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East Coast Islands and Rainforest

4.3/5 Based on 10 Reviews No Booking FeesDedicated Travel Advisor
Fully Guided Coach Group Scenic
Our Price From 6,286 Per Person
Exclusive Savings 792 Per Person
 Trip Length
12 Days
 Trip Starts
Sydney
 Trip Finishes
Cairns
12 Day East Coast Islands and Rainforest Itinerary (AAT Kings)
Countries Explored: Australia
Trip Style
Best Buys
Departures
Accommodation
3 - 4 Star
Max. Group Size
49
Guide Level
Fully Guided
Trip Code
QSC

Overview

Read 10 reviews and enjoy exclusive savings on AAT Kings 12 Day East Coast Islands and Rainforest. Queensland is the only place in the world where two World Heritage Sites meet. And you get to see their convergence on this east coast Australia trip, which tours from Sydney all the way to Cairns. From a Great Barrier Reef tour to the Wet Tropics rainforest, from K’gari (Fraser) Island tour to the Gold and Coffs Coasts tour, get set for a parade of postcard-worthy attractions.

Itinerary

As much as you'll want to linger in Australia's largest city, this tour from Sydney begins on a high - Coffs Harbour is calling. On the mid-North Coast of New South Wales, this pocket of paradise has some of the state's most impressive beaches, not to mention the glorious national parkland that surrounds. Follow the breeze (and lead of locals) to the beach for a dazzling end of day, before meeting your fellow adventure-seekers and Travel Director over dinner. (D) Stay: BreakFree Aanuka Beach Resort

Fittingly, your east coast Australia tour takes you to the country's most easterly point. It's the stuff that postcards were made for, as you'll discover when you reach the Cape Byron Lighthouse, standing proud over the Pacific Ocean. Dolphins are a common sight year round, and they're joined by whales during migration.

For lunch, we can point you in the direction of a tasty Byron Bay fish-and-chip shop - order a haul to eat with your feet in the sand. Which you're going to see plenty of at your next destination. (B) Stay: Novotel Surfers Paradise (2 Nights)

Your base in Surfers Paradise is the heart of the Gold Coast, a city that really does sparkle. Today you might choose to explore beaches (there are too many to count), lingering in light-filled cafés and restaurants. Or enlist in a Gold Coast tour to see another side of the ‘Goldie' in the Mt. Tamborine hinterland - a hub for creatives and foodies. The city also breaks records for its extensive network of canals, which you might opt to explore on a leisurely cruise. (B)

Follow the waves north to Hervey Bay, the gateway to World Heritage-Listed K'gari (Fraser Island). The ferry ride across the strait is a highlight, particularly during whale migration when these gentle giants come to the calm, protected waters to calve. Landing on K'gari, expect to see a lot of sand. This is, after all, the world's largest sand island, and the only place in the world where rainforest grows from the sand. (B) Stay: Kingfisher Bay Resort (2 Nights)

The island also has a really long sand highway, which you'll get to zip along on a 4WD Fraser Island tour across 75 Mile Beach, all the way up the east coast to the Pinnacles Coloured Sands, calm Eli Creek and the Maheno shipwreck, which offers quite the photo op. Just when you thought the island couldn't get any prettier, Lake McKenzie appears on the horizon, this dazzling patch of blue formed only with rainwater. It's a hard act to follow, but the ancient rainforest at Central Station and Wanggoolba Creek lives up to the challenge with its huge satiny, scribbly gum and kauri trees. (B/L)

Back on the mainland you're in Queensland's cattle country. Case in point Langmorn Station, where the Creed family will welcome you with afternoon tea and a tour of the immense (and historic) cattle property - the original family homestead was built in 1873. The Creeds will regale you with stories about life on the land. The theme continues as you cross the Tropic of Capricorn to arrive in Rockhampton, the beef capital of Australia. See if it deserves its title sampling some of the town's restaurants. Ask us for tips. (B) Stay: Quality Hotel Regent, Rockhampton

Another town with an impressive title is Sarina, Australia's sugar capital. If you've ever wanted to know how sugar cane is processed and distilled, you'll find the guided tour at the Sarina Sugar Shed a sweet addition to the itinerary. And yes, you get to sample the wares. Continue, on a high, along the east coast to Airlie Beach, the gateway to the Whitsundays. Life moves at a leisurely pace here. Fall into step and take things slow tonight. (B/L) Stay: Mantra Club Croc (2 Nights)

The Whitsunday Islands need little introduction, the 74 tropical drops of land a beguiling union of powdery beaches and rainforest, all ringed by the Coral Sea. There are endless ways to explore this part of the Great Barrier Reef on tour - today, we're letting you choose. Perhaps rise early for an optional helicopter ride over Heart Reef. Or catch a catamaran to Whitehaven Beach, with sand so high in silica it squeaks underfoot. Decisions, decisions. (B)

After all the excitement of yesterday, today it's time to relax and enjoy the scenery - more sugar cane fields and rolling green paddocks, all framed by the ocean and rainforest-clad mountains. Stretch your legs en route to Cairns and soak up this steamy part of the state. (B) Stay: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns (3 Nights)

The Cairns Esplanade is a hive of activity in the morning, with active locals out before the humidity of the day sets in. Keep pace, before cooling off in the Atherton Tablelands, a high tropical plateau of rainforest, including the heritage-listed Curtain Tree. And waterfalls, like Millaa Millaa Falls, where enormous iridescent Ulysses butterflies like to dance. Explore Kuranda before getting some perspective on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, high above the canopy of the Barron Gorge National Park. (B)

Just when you thought your outlook couldn't get any better, your Cairns tour sees you zipping over the Great Barrier Reef on a high-speed catamaran. Snorkel with six of the world's sea turtles bobbing over fans of coral, as well as so many fish you won't know where to look. If you prefer to keep your head above water, the marine world can also be glimpsed from an underwater observatory and glass-bottom boat. (B/L/D)

A ridiculous number of beaches, world-record breaking rainforest, dreamy islands and even dreamier ocean… it's going to be hard to say goodbye to this east coast Australia tour. Not to mention your fellow travellers. (B)

Trip Inclusions

  • Some of the world's oldest tropical rainforest envelops Cairns, this verdant tangle of ferns and palms a natural magnet for native wildlife.
  • Choose your own adventure on the Gold Coast, where surf and sand meet rainforest hinterland. Hike, swim, refuel, repeat.
  • It's easy to drift away in the Whitsundays. And you get to do just that, whether on a catamaran, with a snorkel strapped on or from the air.
  • How many people get to say they visited three World Heritage Sites on a single holiday? You can: K'gari (Fraser Island), the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics of Queensland.
  • Our ‘10 Pieces' program encourages guests to pick up 10 pieces of rubbish during their travels. Every little bit helps to protect this fragile part of the world.

  • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver
  • 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites – K'gari (Fraser Island), Great Barrier Reef & Wet Tropics of Queensland (Barron Gorge National Park, Skyrail)
  • Centrally located premium hotels

  • 11 Full Breakfasts
  • 3 Lunches
  • 2 Dinners

  • Water bottle
  • Warm layers in cooler months
  • Camera
  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat

  • Day 1: Flights to arrive day prior into Sydney Airport
  • Day 12: Flights to depart any time from Cairns Airport

  • Low level of fitness required

  • Accommodation, itinerary and inclusions subject to change.
  • Prices are for land/cruise and internal flights as specified only. Flights not specified are not included.
4.3
AVG. RATING 4.3 / 5
10 Reviews
5 Star
40%
4 Star
50%
3 Star
10%
2 Star
1 Star
Worthwhile 0 , Canada, Feb 2017
Great trip overall. Great tour director, Paul Cotterill. Had a fun time visiting the various beach destinations and the in-between sites. I am just disappointed with the Novotel in Cairns where the cleanliness of the pool was not at par and room housekeeping was extremely disappointing (no vacuuming or mopping for three days, tea cups and glasses ...read more not washed).
Terrific trip! 1 , Australia, Nov 2015
Thank you Georgie for once again organising our holiday so successfully. Our bus tour with AAT Kings from Sydney to Cairns was a terrific trip! Our fellow travellers were so friendly and we had a wonderful time together, there were 8 Australians and 20 Internationals. The highlights were the Great Barrier Reef, Fraser Island, Daydream Island and Mission ...read more Beach, to name a few. It was so nice to see another section of our diverse country, we saw a working cattle station, cane fields, banana & pineapple plantations, tropical rainforests and so much more. We hope we can see another slice of our great country in the not too distant future, and we would certainly book again with Global Journeys!
Very satisfied with the journey and with Global Journeys 0 , Switzerland, Jun 2014
I was very satisfied with the journey and with the services of Global Journeys. Everything was well organized and went very well. The Coach was in an excellent condition, the seats very comfortable and the Driver excellent. The accommodations were in good condition and the daily breakfast-buffets and the included lunches and dinners very nice. If I ...read more have the opportunity to travel again to Australia (or somewhere else), I will again use your services.
Loved my tour 0 , Canada, Mar 2014
Loved my tour. Our Tour Guide was outstanding - she was knowledgeable and informative and very friendly. Didn't like all the rules the coach driver sent our way...a bit much. Loved where we went, loved Kirby's assistance at Global Journeys and would recommend this tour to others.
Global Journeys and AAT Kings were great 0 , Canada, Feb 2014
The East Coast Explorer gave us a nice look at this area of Australia. Highlights were Fraser Island and Farm Homestead visit. Mission Beach Castaways resort on the beach was great - wished we could stay an extra day. We also really enjoyed Noosa. The only negative was the Travel Lodge Rockhampton - AC was noisy and the hallway carpet smelled so bad ...read more that we had to stop breathing in order to get to our room - think this stop over needs to be replaced. Global Journeys and AAT Kings were great.
Would recommend the tour just for the itinerary 1 , United Kingdom, Jul 2013
The positives were that I had a great holiday and would recommend the tour just for the itinerary. We saw a lot of amazing places and the tour could of been extended to 14 days as we could of fitted in more places to see and gone further into far North Queensland. Met some amazing people who I'll keep in contact with and our tour guide and driver were ...read more fantastic. Ok the negatives were that at most of the hotels we stayed at we had to carry our own luggage up and down to our hotel rooms. In Noosa, I had to sleep on a sofa bed for 2 nights which wasn't great and share my hotel rooms with another lady who snored! Single travellers invest in single supplement/single room and learn from my mistake! The food in most of the hotels was pretty good some wasn't great. Apart from that I had a great holiday and have taken away some great memories!
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Note
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you enquire. Additional savings may apply. We guarantee the lowest price in Australia. T&C’s apply.
Note
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Prices and trip information are correct at the time at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by AAT Kings. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from AAT Kings. These should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.

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