Queensland Coast Adventure

Welcome to Queensland! Your adventure begins in Townsville, a delightful coastal city and your gateway to the islands of northern Queensland. A welcome meeting will take place at 1:30 pm today where you’ll meet your local leader and new travel companions. You won’t have to wait long to see scenery to take your breath away – after the meeting you’ll hop across to beautiful Magnetic Island on a ferry. On arrival, you’ll have time to get to know your new surroundings. Recommended is a short walk around Horseshoe Bay Lagoon, famed for its excellent birdwatching opportunities and cacophony of magpie geese. Dinner this evening will be quintessential Aussie fare – fish and chips. After an exciting first day, retire to your eco-lodge bungalows surrounded by the flora and fauna of the island. (D)

Wake up in paradise! This morning board a local bus to Horseshoe Bay, a gorgeous 3km crescent of golden beach. Here you'll go snorkelling and come face to face with the marine life beneath the bay’s clear blue waters. You will be joined by a local guide from Reef Check Australia who are engaged in long-term reef monitoring sites in the Townsville Great Barrier Reef region. Follow the marked snorkel trail and look out for giant clams, impressive coral cover and the old Moltke shipwreck, harbouring an abundance of colourful fish. Through their partnership with Intrepid, Reef Check Australia hopes to inspire travellers to become citizen scientists and contribute to monitoring the health of our reefs and spread the word about why they are so important. The rest of the day is free for you to experience all this island has to offer. One of the best ways to get to know the island is on foot – you may like to set off on the Hawkings Point Track, one of the best places to watch the sunrise or sunset, or the Forts Walk, leading you to historic WWII fortifications, with the chance to see koalas hanging out in the trees along the track. The new 5km walking track between Nelly Bay and Arcadia serves up some seriously stunning views and rewards with the chance to swim in Alma or Geoffrey Bay at the end of the walk. You may prefer to relax in Arcadia Village, home to charming cafes and shops, plus plenty of beaches to while away an afternoon on. Your leader will be on hand to make suggestions on how to get the most out of your time here. (B)

Leave the pull of Magnetic Island behind and catch a ferry back to Townsville, where you’ll hop aboard a private vehicle and drive to Mungalla Station, with a stop at Big Crystal Creek for a refreshing swim and another stop for lunch. On arrival to Mungalla Station, meet the First Nations owners of the land, the Nywaigi People, and learn about their culture and history, including brutal conflicts with European settlers. The story you’ve been told will come to life as you visit an exhibition of pictures within the historic homestead. Then head out and explore the Mungalla wetlands in search of aquatic birdlife. Enjoy an evening at leisure at your accommodation on the Cassowary Coast, serving up unforgettable views across to Hinchinbrook Island. (B)

Head to Girringun National Park and Wallaman Falls, the highest, permanent, single-drop waterfall in Australia. Enjoy the Djyinda (pronounced 'Yin-da' and meaning falls) walk*, starting at the falls viewpoint, then weaving through open forest and into vine-thicket rainforest to the base of the falls and a return hike uphill. After lunch, stop at the Cardwell Spa Pools, a naturally-fed idyllic swimming hole. Water levels fluctuate seasonally, but it is beautiful any time of year. Finish the day in Mission Beach, our base for the next two nights. (L)

Start your day by catching a boat transfer to Dunk Island, part of the Family Islands group and home to the beautiful Mission Beach. Get to know the island on foot during a beach walk. Your leader may share stories of the island’s fascinating history as you hike. Dunk Island also hosts plenty of magnificent wildlife, so be sure to be on the lookout for dugong and sea turtles in the ocean, and the famous blue Ulysses butterflies dancing around you. After your walk and your return to Mission Beach on the mainland, the rest of the afternoon is yours to spend as you wish. (L)

This morning stop for an included breakfast at a local farm and cafe in El Arish that does the best coffee in Queensland. Then make the morning drive to the Atherton Tablelands, and Millaa Millaa Falls. This place looks like a postcard for paradise, with a perfect cascade tumbling into a pool surrounded by lush rainforest. Take some time to soak it all in and snap some pictures, then carry on to Mount Hypipamee National Park for a hike. After your hike, pay a visit to the Tolga Bat Hospital, Australia’s largest bat rehabilitation facility. Here you’ll learn about the research, advocacy, and community education undertaken by the facility and make some new upside-down friends before continuing to the town of Yungaburra. We celebrate our final night with an included dinner at a restaurant that has been rated by our travellers as one of their favourites in terms of service and quality on this route. (B/L/D)

Enjoy a morning at leisure to explore Yungaburra. Your first stop today will be Curtain Fig National Park. Then it’s time to leave the Atherton Tablelands behind and drive on to the Kuranda Markets, stopping along the way at either the Mt Uncle Distillery or the Coffee Works, and at a stunning lookout point at Barron Gorge National Park. The markets sit in Kuranda village, a laidback place with a hippie vibe surrounded by rainforest. Take some time out to explore the colourful stalls of this iconic Australian market – if you’ve not picked up any souvenirs on your journey yet, this is the place to do it! Perhaps grab a bite to eat from one of many vendors, then continue your drive towards Cairns. Your adventure will come to an end upon arrival.