East Coast Encompassed - Sydney to Cairns

From$2999USD
17 days,Sydney to Cairns
Trip Code: OAEC

Island hopping by yacht through the Whitsunday Islands, overnighting at a traditional sheep station and a beach teepee, learning to surf in Byron Bay, zipping over dunes in a 4x4 on a remote sand island, snorkelling the world's largest reef, spearing fish and savouring lunch with local Aborigines, sleeping in a 'swag' under the impressive southern night sky

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Offer valid for new bookings only with international air travel originating in North America added to a land booking. Not valid with any other discount, offer or promotion. Subject to availability. Must book by July 31, 2013, for travel by February 1, 2014. Subject to airline regulations and restrictions.

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Rugged landscapes, crashing surf and indigenous culture stretching back through time and beyond—Australia’s East Coast possesses a truly otherworldly allure. This trip offers you a comprehensive, authentic and wholly affordable experience in one of the country’s most popular regions. Raw thrills and refined pleasures abound out here. In the space of a few days, you’ll sample wines in the Hunter Valley, spend the night in a teepee, snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, catch a few waves, spearfish with local Aborigines, shear a sheep and play a didgeridoo. When people back home ask what you did on your trip, just tell ‘em: “Everything.”

What's Included

  • Hunter Valley wine tasting, sheep shearing lesson, mine tour, Yuraygir National Park trek, yoga class, surfing lessons, 4x4 excursion on Fraser Island, walking tour of Brisbane, sailing the Whitsundays, visit to Whitehaven Beach, Aboriginal art demonstration, spearfishing with Aborigines, 'Walk of the Women' at Bloomfield Falls, Aboriginal rock art explanation with an Aboriginal Elder.
  • 15 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 9 dinners (Allow AUD200-250 for meals not included)
  • Basic hotels (3 nts, multi-share), eco-lodge (3 nts, multi-share), maxi yacht (2 nts, multi-share), beach lodge (1 nt, multi-share), hostels (3 nts, multi-share), beach teepee (2 nts, multi-share), 'swag' (2 nts)
  • Train, yacht, private bus, 4x4 safari vehicle, ferry
  • Chief Experience Officer (CEO) throughout, local guides.
  • Small group experience; Max 18, avg 12
Map of the route for East Coast Encompassed - Sydney to Cairns Click to enlarge
Places Visited
  • Australia
Itinerary Notes

More information about the accommodation that we use for this trip can be found by clicking the button below.

Accommodation Info

Day 1 Sydney

Arrive at any time.

Day 2 Nundle Sheep Station (1B,1D)

Travel to the Hunter Valley for a vineyard tour and wine tasting. Overnight at a sheep station, including a shearing lesson and traditional dinner.

Day 3 Bingara (1B,1D)

Visit a working mine and have a go at gem mining. Enjoy a tour from a local jackaroo.

Day 4 Yamba (1B,1D)

Travel to this beach town surrounded by Yuraygir National Park. Enjoy a trek in the national park, swim in a remote swimming hole and opt to try your hand at lawn bowling.

Day 5-6 Byron Bay (2B,1L)

Travel up the coast to Byron Bay, which has a reputation as an alternative hippie town. Enjoy a surf lesson, a yoga class and lunch at a local vegetarian restaurant. Free time to explore before bunking down in a teepee.

Day 7 Brisbane (1B)

Chill out on the Gold Coast. Opt for a night out in Queensland's capital.

Day 8-9 Fraser Island (2B,1L,1D)

Enjoy a guided walking tour of Brisbane's centre. Ferry over to Fraser Island for an evening barbeque. Take a 4x4 tour to explore the world's largest sand island and enjoy a guided rainforest walk.

Day 10 Cattle Station (1B,1D)

Visit a working cattle station. Bed down in a 'swag' (canvas bedroll) under the outback sky.

Day 11-12 Whitsunday Islands Sailing (2B,1L,2D)

Savour an outback breakfast before travelling to Mackay. Embark on a 3-day maxi yacht sailing adventure from Mackay to Airlie Beach through the Whitsundays, a unique route only used by G Adventures. Enjoy beach visits, island bush walks and snorkelling the reefs. Anchor off of secluded tropical islands at night.

Day 13 Whitsundays/Whitehaven Beach/Airlie Beach (1B)

Hike to an island lookout over Whitehaven Beach, known for its stunning white sand, then enjoy free time on the famous beach. Sail to the resort town of Airlie Beach for a night of dancing.

Day 14 Cairns

Hop a train through sugarcane country before arriving in Cairns for the night.

Day 15 Cape Tribulation (1B,1L,1D)

Take an Aboriginal art class, learn the stories behind the images and take home what you make. Learn about the flora and fauna with local Aborigines, then go spearfishing with them and eat what you catch. Cool off in a waterfall in Daintree National Park. Overnight in a rainforest lodge beside the beach.

Day 16 Cooktown (1B,1L,1D)

Travel by 4x4 on the rugged Bloomfield track, stopping at Bloomfield Falls to participate in the 'Walk of the Women' where local Aboriginal women share their knowledge of the sacred falls. Enjoy dinner alongside the locals before sleeping under the stars in a 'swag'.

Day 17 Cairns (1B)

Head north and meet an Aboriginal Elder and story keeper, who will teach you about several ancestral rock art sites and survival techniques of the local Aborigines. Travel back to Cairns where the tour ends at 7:30pm.

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