Explore Tropical North Queensland’s remarkable wildlife on this comprehensive self-drive tour, combining four nights cruising the Great Barrier Reef with the Atherton Tablelands, Mareeba Wetlands, Cooktown and Daintree Rainforest.
Your journey starts with four nights aboard a comfortable expedition vessel exploring the Great Barrier Reef, snorkelling amongst colourful coral gardens in search of green and hawksbill turtles, rays, reef sharks, and a dazzling array of tropical fish.
Back on land, travel through Crater Lakes National Park and the Atherton Tablelands, where wildlife highlights may include platypus, musky rat-kangaroo, Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo and a variety of endemic birds, before continuing to the Mareeba Wetlands to look for brolga, sarus crane and colourful tropical birdlife.
Heading further north, explore the remote landscapes around Cooktown and discover ancient Aboriginal rock art, before reaching the ancient, World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest. Here, explore forest trails, mangroves and waterways searching for southern cassowary, Bennett’s tree-kangaroo, Boyd’s forest dragon and numerous other rainforest species, bringing the journey to a fitting conclusion in one of Australia’s most wildlife-rich regions.
Suggested Itinerary
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Day 1:
Depart UK
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Day 2:
Arrive Cairns
On arrival in Cairns, transfer to your accommodation at Palm Cove, on the Northern Beaches, a journey of around 25 kilometres/30 minutes.
The rest of the day is free to relax after your journey.
Accommodation: The Reef House, 1-night
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Day 3:
Cruise the Great Barrier Reef
This morning, transfer to Cairns Marina to board your vessel. Set sail for Sudbury Cay, and your first opportunity to experience the Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy the stunning views and meet your fellow passengers as the sun sets over the water. Afterwards, join in for some stargazing on the Skydeck.
Your cruise includes accommodation, all meals, select beer and wine with lunch and dinner, 24-hour barista-style coffee and tea station, all excursions, daily lectures and briefing with guest lecturers, use of all onboard facilities, plus Xplorer tender, Zodiacs, kayaks and local fees for national parks and ports.
Accommodation: Coral Discoverer, 4-nights
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Day 4:
Visit Hinchinbrook Island
Cruise past cliffs and mangroves in the spectacular 22-kilometre-long Hinchinbrook Channel, which separates Hinchinbrook Island from the Australian mainland, keeping an eye out for dolphins, turtles and the rarely-seen dugong. Join a guided hike to Shepherd Bay or enjoy a peaceful beachcombing session along Cape Richards.
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Day 5:
Geranium Passage & Yamacutta Reef
Geranium Passage boasts some of the most pristine reefs in the region, making it an ideal destination for snorkelling and diving. Explore this vibrant underwater world, home to leopard coral grouper, emperor red snapper, turtles, manta ray and occasionally reef shark.
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Day 6:
Explore Dunk Island & Mission Beach
Today, your itinerary is flexible, allowing you to explore Dunk Island and Mission Beach, with the Xplorer tender running to and from both locations throughout the day. You might like to join a guided walk or perhaps enjoy kayaking, swimming, or stand-up paddleboarding.
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Day 7:
Disembark in Cairns & drive to Malanda, Atherton Tablelands
Today, you arrive back at Cairns in time for breakfast and disembarkation. After collecting your hire car, set off for the Atherton Tablelands (80 kilometres/1.5 hours) with a stop at Lake Barrine in Crater Lakes National Park. You can walk around the lake or take an optional boat trip to see the giant kauri pines that poke though the tree canopy in one of the world’s most complex and amazing rainforest ecosystems. Continue to Malanda, arriving later this afternoon.
Accommodation: Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat, 2-nights
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Day 8:
Explore Atherton Tablelands
Explore the area to look for duck-billed platypus and musky rat-kangaroos and see some of the 160 species of birds found here. You can also go for a swim in Lake Eacham in Crater Lakes National Park, and look for tree kangaroos at Malanda Falls. After dusk we recommend taking a night tour with a local operator to spot native tree kangaroos and possums.
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Day 9:
Explore Atherton Tablelands; drive to Mareeba Wetlands; boat trip
Visit the extraordinary Curtain Fig Tree at Yungaburra, one of the largest trees in North Queensland, then drive on to your accommodation in the Mareeba Wetlands. Make sure you arrive before 16:00 in time for a sunset boat trip on nearby Clancy’s Lagoon to see its rich birdlife – 222 species that includes hundreds of brolgas and sarus cranes that come in to roost each evening, and the lovely but highly endangered Gouldian finch.
Accommodation: Wild Nature Lodge, 2-nights
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Day 10:
Free day to explore Mareeba Wetlands
Today's free for you to explore the Mareeba Wetlands. This is an exceptionally rewarding area for birdlife, with more than 240 species recorded including rainbow bee-eaters, blue-winged kookaburra, and great bowerbirds, as well as an impressive variety of waterbirds gathering around the wetlands.
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Day 11:
Drive to Cooktown
Early morning bird walk then drive north to Cooktown (245 kilometres/4 hours). En route you pass through Mount Molloy, which was once a major producer of copper ore, but nowadays its main claim to fame is its birdlife. Almost 300 species have been recorded within a 15-kilometre radius of the town, which is also the home of the great bowerbird.
You also pass Black Mountain, an imposing range of black granite boulders – some the size of houses – seemingly stacked on top of one another. Here the wet tropical forest meets drier savannah woodland – resulting in an unusual range of wildlife, including some that's found nowhere else. Known as Kalkajaka (meaning 'place of spear'), Black Mountain is an important meeting place for the Eastern Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal people, and is the source of many Dreaming Stories.
Accommodation: Mungumby Lodge, 2-nights
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Day 12:
Explore Cooktown & surrounding area
Enjoy an expertly guided full-day tour to Archer Point on the coast, for stunning vistas of the Coral Sea – if you're lucky you may even spot turtles swimming. The Traditional Owners of the area are the Yuku-Baja Muliku people, and your guide shares insights into the time when Cooktown was a major northern outpost. Continue via the scenic Endeavour Valley and the Aboriginal community of Hope Vale with its fascinating cultural arts centre. From here head across rolling heathland to the white sand dunes – another stunning landscape – and peaceful Elim Beach, home of the “coloured sands”. The route back offers fine views the Battlecamp Range, as well Isobella Falls.
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Day 13:
Drive to Daintree National Park
Drive to Laura (145 kilometres/1.5 hours) to join the morning tour at Quinkan Cultural Centre and see some fine examples of Aboriginal rock art (duration 3 hours). After a quick bite to eat, continue north to Daintree and on to Cape Tribulation (280 kilometres/around 4 hours). NB: the ferry across the Daintree River operates from 06:00 to midnight; it can get very busy in the middle of the day, with long queues, so it’s best to cross either early or late. Arrive in the splendour of this ancient tropical rainforest that reaches right down to the shore.
Accommodation: Daintree Wilderness Lodge, 2-nights
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Day 14:
Explore Daintree National Park
You have the entire day to explore the tropical splendour of Daintree National Park. Among the host of things you can do are: guided day and night walks in the rainforest, cruise on the Daintree River and Cooper Creek, snorkelling or dive on the Great Barrier Reef, guided birdwatching cruises, self-guided walks through the rainforest and mangroves, visit Cow Bay and Thornton Beach to see spectacular untouched white sand beaches where rainforest meets coral reef; jungle surfing (abseiling through the rainforest), visit secret swimming holes, fishing, or visiting the Discovery Centre.
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Day 15:
Drive to Cairns & depart
Depending on the time of your international flight, you may have some free time to enjoy Daintree before driving south to Cairns (120 kilometres/2 hours) and drop off your hire vehicle at the airport in time to check in for your international flight to the UK.
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Day 16:
Arrive UK
LUXURY VESSEL
