21 Day Day - QLD Discovery - Outback to the Sea
Tour Cost: from $5506 per person twin share
10 Day Option - North Qld & Atherton Tablelands
Tour Cost: from $2668 per person twin share
12 Day Option – Gulf & Western Qld
Tour Cost: from $3358 per person twin share
Departure Date: Tour Completed
This coach holiday is a unique and rare opportunity to experience Queensland from the “Outback to the Sea”, with outstanding and original coverage of our state. We combine sightseeing of the tropical warmth and colour of Mackay, Eungella National Park, Townsville, Magnetic Island, Atherton and Cairns with the outback rugged beauty of Cobbold Gorge, Karumba, Lawn Hill Gorge, the Riversleigh Fossil Fields, Mt Isa and Longreach.
There are so many individual highlights on our coastal journey; a guided tour of Eungella, Reef Aquarium visit, cruise and tour of Magnetic Island, Paronella Park, Atherton’s many glorious waterfalls and lakes and in Cairns delight in all the “must see” tourist attractions that are yours to enjoy. From the “Sea” we head to the “Outback” to cruise the rarely visited and beautiful Cobbold Gorge, ride the historic Gulflander train at Normanton and enjoy sunset and a seafood banquet at Karumba, the “Outback by the Sea”. Lawn Hill Gorge will captivate and the Riversleigh Fossil Fields fascinate! On the way home still lots of sightseeing in Mt Isa and Longreach. Book early for this “real beaut tour” that offers something for everyone. Why don’t you join us?
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DAY 1 BRISBANE – BILOELA D
Friday 15th May 2009: Depart Brisbane Roma Street Transit Centre at 7:30am. Travel north on the Bruce Highway. After a lunch stop in the Heritage City of Maryborough head inland to the citrus growing areas of Gayndah and Mundubbera to Biloela, a thriving rural town in the Banana Shire, in the Callide Valley south west of Gladstone. Stay Settlers Motor Inn.
DAY 2 BILOELA – CLERMONT BD
Saturday 16th May 2009: Today travel west to the coal mining town of Moura. Visit the Moura Information Centre before continuing along the Dawson Highway which leads the way to Rolleston, Springsure and Emerald where you will have some free time to purchase your lunch. Only a short run along the Gregory Highway to the oldest inland settlement in Central Queensland, Clermont. Stay Clermont Motor Inn.
DAY 3 CLERMONT – MACKAY BLD
Sunday 17th May 2009: Today head north-east along the Peak Downs Highway across cattle farming districts to the north of the Peak Ranges National Park, pass through the small, historic town of Nebo before reaching the Great Dividing Range escarpment, where the Peak Downs Highway winds down into the Pioneer Valley. On arrival in Mackay we are greeted by our guide who will escort us to the Lighthouse Restaurant for lunch followed by a tour of the city before settling into our accommodation. 2 Night Stay Coral Sands Motel.
DAY 4 PIONEER VALLEY & EUNGELLA NP BLD
Monday 18th May 2009: Enjoy a day of exploring today with our local guide as we make our way to the bush camp, ‘The Finch Hatton Hilton’ for billy tea brewed over an open fire & damper with all the trimmings. After morning tea, make our way to Eungella National Park to Broken River and hopefully catch a glimpse of the elusive Platypus before returning to the ‘Hilton’ for a delicious BBQ lunch. Following our leisurely and delicious lunch, we take in the sights of the beautiful Pioneer Valley, as we make our way back to our accommodation. Enjoy a few hours of free time to relax before dinner.
DAY 5 MACKAY – TOWNSVILLE BLD
Tuesday 19th May 2009: An early start this morning as we continue our journey northward through Bowen which boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the tropical north. Continuing onward past the town of Ayr on the Burdekin River, we stop at the Billabong Sanctuary in Nome for ‘lunch with the lizards’. Arrive to the smell of the barbeque plate sizzling and lunch being served under the shade of the gum trees.
After lunch get up close and personal with the wildlife and slithering snakes on a ranger guided tour. Arriving in Townsville mid afternoon. Visit ‘Reef HQ’ to experience the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef at the world's largest living coral reef aquarium before settling into our accommodation. 2 Night Stay Seagulls Resort.
DAY 6 MAGNETIC ISLAND TOUR BD
Wednesday 20th May 2009: All aboard the ‘Reef Cat’ this morning for our cruise across to Magnetic Island. Visible from the sea, Mount Cook hovers above the eucalypt woods and green vine forests. Over two-thirds of the island is protected National Park providing a haven for the native wildlife, like rock wallabies, possums, and over 100 species of birdlife.
Magnetic Island is home to Northern Australia’s largest colony of koalas living in the wild. Tropical fish and marine life live in the surrounding coral reefs and tranquil waters. On arrival sit back and admire the sights as we take a guided tour of the island. At Horseshoe Bay free time is allowed for you to purchase lunch and explore the area before reboarding the coach mid afternoon to continue our tour. Enjoy the opportunity to feed the wallabies before heading back to the jetty for our return journey to Townsville.
DAY 7 TOWNSVILLE – ATHERTON BD
Thursday 21st May 2009: Journey north from Townsville to Mena Creek to visit fascinating Paronella Park then enjoy some time in Innisfail where you may purchase your lunch before continuing on to Millaa Milla on the Atherton Tablelands.
Travel the Waterfall Circuit which comprises three falls, Millaa Millaa, one of the most photographed images in the Wet Tropics, Zillie and Ellinjaa Falls. Be on the lookout for Ulysses Butterflies and the many iridescent dragonflies that may stay still long enough for you to be able to take a photo of them. Time permitting, take a walk of discovery through the Malanda Falls rainforest. Malanda Falls is one of the few areas of the world where it is possible to view tree kangaroos in the wild. 2 Night Stay Atherton Rainforest Motor Inn.
DAY 8 ATHERTON SIGHTSEEING BLD
Friday 22nd May 2009: Start the day with a delightful cruise on Lake Barrine followed by a delicious Devonshire morning tea. Visit Lake Eacham and the Curtain Fig Tree before making our way to beautiful Lake Tinaroo for a picnic lunch. Next, be thrilled by the Atherton Birds of Prey show, a wildlife presentation featuring trained, free-flying birds of prey which are native to North Queensland.
Get up-close to awesome aerial predators, such as eagles, falcons and owls; see them flying free - the sky's the limit; learn about their everyday and unusual natural behaviours; meet some other Australian animals after the show; have your photo taken with a magnificent bird of prey (additional cost). End the day with a guided tour of the historic Hou Wang Chinese Temple and Museum where our guide will provide us with a fascinating insight into part of North Queensland history and heritage.
DAY 9 ATHERTON – CAIRNS BD
Saturday 23rd May 2009: This morning enter a world of exceptional experiences at Mareeba Coffee Works. From the jungles of South America to the plantations of the Cairns Highlands, this is the one place where you can taste and compare the world’s finest flavours of coffee, tea, liqueur and chocolate as you indulge in The Ultimate Tasting Experience, then for something completely different step into ‘Coffee World’, the largest and most significant collection of coffee treasures in the world.
Leaving Mareeba it’s onward to Kuranda with free time to explore and purchase lunch before boarding the Skyrail. Gliding just metres above the rainforest canopy in comfortable six-person gondola cabins, the Skyrail journey immerses you in an intimate rainforest experience where you’ll see, hear, smell and become part of the tropical rainforest environment. Alight at Skyrail’s two rainforest mid-stations, Red Peak and Barron Falls, where you’ll explore this amazing environment from the forest floor on boardwalks, scenic look-outs and in the state-of-the-art Rainforest Interpretation Centre. Reboard your coach in Cairns and continue on to our accommodation. 2 Night Stay Hotel Cairns
DAY 10 CAIRNS FREE DAY B
Sunday 24th May 2009: A free day in Cairns to explore the city at leisure. Perhaps an island cruise, the Aboriginal Tjapukai Cultural Park or board the Kuranda Scenic Railway (own expense).
DAY 11 CAIRNS – UNDARA BLD
Monday 25th May 2009: This morning board your coach and enjoy the scenery as we set off to explore the massive Undara Lava Tubes. A guide escorts us through a section of the hollow lava flow, formed over 190,000 years ago. Learn how the tubes were formed and the impact they have had on the environment both past and present. Our unique accommodation tonight is in converted railway carriages, nestled in the savannah bushland. Stay Undara Lava Lodge.
DAY 12 UNDARA – COBBOLD GORGE BLD
Tuesday 26th May 2009: After a good ‘Bush Brekky,’ it’s onwards to experience ultimate beauty with a visit to the wilderness oasis of Cobbold Gorge! Enjoy lunch on arrival at Cobbold Gorge, and then set off with our experienced Savannah guide for a cruise that features a solar powered boat. No noise just the perfect stillness of nature at its best, with towering multi-hued sandstone cliffs, lush vegetation and unique bird and wildlife. Our day includes a ground tour to a bushranger hideout and inspection of an 1870’s gravesite of a murdered settler. Settle into the clean and modern cabins on-site at Cobbold Gorge.
DAY 13 COBBOLD GORGE – KARUMBA BLD
Wednesday 27th May 2009: Visit the Terrestrial Centre in Georgetown where you will find the multi award winning, Terrestrial - the Ted Elliott Mineral Collection. This collection, which is all the work of one man, Ted Elliott, contains over 4500 mineral specimens from the region and throughout the world. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the beautiful Lake Belmont north of Croydon before boarding the historic Gulflander train to ride to Ellavale. Rejoining our coach at Ellavale we pass through Normanton before arriving in Karumba for our overnight stay. Tonight experience a famous Gulf sunset and seafood banquet. Stay End of the Road Motel.
DAY 14 KARUMBA – ADELS GROVE BLD
Thursday 28th May 2009: Up early this morning to explore the mangrove lined waterway of the Norman River onboard a ‘Ferryman Cruise’. Our wildlife adventure includes bird watching, croc spotting and unforgettable views over the Gulf of Carpentaria. After our cruise, travel across the "Plains of Promise", stopping off at Burke and Wills' most northern campsite #119, Leichhardt Falls and Burketown before arriving at Adels Grove, on the edge of Lawn Hill National Park.
Adels Grove includes tented accommodation that is permanently erected at the site (linen and mattresses supplied with hot water showers and toilets). Facilities for the next two nights are basic but the opportunity to stay in the heart of the Riversleigh area is an adventure not to be missed! Enjoy a delicious home cooked dinner.
**Please note single supplement is not available at Adel’s Grove.
DAY 15 LAWN HILL GORGE BLD
Friday 29th May 2009: A day to relax in the clear waterways of Lawn Hill Gorge with plenty of opportunity for canoeing (own expense) and bush walking to view the gorge sandstone formations. Lawn Hill is an oasis in this Gulf Wilderness, a haven for bird life. It will leave you captivated by its beauty and tranquillity. To fully enjoy your stay in this pristine national park first opened in 1985 we recommend stout walking shoes, sunscreen, swimmers, waterbottle and backpack. The park is a pristine area of magnificent scenery, precipitous cliffs, crystal clear waters and lush vegetation.
DAY 16 ADELS GROVE – MT ISA BLD
Saturday 30th May 2009: After a visit to the World Heritage listed Riversleigh Fossil Fields where we are welcomed by our ranger guide, it is time for adventure as we ‘strike out’ across vast isolated Spinifex plains to ‘The Isa’. Mt Isa is the most important industrial, commercial and administrative centre of north-west Queensland. The city is a company town with Mt Isa Mines operating one of the largest mines in the world. 2 Night Stay Outback Mt Isa.
DAY 17 MT ISA SIGHTSEEING BLD
Sunday 31st May 2009: Today we visit the Outback at Isa Complex and ‘get up close’ with Mt Isa’s mining heritage with a Hard Times Underground Mine tour. The Hard Times Mine is a unique underground mining experience in a mine built and operated by real miners that provides a rare opportunity to get up close and experience first hand the daily life and workings of an underground mine, following the tour lunch will be underground in the Crib room. Enjoy a free afternoon.
DAY 18 MT ISA – LONGREACH BLD
Monday 1st June 2009: Away early from Mt Isa bound for Longreach. At McKinlay inspect the Walkabout Creek Hotel, made famous by Paul Hogan’s ‘Crocodile Dundee’ movie. Cross the vast plains that dinosaurs once roamed to the ‘one dog’ town of Kynuna. The hotel’s neon sign, a blue heeler with flashing red tongue beckons passing travellers. Continue on through Waltzing Matilda Country to Winton for a look at the attractions of the town. Arrive at our destination, Longreach. 2 Night Stay Longreach Motor Inn.
DAY 19 LONGREACH SIGHTSEEING BD
Tuesday 2nd June 2009: This morning we enjoy a tour and morning tea at the Pastoral College, then on to Qantas Founders Museum. The highlight of our day is the Stockman's Hall of Fame. The centre is a fitting dedication to the taming of our “wide brown land” and our pioneering forefathers. Late afternoon board the ‘Thomson River Belle’ for a sunset cruise followed by a Drovers beef stew and dessert, at the 'Sheraton on the Thomson'. Enjoy country music and bush poetry around a blazing campfire.
DAY 20 LONGREACH – ROMA BLD
Wednesday 3rd June 2009: On our travel to Roma today we stop at Isisford’s Outer Barcoo Interpretive Centre then continue on through Blackall—famous for the wool scourers to Tambo for a picnic lunch in the ‘town of the Teddies’. Late afternoon arrive in Roma, known as the cradle of Australia’s oil and gas industry having been the very first site where oil and gas was discovered in Australia. This vibrant and thriving regional centre is the largest town in South West Qld and it is here we will enjoy our farewell dinner. Stay Kings Motor Inn.
DAY 21 ROMA – BRISBANE – HERVEY BAY B
Thursday 4th June 2009: Homeward bound with unforgettable memories of this fabulous tour of discovery. Farewell your newfound friends who have shared this wonderful holiday with you. All too soon we are back in familiar territory with arrival in Brisbane mid afternoon. Northbound passengers stay on board the coach for arrival into Maryborough and Hervey Bay early evening.