East Coast Islands & Rainforest

12 days,

11 nights |

from $4175 per person*

TOUR CODE: QSC/QCS

Explore the epic Eastern Australian coastline on a journey that takes you spectacular Sydney to the glamorous Gold Coast. Cruise to pristine Fraser Island and the Whitsundays, and head to tropical Cairns to discover the world-renowned Great Barrier Reef. There are hinterland experiences too – you’ll taste premium wines in the Hunter Valley and tour a remote Rockhampton cattle station.

  • Comfortable accommodation
  • Travel by luxury coach
  • Experienced Travel Director & Driver Guide
  • Airport transfers (see flight information below)

Tour Highlights

  • Enjoy a delicious winery lunch and wine tasting in the Hunter Valley
  • Visit Australia Zoo, home of the Irwin family
  • See the cute koalas at Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital
  • Let your hair down with free time in the holiday town of Noosa
  • Take an exciting 4WD tour on Fraser Island
  • Taste local produce at the Ohana Exotic Fruit Orchard
  • Experience life on Langmorn Station, a working cattle property
  • Stop at the Sarina Sugar Shed for a guided tour and lunch at a miniature sugar mill
  • Stay on Hamilton Island – everyone has a view over the Whitsundays from their balcony
  • Tropical paradise Hamilton Island
  • Cruise to spectacular Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays
  • Relax in idyllic Mission Beach
  • Stop at Millaa Millaa Falls & the Curtain Fig Tree
  • Skirt across the treetops on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
  • Snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef
  • Enjoy a Be My Guest BBQ dinner with a local family in their Cairns homeBe my guest dining experience
  • Included Choice experiences in Gold Coast

Flight Information

Flights are not included in the tour price; please call our team for the current flight prices. Any flights referred to in the itinerary are an additional expense; these are the suggested group flights:

  • Day prior to tour commencement: flights can arrive into Sydney at any time
  • Day 13: Flights to depart Cairns any time after breakfast

Departure Dates

2020 APR: 6 JUL: 27 SEP: 21 OCT: 19 NOV: 16 DEC: 14 Please click here for full Booking Conditions.

All trips include 24-hour emergency travel assistance.

Book by:

December 14, 2020

Valid for travel between:

04/06/2020 – 12/14/2020

Additional dates, gateway cities and airlines may be available.

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As this Guided Vacation departs at 7:30am from Rydges Sydney Central, accommodations will need to be pre-booked for the previous night. image map

Day 1 Sydney – Coffs Harbor As this holiday departs at 7.30am from Rydges Sydney Central, accommodation will need to be pre-booked for the previous night. Start discovering the landscapes of Australia’s east coast as you travel northward to the coastal town of Coffs Harbor. From your accommodations nestled amongst sprawling tropical gardens, you’ll have the opportunity to wander down to Little Diggers Beach and Diggers Head. Enjoy the early evening sea breeze just like the locals do. Tonight enjoy a Welcome Reception and dinner with your Travel Director. Hotel: BreakFree Aanuka Beach Resort Included Meals: Dinner Day 2 Coffs Harbor – Gold Coast Journey to Cape Byron Lighthouse for superb views from Australia’s eastern-most point over the Pacific Ocean. Afterwards spend time discovering the relaxed bohemian vibe of Byron Bay. For lunch we recommend fresh fish and chips on the beach, there’s nothing more Australian. Continue to the famous vacation destination, the Gold Coast Hotel: Novotel Surfers Paradise, 2 nights Included Meals: Breakfast Day 3 Gold Coast Free Time Today you have the freedom to enjoy the Gold Coast in your own style. Nature lovers may head to Mt. Tamborine, foodies explore the growing culinary culture or those needing relaxation just stroll down to the sand and salt of Surfers Paradise Beach. Included Meals: Breakfast Day 4 Gold Coast – K’gari (Fraser Island) This morning visit Australia Zoo made famous by the Crocodile Hunter, the late Steve Irwin and his family. Enjoy a sneak peek into the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital and see how AAT Kings works with the Wildlife Warriors to support the koala rehabilitation project at the hospital, the country’s largest and busiest wildlife facility. This afternoon the ferry will take you across to the World Heritage listed K’gari, also known as Fraser Island. Hotel: Kingfisher Bay Resort, 2 nights Included Meals: Breakfast Day 5 K’gari (Fraser Island) A day of discovery lies ahead as your 4WD tour takes you for a ride around the island’s must-see sites. Visit Lake McKenzie, ringed with magnificent white sandy beaches. Walk through the ancient rainforest at Central Station and Wanggoolba Creek with its huge satiny, scribbly gum and kauri trees. Across the island to 75 Mile Beach, the sand highway will take you up the eastern coast to the Pinnacles Colored Sands; cooling, calm waters of Eli Creek and the famous sinking Maheno Shipwreck. Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Day 6 K’gari (Fraser Island) – Rockhampton Visit Langmorn Station, a fully operational family run cattle station. Meet the Creed family and take a guided tour of the property including the original family homestead, built in 1873. Enjoy afternoon tea in the garden in the company of the pet kangaroo! Cross the Tropic of Capricorn as you arrive in Rockhampton, the beef capital of Australia. Your night is free so why not try some local beef at one of the town’s steakhouses. Hotel: Quality Regent Included Meals: Breakfast Day 7 Rockhampton – Hamilton Island Travel north to Sarina today for a guided tour of its unique miniature sugar mill and distillery. At Airlie Beach you’ll catch the ferry to Hamilton Island, one of 74 tropical islands that make up the Whitsunday group in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. The spectacular island boasts pristine beaches and a kaleidoscope of coral and marine life. Hotel: Reef View Hotel Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Day 8 Hamilton Island Free Time Today is yours to indulge in your own pleasures – consider an optional experience. Perhaps cruise to famous Whitehaven Beach, take a scenic flight over the iconic Heart Reef or sit back with a good book by one of the resort’s stunning pools. Included Meals: Breakfast Day 9 Hamilton Island – Mission Beach Take the ferry back to the mainland this morning, from where you’ll head north to the seaside town of Mission Beach. Nestled between World Heritage rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, your accommodations offers superb views over the Coral Sea. Hotel: Castaway Resort and Spa Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Day 10 Mission Beach – Cairns Today’s journey takes you to the Atherton Tablelands, with its lush rainforests, spectacular waterfalls and peaceful lakes. Visit Millaa Millaa Falls and the heritage listed 500-yearold Curtain Fig Tree, and keep an eye out for the magnificent Ulysses butterfly. Spend some free time in Kuranda, the ‘village in the rainforest’, before traveling on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Your six-person gondola will provide spectacular views of the rainforest and the Coral Sea. Hotel: Pacific, Cairns, 2 nights Included Meals: Breakfast Day 11 Great Barrier Reef Board a high-speed catamaran today and cruise out to the iconic Great Barrier Reef, the only living organism that can be seen from the moon. You’ll have the opportunity to go snorkeling (equipment provided) or view the spectacular coral and tropical fish from the underwater observatory and glass bottom boat. Enjoy a tropical buffet lunch on board, before you return in the late afternoon for a Farewell Dinner with your Travel Director and new-found friends. Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Farewell Dinner Day 12 Farewell from Cairns Say farewell to your fellow travellers when your holiday comes to an end this morning after breakfast. Included Meals: Breakfast

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*Terms & Conditions: Pricing is per person based on double occupancy. All prices are in US dollars and correct at time of posting for travel during specified travel dates. Single supplements, black-out dates and seasonal supplements may apply. Airfare is not included unless indicated. Prices may differ when you book your travel and are not guaranteed until full payment is received. Airline and hotels frequently change their prices as a result of fare increases and/or fuel surcharges. Prices may increase before full payment for those and other reasons. Package is not combinable with any other offer or discounted vacation package. After full payment, prices are guaranteed except only due to an increase in government-imposed taxes or fees. By paying your deposit, you affirmatively agree to the possibility of such increases. Package is strictly subject to availability, not retroactive and not combinable with any other special or vacation package offer. Minimum night stays or required room types may apply. All prices, itineraries and routings are subject to change without notice. Please call for our current prices. CST#2001136-20

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