ITINERARY

DAY 1 CAIRNS – DAINTREE RIVER – CAPE TRIBULATION

Journey along one of Australia’s most picturesque coastlines to Port Douglas. Travel to the Daintree National Park and cruise along the Daintree River, spotting saltwater crocodiles and other wildlife. Then head to Cape Tribulation, where age-old rainforest meets spectacular coastline. This is the only place in Australia where you can experience the splendor of tropical rainforest just a stone’s throw from the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef. This astoundingly beautiful region was named Cape Tribulation because of the difficulties experienced by James Cook when his ship beached on the reef off-shore. Stay: Cape Tribulation, Fern tree Rainforest Lodge, set amid lush coastal rainforest

DAY 2 BLOOMFIELD TRACK – COOKTOWN

Travel the remote and rugged Bloomfield Track to historical Cooktown. Journey through the dense rainforest with steep climbs and several creek crossings before stopping at Bloomfield Falls where you are joined by a local Indigenous guide for an interpretive tour. Visit the curious Lions Den Hotel before continuing on to Black Mountain and Cooktown. Stay: Two Nights: The Sovereign Resort Hotel, in the heart of historical Cooktown

DAY 3 COOKTOWN – LOCALLY GUIDED INTERPRETIVE TOUR

Explore Cooktown, gateway to the Cape York Peninsula. It was here that James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs in 1770 – making Cooktown the first European settlement on Australian soil. This un spoilt coastal town is full of natural beauty and fascinating history. Visit the James Cook Museum and the cemetery with its Chinese shrine, and discover nature’s powerhouse in the Botanic Gardens. With a local Indigenous guide from Guurrbi Tours, travel through the dramatic landscape on the outskirts of Cooktown and visit three Indigenous rock art sites, including Rainbow Serpent Cave and an ancient birth site.

DAY 4 LAKEFIELD NATIONAL PARK

Explore Quinkan Country, ranked by UNESCO as one of the top ten rock art areas in the world and one of Queensland’s best kept secrets. Lakefield National Park is Queensland’s second largest national park at 537,000 hectares. Stretching from Princess Charlotte Bay down to Laura, the park’s near-wilderness is covered with sunbleached grasses, paper bark woodland, mangroves and rainforest. It’s home to a variety of birds including Jabirus, Brolgas and many duck species, as well as fruit bats that take to the skies in the evening, and numerous wallabies. Stay: Lotus Bird Lodge or Coen, Exchange Hotel

DAY 5 COEN – WEIPA – GULF COUNTRY

Explore the old gold mining town of Coen then drive via Mungkan Kandju National Park, with its riverine rainforest and swamps, to Weipa, on the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Here, you’ll find the site of the world’s largest bauxite deposit. Weipa forms part of the Western Cape York Peninsula and offers the ideal place to see the sun set in the west over the Gulf of Carpentaria. Stay: Weipa, Albatross Hotel Resort

DAY 6 WEIPA MORETON TELEGRAPH STATION

Join a local guide for a tour of the Weipa Bauxite Mine, the largest of its kind in the world. Afterwards, continue along rugged dirt roads through remote areas of Cape York to Moreton Telegraph Station, located on the Wenlock River. The river flows all year round, although the levels can vary dramatically between the wet season and the dry season. Here, perhaps take a walk to the nearby lagoon or along the river bank. Stay: Moreton Telegraph Station: Stay in safari tents and enjoy an evening by the campfire

DAY 7 CAPE YORK PENINSULA

Skirting the Jardine River National Park, continue through the traditional lands of the Injinoo Aboriginal people. Native title handed much of this area back to the traditional owners, enabling the survival of the distinctive East and West Cape Aboriginal cultures. The journey today becomes quite adventurous when we travel on some of the original sections of the Old Telegraph Track. This route was carved out in the 1880s and some of the first telegraph poles can still be seen. Stop at Fruit Bat Falls, where there’s time for a refreshing swim in the crystal-clear waters, then cross the Jardine River by ferry and continue to Resort Bamaga. Stay: Two Nights: Resort Bamaga, a haven in the wilderness at the top of Cape York

DAY 8 EXPLORE CAPE YORK

Today you’ll travel to the tip of the Cape York Peninsula. Disembark near beautiful Frangipani Beach and take a mildly challenging but
thoroughly enjoyable walk to the tip of the peninsula to experience being at the Australian mainland’s most northerly point. After taking in the sweeping views over the Torres Strait, travel to historic Somerset, once the official government residence of the cape. Then return to the resort and enjoy time at leisure.

DAY 9 THURSDAY ISLAND

Today cruise across Endeavour Strait to Thursday Island. One of around 100 islands that make up the Torres Strait group, Thursday Island is home to 3,000 people, primarily of Melanesian descent. Whilst today it is a multicultural outpost, Thursday Island was once a base for pearling luggers. With a local guide, discover the island’s intriguing history and get a feel for island life in the Torres Strait. Stay: Thursday Island, Jardine Motel

DAY 10 CAPE YORK – CAIRNS

This morning, transfer to Horn Island aboard the local ferry. Then, board a flight over the vast Cape York Peninsula.

2013 DEPARTURE DATES

• May 16, 21, 30
• June 04, 13, 18, 22, 27
• July 02, 06, 11, 16, 20, 25, 30
• August 03, 08, 13, 22, 27
• September 05, 10

DISCOUNTS:
Seniors Card holders and Australian or New Zealand pensioners deduct $30 per person

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cape Tribulation
• Bloomfield Track
• Historic Cooktown
• Moreton Telegraph Station
• Weipa
• Telegraph Road
• Fruit Bat Falls
• Cape York “The Tip”
• Historic Somerset
• Thursday Island
• Horn Island
• Flight Horn Island to Cairns

TOUR INCLUDES

• 1 Driver/Guide
• Return Cairns Airport to Accommodation
• Transfers
• Meals as indicated
• Guided tours & activities
• Weipa Mine Tour
• Thursday Island Bus Tour
• Thursday Island Ferry
• Horn Island Ferry
• Air-conditioned 24 seat 4WD vehicle
• Cape York to Cairns airfare

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

CAIRNS ACCOMMODATION:

Before & After tour $42.50 per person per night includes free Airport pick up, Breakfast & Luggage storage