12 days Sydney to Cairns East Coast Adventure

Ask our expert Brendan Prendergast about the 12 days Sydney to Cairns East Coast Adventure

Day 1 Thur. Sydney, Port Macquarie, Welcome Dinner & Drinks.

The adventure begins in Sydney. Drive across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the Central Coast en route to Port Macquarie. Tonight is our Welcome Dinner & Drinks, where you can meet fellow travellers.

Stay: Rydges Port Macquarie, located just a stone’s throw from the cosmopolitan buzz of the town centre.

Day 2 Fri. Port Macquarie, Byron Bay.

Enjoy a drive to Byron Bay, renowned for its surf beaches that have attracted both wealthy city dwellers as well as bohemian lifestylers. Take in the views from Cape Byron, the Australian mainland’s most easterly point. Watch the surfers and maybe even see dolphins off the point, and view the Cape Byron Lighthouse. Stroll along the pristine beach located at the doorstep of our hotel tonight as the sun sets.

Stay: Kingscliff, Mantra on Salt Beach.///

Day 3 Sat. Gold Coast, Brisbane, Moreton Island.

A short drive takes you to Brisbane. Here, enjoy some time at leisure. 10 Day (TQ10) guests join tour. Later, cruise across Moreton Bay to Moreton Island National Park, home to Queensland’s wild dolphins.

Two Night Stay: Moreton Island, Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort.

Day 4 Sun. Moreton Island, Tangalooma, Day at Leisure, Wild Dolphins.

Enjoy a full day to explore the island. Perhaps snorkel around the shipwrecks, try sand tobogganing, quad bike riding or take a 4WD tour of the island (all activities at own expense). Tonight is a highlight – the opportunity to interact with the dolphins that swim close to shore. Most evenings the dolphins swim up to the beach, where they are fed fresh fish by the staff.

Day 5 Mon. Moreton Island, Australia Zoo, Sunshine Coast, Hervey Bay.

Return to the mainland and visit Australia Zoo, made famous by Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin. Then travel through the Sunshine Coast to Hervey Bay, a popular tourist destination, especially in whale watching season (Aug.-Oct.) when Humpback whales can be seen offshore.

Two Night Stay: Hervey Bay, Mantra Hervey Bay in a One Bedroom Marina View Suite. Situated right on Urangan Harbour.

Day 6 Tue. World Heritage-listed Fraser Island.

Cruise to Fraser Island, offering exceptional beauty in the form of uninterrupted white beaches and striking coloured sand cliffs. Explore the world’s largest sand island in 4WD vehicles and discover unspoilt surf beaches, inland lakes and lush rainforest. Recross the Great Sandy Strait. As you cruise to Hervey Bay, watch for humpback whales migrating to their breeding grounds (Aug.-Oct.).

Day 7 Wed. Tropic of Capricorn, Rockhampton.

Journey to Rockhampton, located on the Tropic of Capricorn. Take a leisurely stroll around the Botanic Gardens, one of the best in regional Australia. Excellent specimens of palms, cycads and ferns are found throughout the grounds, and a Japanese garden gives a sense of peace and tranquillity.

Stay: Rockhampton Plaza Hotel.

Day 8 Thur. Mackay, Airlie Beach, Cruise to Daydream Island.

This morning, head for the town of Mackay, the sugar capital of Australia. Continue to Airlie Beach and cruise to Daydream Island, part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The island is described as the jewel of the Whitsundays. It lies beside an archipelago of green islands in the blue tropical waters. 5 Day (TQ05) guests join tour at Daydream Island.

Two Night Stay: Daydream Island Resort and Spa, a tropical island getaway.

Day 9 Fri. Great Barrier Reef Experience.

Voyage to the heart of the Great Barrier Reef aboard a catamaran. Arrive at Reefworld, one of the largest reef pontoons in Australia. Enjoy a reef education presentation and view the tropical fish from the Underwater Observatory and the semi-submersible. For the more adventurous, follow a snorkelling trail and view the coral and sea life up close. Lunch on board is included.

Day 10 Sat. Daydream Island, Whitsundays, Townsville, Cairns.

This morning, return to the mainland and head to Townsville, North Queensland’s largest city. Continue along the coastline, travelling between lush mountains with tropical vegetation and sandy beaches. Your destination is Cairns, a cosmopolitan city where its residents enjoy an enviable tropical lifestyle. Cairns is where two of Australia’s World Heritage areas – the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest converge.

Two Night Stay: Cairns, Hotel Cairns, a tropical haven in the heart of Cairns.

Day 11 Sun. Port Douglas, Kuranda, Farewell Dinner.

Drive along the coast to Port Douglas. On arrival, enjoy some free time before heading to Kuranda, a village in the rainforest where you can wander the local markets. Travel aboard the Skyrail, Kuranda Scenic Railway (own expense) or by coach back to Cairns. Tonight enjoy a special Farewell Dinner at Tjapukai by Night – discover the Dreamtime and be an interactive part of an ancient corroboree. Then be led along a flame-lit pathway to a dinner banquet of the region’s best food.

Day 12 Mon. Cairns.

Your tour concludes today after breakfast and you are transferred to Cairns airport for your onward flight.

Combine your Affordable Queensland tour with a visit to the Top End and Red Centre. Enquire about departure dates and prices.

• Back to Escorted Touring
• Back to Homepage