shooting and lassoing and releasing a goat in a rodeo. You also have the opportunity to participate in a goat muster by horseback or quad bike through the cattle station (both optional). In between these activities, experience a traditional Aussie BBQ to keep your energy levels up. In the evening, we return to the campfire, for another camp oven dinner.(B,L,D)

Day 8 –Kroombit Outback cattle station to Rainbow Beach. After our final bush breakfast we head on south to Rainbow Beach – the gateway to World Heritage Fraser Island. Here take an afternoon swim before settling into our accommodation for the evening with a meal in the bar/restaurant.(B,L,D) Day 9 –Rainbow Beach, Full day on Fraser Island Allow us to introduce you to the largest sand island in the world, World Heritage Fraser Island. Your island adventure begins when your local guide picks you up from your Rainbow Beach accommodation. After a short 10-minute ferry ride, you start your two full days of four-wheeldriving on the roads of sand. During your stay, you will have the chance to spot dingoes, swim in crystal clear freshwater lakes and explore the diverse landscapes of this unique habitat. Oh, and before heading to bed, don’t forget to look up to enjoy the millions of stars.(L,D) Day 10 – Fraser Island to Rainbow Beach In the late afternoon of day 10, your guide will return you to your Rainbow accommodation where you have a group dinner. (B,L,D) Day 11 – Rainbow Beach Be treated to two unique experiences. You will have the opportunity to hand-feed wild dolphins as they come into Tin Can Bay every morning. This national park run activity is included in the price of your tour. You will be able to design and paint your own boomerang, a traditional Aboriginal hunting implement. Yarra (Bunjalung tribe) and local artist Ze will help you, using Aboriginal symbols, animals and activities to create a personal memento of your Australian adventure. Rainbow Beach gets its name from an Aboriginal legend that tells of Yiningie – the spirit of the Gods represented by a rainbow – who was killed in a fight over a woman. When he crashed into the cliffs, his spirits created the colored sands that are visible today. This will be followed by an early bush tucker lunch, before you head into Brisbane, the Queensland capital, to drop off passengers participating in only the Queensland portion of the tour. From there we finish the day in the Queensland holiday capital, Surfers Paradise with a group dinner by the beach.(L,D) Day 12 – Spend the day in Byron Bay Following breakfast we welcome you to New South Wales and head to the famous, hippie town of Byron Bay where your guide will take you on a town tour, including a walk up to the famous lighthouse. You will have most of the day to take in the relaxed vibe here, before driving into our Spot X beachfront surf camp for the night. Our surf camp is on the Coffs Coast – where the Great Dividing Range meets the ocean. It encompasses 90 kilometers of beaches, which makes it one of the best places in Australia to learn how to surf. (D)

Day 13 – Beachfront Camp to Port Macquarie For those who have chosen to try their hand at ‘hanging ten’ with an optional surf lesson, you will take to the waves this morning. If you would rather watch the waves (and the new surfers) roll in, then laze about our beachside accommodation, or walk along the beach. Following the lesson, our journey continues south, to the beautiful coastal seaside town of Port Macquarie, where we visit the Koala Hospital. This hospital was established in 1973, to treat sick and injured koalas, and is also involved in research with the University of Sydney into Koala diseases. With the exception of the supervisor, the hospital is staffed by volunteers and by a charitable organization, the Koala Preservation Society Australia. Your entry fee here goes towards this noble work. Overnight in Port Macquarie.(B) Day 14 – Port Macquarie to Katoomba via Port Stephens Today we focus on more of the coastal areas that have made NSW a holiday getaway for Sydney-siders for the past century. We firstly travel to Port Stephens to witness the largest sand dune system in Australia. The bay here also happens to have over 80 resident dolphins, so we have included a 1.5 hour dolphin cruise which has 99% chance of seeing dolphins in the wild. After lunch we then travel onto Katoomba in the heart of the Blue Mountains to prepare for our next day of activity.(no meals) Day 15 – Blue Mountains to Sydney (Breakfast / Dinner) In the morning it’s on to one of New South Wales’ most picturesque destinations, the World Heritage Blue Mountains. Home to the famous Three Sisters rock formations, your guide will take you on a walk down from the lookout to witness the vast land around you. In the afternoon we make our way to the city many consider Australia’s real capital, Sydney. After checking into our accommodation we re-join for a final group dinner.(B,D) Day 16 – Sydney What better way to finish your tour than by cruising past the Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge on a Sydney Harbor cruise. A perfect way to relax and wrap up the past 16 days of your East Coast Adventure.(B) B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner